1. 5 themes of geography
Unit One

2. Intro
How can you make sense of a subject as large as Earth and its people?
Geographers use the 5 themes of geography to organize info about the world, and help them view and understand Earth
5 themes:
Location
Place
Region
Human-environment interaction
Movement

3. Location Location: where something is found on Earth
2 types of location
Relative location: describes where a place is compared to another place
Often uses the cardinal directions – north, south, east & west
Ex: The school is on the east side of town.
Absolute location: the EXACT location of something
Geographers use a system of imaginary lines – latitude & longitude to form a grid for precisely locating a place
Ex: 207 S. Market St. New Athens, IL
Ex: 34’N 57’E

4. Location cont.
Lines of latitude run east to west, but measure distance in a north to south direction
Equator: circles the middle of the earth & is the same distance from the North Pole as it is the South Pole
Other lines of latitude between the Equator & North Pole are assigned a number from 1’ – 90’, same for the South Pole
The higher the number, the farther it is from the equator
Equator = 0’ North Pole = 90’N South Pole = 90’S
Line of longitude run from North to South, but measure distance in an east to west direction, aka meridians
Prime Meridian: starting point for measuring longitude
There are 180 lines of longitude to the east of the Prime Meridian, & 180 to the west
Prime Meridian = 0’ International Date Line = 180’
In the absolute location, always list latitude (‘N or ‘S) first, then longitude (‘E or ‘W)

5. Place The features that help define a place can be physical or human
Physical: the characteristics of something
Denver is the “mile high city” because it is one mile above sea level
New Orleans is “the Crescent City” because it was founded on a crescent shaped bend in the Mississippi River
The place has a major impact on how people live there

6. Region
Places that are close to one another and share some common characteristics belong to the same region
Regions are defined by physical & human characteristics
LA and San Diego are both in southern California, sharing a nearness to the ocean & warm climate
Countries of northern Africa are all part of the same region because they share the same religion
Regions are important in determining patterns & distinctions over larger areas compared with other areas

7. Human – Environment Interaction
People and the environment interact and affect one another
Physical characteristics affect how people live and the jobs they have
Actions from people affect the environment in positive and negative ways
Environment: natural surroundings of a place
Environment includes several key features
Landforms: shape & nature of the land (hills, valleys, etc)
Also includes the presence or absence of water
Weather & climate also affect people’s interactions with the environment
Climate: the average weather in a place over a long period of time
Resources are the final factor in interactions
Resources: materials that can be used to produce other products
Renewable & nonrenewable

8. Movement
Geographers also look at how people, products, ideas & info move from one place to another
People move by choice or by force
Ideas can move at an even faster rate than people or products due to advanced technology

9. Homework 5 themes of geography research paper Due Monday, August 24th
Choose a town nearby or where you want to go to college
Research
Due Monday, August 24th