The Geography of Texas! Chapter 1

So….what is geography? Well….it means to study the earth *This includes the earth’s landforms, or shapes and types of land! * So…we are going to study the geography of Texas!

Do you know some examples of landforms in Texas?

Plateaus Hills

Mountains Plains

Basins Mesas

Buttes Escarpments

Don’t forget…Climate & Vegetation! *In addition to landforms, if you want to learn about a place you must learn about the weather and what plants grow there! *So what is climate?? It is the average weather of a place over a period of 20 to 30 years!

*Climate helps determine what vegetation, or plant life, grows in the area. *For example: Would it make sense if palm trees naturally grew in West Texas? NO! The climate needs to be damp!

*So…if climate affects what vegetation grows in an area…what does vegetation affect? *The vegetation (plant life) that grows in an area affects what kind of animals live in a region!

*All of these factors help shape a place!!! *So…..understanding a place like Texas involves learning about the land and its features! This is called physical geography!

Do people shape the geography of a place??? *Yes!! Learning about people and their ways is called human geography! *Where people live, culture leaves its mark! *Culture means the customs, ideas, beliefs, and skills of a people.

*It includes the language people speak, the foods they eat, and other details about the way they live! **Remember! Physical and human geography are connected! It is key to understanding a place!

Why study geography??? *Studying geography tells you about a place – what it is like and how it got to be that way! *Understanding TX geo. helps give us a greater appreciation for our home. *We learn about the abundance the land has provided and what we must do to continue to live successfully on the land.

5 Themes to Geography Location Place Interaction Movement Region

Location *Absolute location – finding the exact location of a place on a map or globe. Ex: Where is Austin located? *To describe absolute Location, latitude and longitude lines are used.

*Latitude – measure distance N and S from the equator and runs sideways on a globe! (AKA parallel lines)

*Longitude – measure distance E to W from the prime meridian and runs up and down on a globe! (AKA meridian lines)

*Relative location – the location of a place compared to or relative to another place. Ex: Is Austin North or South of Dallas? Ex: Is a place inland or on the coast? Is it near a river or a lake? *Answering these questions can tell us about a place.

Place *Place is described in terms of its physical and human features. Ex: physical features include landforms, vegetation, and weather. Ex: Human features show how people shape a place through their ideas and actions like religion, language, food, and sports.

Interaction *This means the interaction between people and their environment. *People have always adapted to their environment in which they live *They also change the place in which they live.

Movement *Transportation – the movement of people and goods. *Communication – the movement of ideas. *In order for people to get what they want, they travel from place to place. When they move they bring things with them…ideas, technology, products, and so on. *They meet other people with their own things and ideas. This exchange of information and things changes the place.

Movement Today, the internet and television speed up the movement of ideas. *Movement allows us to enjoy the features of diverse cultures.

Region *A region is an area of the world that has similar, unifying characteristics. *Any trait can define a region! Physical: climate, landform Cultural: language, customs Economic: ranching, farming, and other major industries set apart regions. *A region can be any size!!

Region *A region can be as large as the U.S. or as small as a neighborhood! *One city can have several regions! Ex: parks, residential areas, and businesses.