What is Geography? Geography is the study of what is where and why it’s there.

What Is Geography? Geo: Earth Graphy write, map, describe Geo vs. History Human Patterns & processes of human understanding, use, and alteration of the Earth’s surface Employ spatial concepts & landscape Analysis Overlaps with other fields:

What is geography? Connects to: Psychology Sociology Anthropology Economics Political Science Environmental Science History Physical Geography (Earth Science)

Why do we study geography? Increased interconnected world Overlaps with other disciplines when viewed spatially Place matters! Science and art We balance… World patterns/processes Individual uniqueness of place (sense of place) Globalization – greater connectedness that does not recognize traditional human divisions (borders). De Blij: “What happens at the global scale affects the local, but it also affects the individual, regional and national, and similarly the processes at these scales impact the global.” (8)

Globalization of the Economy Fig. 1-17: The Denso corporation is headquartered in Japan, but it has regional headquarters and other facilities in North America and Western Europe.

Big Mac Geography

Physical and Human Geography Physical Geography: Earth’s natural environs Processes that shape the earth’s surface Distribution of landforms Rocks and Minerals Landforms Soils Animals Plants Water Atmosphere Rivers and Other Water Bodies Climate and Weather

World Climate Regions Fig. 1-14: The modified Köppen system divides the world into five main climate regions.

Physical and Human Geography Distribution and characteristics of people How people use space What people do Population Settlements Economic Activities Transportation Recreational Activities Religion Political Systems Social Traditions Human Migration Agricultural Systems

Five “Key Spatial Themes” of Geography Place – Local human and physical characteristics uniquely defines place Usually have name and boundaries Examples Imparts meaning on inhabitants

Five “Key Spatial Themes” of Geography Human-Environment Interaction The ways in which human society and the natural environment affect each other

How do people use features of place in different ways? How do people adapt to the environment? How do people change their environment? How have people created problems with their environment?

Five “Key Spatial Themes” of Geography Human – Environment Interaction Environmental Determinism – people more determined by their environment Possibilism – People adapt and change their environment Cultural Ecology - A branch of ecology. The study of the interaction of human societies with one another and with the natural environment.

Five “Key Spatial Themes” of Geography Movement – interconnectedness of places…this is spatial interaction. People, goods, and ideas between places Historically People are interdependent Accessibility – reaching one location from another Connectivity – linkage between places Intervening Opportunity (think accessibility) – a more attractive option closer at hand. Reduces the pull of opportunities of a distant location. Migration? (A human commodity flow?) WWI African Americans, Latin America to U.S.

Five “Key Spatial Themes” of Geography Movement – spatial interaction Measuring interaction: Time-space convergence – accelerated movement due to technological innovations (comm., trans.) Time-space compression – psychological and social effects of the intensity of time-space convergence. Distance decay – the effects of distance on interaction.

Space-Time Compression, 1492-1962 Fig. 1-20: The times required to cross the Atlantic, or orbit the earth, illustrate how transport improvements have shrunk the world.

Five “Key Spatial Themes” of Geography Region formal region – Functional Region – Perceptual Region –

Election of 1860

Formal Region - Ecoregions

Colorado Landforms

Colorado - physiographic

Functional Region - economics

Vernacular Regions Fig. 1-12: A number of features are often used to define the South as a vernacular region, each of which identifies somewhat different boundaries.

Perceptual Regions - Baseball

Five “Key Spatial Themes” of Geography Location

Distribution: Density, Concentration, & Pattern Fig. 1-18: The density, concentration, and pattern (of houses in this example) may vary in an area or landscape.

Density and Concentration of Baseball Teams, 1952 & 2007 Fig. 1-19: The changing distribution of North American baseball teams illustrates the differences between density and concentration.

Al Franken Ignorant Americans BBC Article http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HfcrqXtxOM Ignorant Americans http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6W3T7MTh4M BBC Article http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2496427.stm