1. Introduction to Human Geography
AP Human Geography
Lacks

2. Questions that Geography Addresses
Where are things located?
Why are they important?
How are places related?
How are places connected?
How are humans affected by their locations?
The scientific and systematic study of both the physical and cultural features of the earth’s surface. It is a spatial perspective looking at patterns and distributions on the earth’s surface.
Invented by the Greek scholar Eratosthenes
Based on two Greek words:
Geo (Earth)
Graphy (to write)

3. Physical vs Human Physical Geography Human (or Cultural) Geography
Physical Geography: the study of the four spheres
Lithosphere
Atmosphere
Hydrosphere
Biosphere
Human (or Cultural) Geography: the study of the spatial differentiation and organization of human activity on the earth’s surface
Approaches to the study: Regional (Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia)
Systematic (Human Geography, Physical Geography, Historical Geography)

5. 5 Themes of Geography 1. Location 2. Region 3. Movement
4. Human-Environment Interaction
5. Place

6. (mathematical location)
1. LOCATION: Where is it?
ABSOLUTE LOCATION
(mathematical location)
grid – made up of latitude and longitude lines
THE EXACT POINT WHERE A PLACE OR PHYSICAL FEATURE IS LOCATED ON THE EARTH’S SURFACE
Examples: LATITUDE (parallels) & LONGITUDE (meridians), MAP POINTS, ADDRESS…..

7. Latitude & Longitude Determines absolute location
Latitude: imaginary lines that run east and west and measure north and south
Measured from the equator
N = north
S = south
Also called parallels
Measured from 0 – 90 degrees

8. Important Lines of Latitude
Arctic Circle – 66½º north
during the summer solstice, the area to 90 º north is in sun
during winter solstice it is in total darkness

9. Important Lines of Latitude
Tropic of Cancer – 23½º north
sun is directly overhead on summer solstice

10. Important Lines of Latitude
Equator – lies at 0 degrees
Longest circle of latitude
Sun is directly over it at both spring and fall equinox
The circumference of the earth is 24, miles

11. Important Lines of Latitude
Tropic of Capricorn – 23½º south
sun is directly overhead on winter solstice
Top left: Tropic of Cancer marker in Namibia
Bottom left: Tropic of Capricorn marker in Australia

12. Important Lines of Latitude
Antarctic Circle – 66½º south
during the winter solstice, the area to 90 º south is in sun
during summer solstice it is in total darkness

13. Latitude & Longitude
Longitude: imaginary lines that run north south and measure east and west
E = east
W = west
Meet at north and south poles
Also called meridians
Measured from 0 to 180 degrees (runs through Greenwich, England)

14. Prime Meridian
Right: The Royal Observatory
Greenwich, England

15. International Dateline

16. Organizing the globe Hemisphere: half of the globe
Separated by the equator and the prime meridian
What hemisphere(s) do we live in?

17. Organizing the globe Continent: large land mass
Ocean: large body of salt water
Continent: large land mass
How many continents are there?
Seven: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and Antarctica
Largest island = Greenland
How many oceans are there?
Five: Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Southern, Arctic
“Continent exercise”

18. Organizing the globe There are also bays, seas, gulfs, lakes
What determines name?
determined by
Size
Salt

20. Fresh water
Largest lake? Caspian Sea

22. LOCATION: Where is it? RELATIVE LOCATION (situation)
DESCRIBES THE LOCATION OF A PLACE IN RELATIONSHIP TO ANOTHER PLACE
Examples: Cardinal/Intermediate directions, landmarks, words like “near the….”, or turn right at, left
Where is the Eastern Shore?

23. 2. Regions
Grouping of places that have something in common and can be given a name based on similar features.
Which region of the world do we live in…
Hemisphere?
Continent?
Country?
Region of country?
State?
Region of state?
County?
Town?

24. Types of Regions Formal (uniform) regions Functional (nodal) regions
Perceptual (vernacular/cultural) regions
Formal (uniform) regions
Montana; German-speaking region of Europe
Functional (nodal) regions
the circulation area of a newspaper; an urban area (New York City); a radio station
Perceptual (vernacular/cultural) regions
the American South; Gulf Coast

26. Other Examples of Regions
Climate zones: Tropical countries, Arctic
Geographic Region: Gulf Coast states; Middle East
Political Regions: countries, states
Economic Regions: OPEC; Sun Belt
Cultural Regions: based on religion, ethnicity, custom - i.e., Latin America, Arab world

27. 3. Movement
How and why do people, ideas, products, and events move from one place to another?
Events - ex. Disease; Christmas

28. Movement 1) Culture Hearths
1)  Culture Hearths – sources of civilization from which an idea, innovation, or ideology  originates (e.g. Mesopotamia, Nile Valley), viewed in the context of time as well as space

29. Movement 2) Cultural diffusion
(a) expansion diffusion
2)  Cultural diffusion – spread of an innovation, or ideology from its source area to another culture
a)  Expansion diffusion – an innovation, or ideology develops in a source area and remains strong there while also spreading outward
1)  Contagious diffusion – nearly all adjacent individuals are affected (e.g. spread of Islam, disease)
2)  Hierarchical diffusion – the main channel of diffusion some segment of those who are susceptible to (or adopting) what is being diffused (e.g. spread of AIDS, use of fax machines)
3)  Stimulus diffusion – spread of an underlying principle (e.g. idea of industrialization)

30. Movement 2) Cultural diffusion (cont…) b) Relocation diffusion
c)  Forces that work against diffusion:
1)  Time-distance decay
2)  Cultural barriers
2) Cultural diffusion (cont…)
b)  Relocation diffusion – spread of an innovation, or ideology through physical movement of individuals
1)  Migrant diffusion – when an innovation originates somewhere and enjoys strong-but brief-adoption, loses strength at origin by the time it reaches another area (e.g. mild pandemics)
2)  Acculturation – when a culture is substantially changed through interaction with another culture
3)  Transculturation – a near equal exchange between culture complexes
c)  Forces that work against diffusion:
1)  Time-distance decay – the longer and farther it has to go, the less likely it will get there
2)  Cultural barriers – prevailing attitudes or taboo

31. Space–Time Compression
Refers to any phenomenon that alters the qualities and relationship between time and space
Examples:
New technologies (phones, fax)
Travel (cars, planes, space shuttles)
Economics (need for new markets)
Has occurred throughout man’s history, but most theorists specify two time periods as best examples:
mid-19th century to WWI
End of the 20th century

32. 4. Human-Environment Interaction
How do people adapt to and/ or change their environment?
This includes the impact of physical processes like hurricanes, floods, drought…
1)  Cultural landscape
includes all human-induced changes that involve the surface and the biosphere. 
Carl Sauer: “… the forms superimposed on the physical landscape by the activities of man.”
2)  Cultural ecology - the multiple interactions and relationships between a culture and the natural environment.
3)  Environmental Determinism – human behavior, individually and collectively, is strongly affected by, and even controlled or determined by the environment
3)  Possibilism – the natural environment merely serves to limit the range of choices available to a culture
4)  Environmental Modification – positive and negative environmental alterations  

33. Environment We depend on our environment We adapt to the environment
We modify the environment
Examples:
Wearing cool clothing in hot weather (adapt)
Building the ship channel to connect Houston to the Gulf of Mexico (modify)
Dams and bayou flood control projects (modify)
Using adobe bricks in the dry, desert areas of Texas (adapt)
Air-conditioning (modify)....

34. 5. PLACE: What is it like?
What are the physical and human/cultural characteristics of this place?
1)  Culture – people’s lifestyles, values, beliefs, and traits
a)  What people care about: language, religion, ethnicity
b)  What people take care of: 1) daily necessities of survival (food, clothing, shelter) and 2) leisure activities (artistic expressions, recreation)
c)  Cultural institutions: political institutions (a country, its laws and rights), religions

35. Just for fun…
Longest place names

36. Longest Place Names: 3rd Place
WALES boasts a village called Llanfair­pwllgwyn­gyllgo­ gerychwyrn­drobwll­llanty­silio­gogogoch (58 letters)
which in English means "Saint Mary's Church in the hollow of white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of Saint Tysilio near the red cave.”

37. Longest Place Names: 2nd Place
NEW ZEALAND has a hill called Taumata­ whakatangihanga­koauau­o­tamatea­ turipukaka ­pikimaunga ­horo­nuku­ pokaiwhenua­kitana­tahu (85 letters) by the Maori.
taumata (brow of a hill), whakatangihanga (music making), koauau (flute), o (of), tamatea (name of a famous chief), turi pukaka (bony knees), piki maunga (climbing a mountain), horo (slip), nuku (move), pokai whenua (widely travelled), ki (to), tana (his), tahu (beloved).

38. Longest Place Names: 1st Place
THAILAND: Krung-thep-maha-nakorn-boworn-ratana-kosin-mahintar-ayudhya-amaha-dilok-pop-nopa-ratana-rajthani-burirom-udom-rajniwes-mahasat-arn-amorn-pimarn-avatar-satit-sakattiya-visanukam. (163 letters)
Meaning:
krungthep mahanakorn The great city of angels,
amorn rattanakosin mahintara yutthaya mahadilok phop the supreme unconquerable land of the great immortal divinity (Indra),
noparat rajathani burirom the royal capital of nine noble gems, the pleasant city,
udomrajaniwes mahasatharn with plenty of grand royal palaces,
amorn phimarn avatarnsathit and divine paradises for the reincarnated deity (Vishnu),
sakkatattiya visanukam prasit given by Indra and created by the god of crafting (Visnukarma).