1. Chapter 7: The Geography of Languages and Religions Introduction to Geography

2. Language & Religion ► 2 most important forces that bond & define human cultures

3. Defining Language ► Pronunciation & combination of words used to communicate within a group of people  Unique way of dealing with facts, ideas, concepts  Variations in language  differences in thinking about ► Space & time ► Things & processes ► Develop among people who interact regularly ► Reflect relative isolation in past ► Spread by  Relocation diffusion  Contagious diffusion

4. Language Regions ► Language  Major patterns of difference in communication ► Dialects  Minor variations within language ► Standard language  Follow formal rules of diction & grammar ► Official language  Country’s records are kept & business is conducted in this language ► Lingua franca  2 nd language for international discourse

5. Linguistic Geography ► Study of different dialects across space  Differ in: pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary  Vary more in speech than writing ► Speech community  Local group of people who speak together ► Isoglosses  Lines marking places of same language features ► Often follow physical features ► Geographical dialect continuum  Chain of languages across area with divergence increasing with distance

6. World’s Major Languages ► 6,000-7,000 distinct languages  77 have 10 million speakers as 1 st language ► 50% of world population speak 1 of 12 major languages ► Most spoken:  Chinese (1.2 billion) ► English  328 million speakers  Official language of 50 countries

7. Official Languages

8. Language Development ► Language among isolated people  Complete expression of experience  Drift: divergence if group spreads out  Retain genetic relationship ► Relations among languages  Protolanguage (root language): ancestor to all related languages  Language family: languages related by descent from common protolanguage ► Cognates: words that are similar because share common root ► Etymology: study of word origins & history

9. Indo-European Language Family ► Proto-Indo-European  Identified by Sir William Jones (1786) ► Common ancestor of many modern languages ► Grimm’s Law  Set forth by Jacob Grimm (1785-1863)  Rules to describe sound shifts as languages diverged ► Origin  Vocab describing environmental conditions  Modern Turkey ~ 8,000 years ago

10. World’s Language Families

11. Geography of Writing ► Orthography  System of writing ► Sumerians ► Olmec ► Alphabets  Roman  Cyrillic  Arabic  Korean ► Non-alphabetic  Chinese  Japanese Examples of Orthography

12. Distribution of Alphabetic Scripts in Eurasia

13. Toponymy ► Study of place names ► Origin of toponyms:  Natural features  Origins/values of inhabitants  Beliefs, religions  Occupations  Current or past heroes Minnesota Place Names

14. National Languages ► Complicated relationship between languages & nationalism  Single-country language  Languages spoken in multiple countries  Major definer of nationality ► Nation building  Mother tongues or Philological nationalism  Role of education  Political pressure

15. Language in Post-Colonial Societies ► Language of colonial ruler as language of  Government  Law  Economic development  Education ► Former colonial language  Useful for business  Avoids arguments about which language to use  Former colony as more powerful determinant of language

16. Polyglot states ► Having multiple official languages  Each language official in its own region  One language selected for government, communication among regions  Linguistic division by social class

17. U.S. Languages ► English always lingua franca ► Distinct “American English” ► 3 major dialects in 13 colonies ► Official language?

18. World’s Major Religions ► Systems of beliefs regarding conduct in accordance with sacred writings or authoritative teacher  Orthopraxy: Behavior-oriented  Orthodoxy: Theological/philosophical

19. World’s Major Religions ► Fundamentalism  Strict adherence to traditional beliefs ► Secularism  Excludes religions considerations as scientifically unproveable ► Ethnic vs. Universalizing

20. World’s Major Religions

21. Judaism ► 1 st monotheistic religion ► 15 million adherents ► Beliefs:  Covenant between Abraham & God  Pentateuch ► 1 st 5 books of Old Testament ► Sects  Orthodox, Conservative, Reform ► Israel  Zionism: desire to return to ancient homeland of Israel  Homeland for Jewish people  Created 1948  Conflict between Israel & Palestine

22. Christianity ► Origins  Emerged from Judaism  Belief God lived on Earth as Jesus Christ ► Coptic Church  Founded in Alexandria in A.D. 41 ► Official religion of Roman Empire  Facilitated geographical spread ► Dark Ages ► Protestant Reformation ► Significant growth in Africa, Asia and Latin America

23. Islam ► Muhammad (570-632) ► 5 Pillars of Islam  Belief in one God (Allah)  5 daily prayers  Generous alms  Fasting during Ramadan  Pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj) ► Sects  Sunni  Shiite

24. Diffusion of Islam

25. Hinduism & Sikhism ► Hinduism  Most ancient religious tradition in Asia  Vedas – sacred texts  Reincarnation  Castes ► Brahman, priest ► Kshatriya, warrior ► Vaisya, tradesman & farmer ► Sudra, servant & laborer  Untouchables ► Sikhism  Offshoot of Hinduism  Guru Nanak

26. Buddhism ► Siddhartha Gautama – born Hindu  Buddha – Enlightened One ► 4 Noble Truths  Life involves suffering  Cause of suffering is desire  Elimination of desire ends suffering  Right thinking & behavior eliminate desire ► Nirvana ► Diffused from India

27. Other Religions ► Eastern Religions  Confucianism  Taoism  Shinto ► Animism & Shamanism  Animism ► Belief in ubiquity of spirits or spiritual forces  Shamanism ► Shaman

28. Religion & Politics ► Government attitude toward religion  Most countries ► Freedom of religion ► Some degree of secularism ► Theocracy  Church rules directly ► Separation of church & state  Islam ► Fundamentalists ► Sharia law ► Governments only purpose is to aid in leading good Muslim life ► Terrorism

29. Geography of Religion in the U.S. ► Colonial religion  Colonies founded as theocracies  Established churches until after Independence ► Bill of Rights prohibition of established church ► Freedom to  Worship  Proselytize ► Results  World’s most religious country?  Affiliation ► 78% Christian ► 4.7% other religions ► 16% unaffiliated

30. Indirect Impacts of Religion on Government ► National ethics & morals from dominant religion ► Education ► Religious leaders as popular leaders ► Religious-based political parties ► Financial power ► States split into 2 or more religions ► Religion & women’s rights  Ordination  Plural marriage  Divorce  Political involvement?

31. Religion & Diet ► Hinduism  Cattle as sacred  Used only as draft animals and for milk ► Muslims  Pork  Alcohol ► Jews  Prohibit pork ► Impact on  Agriculture  World trade World Distribution of Hogs

32. Economic Impact ► Withdrawal of resources  Burial practices  Life in religious service ► Protestantism, Catholicism & capitalism ► Confucianism vs. individualism

33. Religion, Science & the Environment ► Origin of world ► Sacred places ► Calendars ► Festivals at certain times of year ► Relationship with nature  Exploitive approach  Adaptive approach ► Science: Question of beginning of life & embryonic research

34. Religious Landscapes ► Houses of worship ► Pilgrimage ► Religious administrative structure as identity ► Burial practices  Cremation  Burial

35. End of Chapter 7