World Regional Geography

World Regional Geography
Introduction World Regional Geography

Geography is the study of….
What is Geography? Geography is the study of…. the earth, its features (physical and human-made) and the interaction between these features Geographers ask… WHERE are things located? and- WHY are things where they are? Geography is a multidisciplinary discipline

What is World Regional Geography?
The study of the world by breaking it down into realms and regions A realm is… The largest unit the inhabited world can be divided The result of the interaction between human societies and natural environments A representation of the great population clusters of humankind A changing entity over time Marked by transition zones at its boundaries with other realms We will be studying the world by realms and regions. For example, one of the realms we will be studying is North America. North America is a realm and is also broken down into regions that we will also study: The Maritime Northeast, The South, etc.

A region is… An area on the earth’s surface marked by specific criteria that we establish Specific criteria in this class focus on four themes: physical, cultural, economic, and historical geography All regions have… Area Boundaries Location Absolute location – specific measurable point on the earth’s surface Relative location – location with respect to other regions

All regions include states A state is… a politically organized territory that is administered by a sovereign government and is recognized by a significant portion of the international community A state must contain: a permanent resident population an organized economy a functioning internal circulation system Your book and geographers- refer to countries as states.

How would you divide the world?
Think about what kind of criteria you would use to divide the world and try to come up with a division scheme on your own. The book divides the world based on geographic similarities that include physical (the natural environment), cultural, economic, historical, and political (in some cases).

Themes of the Course: Physical Geography
The study of the earth’s natural landscapes (the array of landforms and physical features that constitute the earth’s surface What are some examples of natural landscapes? Physiography – synonymous with physical geography; literally means landscape description

Question 1: Why do we have mountains, earthquakes and volcanoes in some places and not others? Enter the Theory of Plate Tectonics The Theory of Plate Tectonics states that… the world is divided into large slabs of rock called tectonic plates that move slowly over the earth’s surface the movement of these tectonic plates create mountains and cause earthquakes and volcanoes along their boundaries Types of tectonic plate boundaries: Convergent – two plates collide, one plate dips below another plate (subduction), creating mountains and causing earthquakes and volcanoes (ex. Himalayas) Divergent – two plates spread apart (ex. Great African Rift Valley) Transform – two plates slide past one another (ex. San Andreas Fault) Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’ Why do we have mountains, volcanoes, and earthquakes in some place and not others? Plate tectonics is one of the major theories of our time. Look at the map of lithospheric plates and the map of volcano/earthquake distribution. Do you see any similarities? Hint: Take the Nazca plate near South America as an example. Notice how volcanoes and earthquakes form the outline of the Nazca plate. Now look at some more plates and then look at volcano/earthquake distribution. Most volcanoes and earthquakes occur along plate boundaries. Now look at the Pacific plate on the volcano/earthquake distribution map. Why do you think the Pacific plate is called the ‘Ring of Fire’?

Tectonic Plates Where are the continents located and why are they there? Be able to explain this based on the information you are given about continental drift and Pangaea.

What do you notice about the distribution of earthquakes/volcanoes and tectonic plates?

Convergent Boundary

Divergent Boundary

Transform Boundary The San Andreas Fault
North American Plate Pacific Plate

Question 2: Where are continents located and why are they there? Earth’s continents are located where they are because of plate tectonics Earth’s continents rest upon tectonic plates Continental Drift – the theory that the continents have moved throughout geologic time Pangaea – supercontinent that existed 225 million years ago

Where are the continents located and why are they there
Where are the continents located and why are they there? Be able to explain this based on the information you are given about continental drift and Pangaea.

The Big Picture…in a nutshell
Try to find the different boundaries on this map so you can see what is going on at each.

Question 3: How can the world be divided up by climate? Koppen-Geiger Climatic Regions A climates – humid, tropical (monsoon, rainforest, savanna) B climates – dry (desert, steppe) C climates – humid, temperate (mid-latitude) D climates – humid, cold (continental) E climates – cold, polar (tundra, icecap) H climates – highland (most like E climates – why?)

World Climatic Regions
Look at the climatic categories. How do the climates change as you move from the equator toward the poles (this is a way to remember these categories and where they are located)?

An aside…Climate Change Climates change over time Ice Age – a stretch of geologic time during which the earth gradually cools Glaciation – a period of lowered temperatures, ice surges, and dropping sea levels Last glaciation ended 10,000 years ago…many features we know today are remnants if this glaciation Interglaciation – relatively warm spells that separate periods of glaciation Why was the ‘Fertile Crescent’ so fertile 10,000 years ago? What has happened since? What is going on with climatic change now? What I want you to understand about climate change is that the climate on the earth has changed throughout earth’s history. The earth has experienced warm periods and cold periods intermittently over the course of millions/billions of years. What are we experiencing now? Why was the ‘Fertile Crescent’ so fertile 10,000 years ago? What has happened since? Look in your book for this chapter and read the section under “Decline and Decay” of the Fertile Crescent civilizations. Climate change affects civilizations. The advent of agriculture is thought to have occurred in the Fertile Crescent because the climate in this area was more temperate 10,000 years ago than it is today. Large ice sheets covered much of Europe and moderated the climate in the Fertile Crescent. When the ice sheets retreated, this area became drier and drier until it became what we see today, very dry and desert-like.

Themes of the Course Cultural Geography
Question 1:How can the world’s peoples be divided up? Culture – the sum total of the knowledge, attitudes, and habitual behavior patterns shared and transmitted by members of a society What are some characteristics of American culture? Other cultures? Geographers are concerned with how culture is imprinted on the landscape Cultural Landscape – the composite of human imprints on the earth’s surface What are some differences between the U.S. west coast and east coast? Between a U.S. city and European city? Think about some of the characteristics that distinguish one culture from another and make a list.

Components of culture… Ethnicity – the combination of a people’s culture and racial ancestry Others components?

Question 2: How are people distributed across the surface of the earth? Do you see clusters?

World Population Clusters: East Asia South Asia Europe Eastern North America Clusters of population East Asia centers on China South Asia centers on India Europe Eastern North America – interesting that we in Maryland are in one of the four major population clusters in the world!

Question 3: Where do people cluster? Near coasts Along rivers or other freshwater sources On flat terrain In temperate climates (what climatic classification is this?___) In places with fertile soil (river valleys, volcanic soils etc) Question 4: Why do people cluster in these areas? Think about what people need in order to survive and then look at where people cluster. It should make sense.

Basic Terminology… Population Distribution – the way people have arranged themselves in geographic space Population Density – number of people per unit area Cartogram – a map where the area of a country does not reflect territorial area but population numbers

An Aside…Population Growth (Overpopulation) The J-curve Just by looking at the J-curve, why would population growth – or overpopulation- be considered an issue? Just by looking at the J-curve, why would population growth – or overpopulation- be considered an issue? Hint: For 7000 years, the human population has increased very slowly. What has happened within the past couple hundred years in terms of human population growth?

Themes of the Course Economic Geography
Economic Geography – the study of the spatial aspects of how people make a living and the subsequent patterns of production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services Question 1: How can the world be divided economically? World Bank division of countries/states… High-income Upper-Middle-Income Lower-Middle-Income Low-Income

World Bank Economic Division of the World

Themes of the Course Economic Geography Other Methods of Dividing the World…
Haves Core Areas Advantaged Developed First World Have Nots Peripheries Disadvantaged Underdeveloped Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth World

Measures of Economic Development… GNP per capita GNP (Gross National Product) – the total value of all goods and services produced in a country (including citizens’ foreign investment and other external sources) in a given year GNP per capita means the gross domestic product per person Example: India has a GNP of $336 billion while Switzerland has a GNP of $288 billion – which state is economically more well off? Measure of Economic Development GNP per capita India’s GNP is $336 billion and Switzerland’s GNP is $288 billion – which state is more advanced? Switzerland because of GNP per capita India’s GNP per capita is $340 while Switzerland’s GNP per capita is $40,630 Population growth – in general, what is the economic condition of states with high population growth? Low population growth? Occupational structure of the labor force – in an ‘underdeveloped’ country, what is the predominant way to make a living? Urbanization – in general, a high urbanization rate correlates with what kind of state – developed or underdeveloped? Consumption per capita – think about access to technology (cell phones, computers, TV etc) and energy use Infrastructure – roadways, railways, waterways etc.

Measures of Economic Development cont… Population growth In general, poorer countries have more rapid rates of population growth Population growth rates (or natural increase percent) usually range from (-)1%-(+)4% - what does this mean? The Rule of 70 If a country has a population growth rate of 1% its population will double in 70 years (i.e. the rule of 70) How long will it take a country’s population to double with a population growth rate of 2%? 3%? 4%? Look at Table G-1 at the back of the Introduction chapter What countries have the highest population growth rates? What countries have the lowest population growth rates? Divide 70 by 2 and that is the number of years it will take a country’s population to double if that country has a natural rate of increase of 2% annually. What about 3%? 4%? All you need to do is 70/3 and 70/4 to find the answers.

World Population Growth Rates Image obtained from www.worldbank.org
Where are population growth rates the highest? The lowest?

Measures of Economic Development cont… Occupational structure of the labor force What do we mean by occupational structure? Think about what type of jobs predominate in poorer countries vs. richer countries. Urbanization – percentage of a country’s population living in urban areas Which countries would Consumption per capita – of what? Infrastructure – the foundations of a society: urban centers, transport networks, communications, energy distribution systems, farms, factories, mines and social services such as schools, hospitals, postal services, police and armed forces Consumption per capita Think about technology. What do we have/use in the U.S. that people in other countries/regions/realms might not have access to? If you still can’t figure it out, then think about how you are taking this class. Do all people in all countries have the ability to take a class like you are right now?

Measures of Economic Development cont… Social conditions Human Development Index (HDI): life expectancy, education (adult literacy), and GNP per capita Addresses the failings of merely using GNP to measure the ‘success’ or ‘wealth’ of a country This is a more widely used index because it includes the well-being of human beings as opposed to merely how much money a country accumulates. Look at the map in the next slide.

Human Development Index by Country
Where are the highest HDI’s located? The lowest? Are you getting a picture here of what areas are well-off and what areas are not well-off? Dark Green = highest HDI Dark Red = lowest HDI

An Aside…Globalization (pp.20-21) Globalization – the gradual reduction of regional contrasts at the world scale, resulting from increasing international cultural, economic, and political exchange What are some indications of globalization? Is globalization a positive or a negative thing? How do the authors of your book view globalization? How do YOU view globalization?

Globalization McDonald’s in Saudi Arabia (upper left), Kazakhstan (upper right), and Nigeria (bottom right). Ronald McDonald in Thailand (bottom, center).

An Aside…Globalization cont… The World Trade Organization – “the only global international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the WTO agreements, negotiated and signed by the bulk of the world’s trading nations and ratified in their parliaments. The goal is to help producers of goods and services, exporters, and importers conduct their business” Who does the WTO favor? To join the WTO, countries must: agree to open their economies to foreign trade and investment and to adhere to a set of economic rules. What are the problems with the WTO? The WTO favors the developed countries of the world. Problems with the WTO: Many developed countries subsidize their products, especially farm products. Subsidize - to aid or promote (as a private enterprise) with public money…meaning the U.S. gives farmers money so they can sell their products more cheaply. What happens, however, is that once a country opens their economy and starts competing on the world market, they find they are at a disadvantage against those countries that subsidize their products. So, for example Mexico cannot compete on the world market with the U.S. in terms of corn because the U.S. subsidizes corn. This makes American corn cheaper and Mexican corn more expensive. Is any country going to buy the more expensive corn? Certainly not. Extra credit: you look up some more problems with the WTO and me your answers in an for extra credit.

Themes of the Course Historical Geography
Question 1: What is the history of the human race? Culture Hearths – a place of origin of a major culture; a heartland, source area, and innovation center Major Culture Hearths: Mesopotamia Nile Valley Indus Valley Wei-Huang Valley Ganges Valley Mesoamerica West Africa Andean America

Themes of the Course Historical Geography Image obtained from

Question 2: Other than wars, what events have significantly impacted the geography of the world today? Colonialism – rule by an autonomous power over a subordinate and alien people and place Imperialism – the drive toward the creation and expansion of a colonial empire and, once established, its perpetuation Early Empires: Greeks Romans Chinese Arab-Islamic Ottoman Others? Colonialism is blamed for many of the problems countries face today. The extent of the blame goes back and forth (in terms of colonialism being totally to blame or colonialism being somewhat to blame etc) as the years progress. However, one thing is certain; colonialism significantly changed the shape and course of most of the world’s countries. Much of what is going on now in the world can be understood under the framework of colonialism. We will be looking at this throughout the semester, especially during the first two modules.

European Colonization European control of the earth’s land: 1500: 9% 1800: 35% 1878: 67% 1914: 85% Two waves of colonization: First wave: Western Hemisphere mainly settlement colonies/immigrants major powers: Spain and Portugal conquest, plunder, slavery, annihilation of indigenous peoples Second wave: since the 1800’s Asia, Africa, and the Pacific colonies of occupation rather than settlement major powers: Great Britain and France colonies seen as sources of cheap resources

European colonization cont… Whom was involved? United Kingdom (controlled 24% of land surface) France Portuguese Spain Germany Italy Denmark the Netherlands Belgium Others United States Russia China Japan What were the effects?

An Aside….Neocolonialism Neocolonialism – the idea that the past colonial system of international exchange and capital flow has not changed in the postcolonial era (the entrenchment of the old colonial system under a new guise) Is neocolonialism a reality? Many of the world’s less developed countries accuse the more developed countries of perpetuating colonialism in a different guise. Much of the world’s trade and economy is controlled by the more developed countries. Less developed countries argue that they cannot compete with more developed countries for various reasons and that they are forced to play by the more developed countries’ rules if they want to develop, hence neocolonialism. What do you think about this argument? Many people argue that things like the WTO create colonial conditions where one country is dependent on another.

World Regional Geography

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