1. World Regional Geography
January 25, 2010
Reading:
Marston Chapter 2
pages 58–71, 74-95
Goode’s World Atlas
pages
Next Week:
Map Quiz #1
Paper Topics Due
No US/Canada
Europe at night: May 16,1999
USAF Defense Meteorological Satellite Program

2. Geography Human Physical Transportation Geography Medical Geography
Economic Geography
Cultural Geography
Historical Geography
Political Geography
Medical Geography
Population Geography
Transportation
Geography
Location Analysis
Geology
Physical
Geomorphology
Pedology
Climatology
Glaciology
Hydrology
Biogeography
Ecology
Oceanography

3. How do geographers analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on earth’s surface?
Geographers refer to both the features of Earth’s surface and activities that take place on Earth’s surface as phenomena.
Physical: topographic, climate, vegetation.
Human: cities, trade flows, spread of disease.
Physical & Human: resort planning and climate.
Central to geography is the belief that there is pattern, regularity, and reason to the locations of physical and human phenomena on Earth’s surface and that there are spatial structures and spatial processes that give rise to them
Why are these phenomena located in these places?
How did they get here?
Why is this pattern significant?

4. Description and analysis of patterns of spatial organization:
How do geographers analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on earth’s surface?
Description and analysis of patterns of spatial organization:
Local
Global
Interdependence
Spatial linkages:
Human and physical
How do physical processes in one place affect physical and human processes in other places?
How do human decisions at one location affect human and physical processes in other locations?
What patterns exist?

5. Physical Geographers
The physical processes that shape the patterns of Earth’s surface:
Atmosphere
Lithosphere
Hydrosphere
Biosphere
The characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems on Earth’s surface:
How do various patterns in Earth’s physical processes combine to create unique ecosystems?
How do these ecosystems interact with one another?
What physical processes are leading to change in ecosystems?
Understanding how these processes operate allows us to establish baseline measures from which we can analyze the impact of human activity.

6. Human Geographers
The characteristics, distribution, and migration of human population on Earth’s surface:
Where do populations concentrate? Why?
Demographic characteristics in certain locations.
What factors influence population change?
The characteristics, distribution, and complexity of Earth’s cultural mosaics:
Location specific cultural characteristics.
Needs, wants, and the use of technology.
The interaction of different cultures.
The patterns and networks of economic interdependence on Earth’s surface:
Distribution of capital, labor, and resources.
Transportation and communications patterns.
Economic relationships.

7. Human Geographers
How the forces of cooperation and conflict among people influence the division and control of Earth’s surface:
Interaction of political, economic, and cultural systems.
Conflict over land:
Strategic
Resources
Cultural
The processes, patterns, and functions of human settlement:
Economic activities
Transportation and communications systems
Political systems
Cultural and entertainment.
Understanding how these processes operate, and the interaction of the various human systems, allows us to begin to understand the potential effects of policy decisions.

8. Human & Physical Geographers
By examining the interaction between physical and human spatial processes, geographers can then address questions related to:
How human actions modify the physical environment:
How do certain population characteristics affect physical systems?
How do certain cultural values affect the physical environment?
What affect do certain economic activities have on the environment?
How do human settlement patterns affect physical processes?
How does conflict over land (space) impact physical systems?
And…..

9. Human & Physical Geographers
How do physical systems affect human systems:
How do changes in atmospheric temperature affect the spatial pattern of agricultural output?
How do existing hydrologic systems impact human settlement patterns?
Do certain characteristics of regional ecosystems favor the spread of human disease?
How will climate change impact human systems:
Future land-use patterns
Water availability
Ecological change
Potential for future conflict over land
Probable future settlement patterns

10. Geography Geographers from the various geographic subfields:
Identify spatial patterns in certain phenomena.
Analyze the spatial patterns and ask why they exist.
Determine what processes led to a specific spatial pattern.
Analyze how this process operates, which allows for prediction.
Analyze how this spatial process interacts with other phenomena and processes.
Which allows one to create larger more realistic models of spatial interaction between both human and physical spatial systems.

11. For example: A population geographer might ask:
What economic, social, physical characteristics of a particular place make it more or less likely that a young adult will choose to out-migrate?
This is a question about human migration patterns, but to answer it requires information about:
Economic characteristics
Cultural values
Climate and topographic characteristics
and……
4) How all of these characteristics of place affect the migration decision-making process of young adults.

12. Europe Political Boundaries: What/Where is Europe? Physical Geography
Physiographic Regions
Climate & Land Use
Environmental History & Issues
Human Geography
Population Characteristics
Migration Patterns / History
Cultural and Ethnic Characteristics
Key Concepts
Nations & States
The Welfare State
Europe in a Global Context: Historic & Contemporary
Political
Economic

13. Political Boundaries

14. Physical Features

15. Physiographic Regions
Physiographic Regions: a broad region within which there is a coherence of geology, relief, landforms, soils, and vegetation.
Northwestern Uplands
North European Lowlands
Central Plateaus
Alpine System

16. Climate

17. Annual Precipitation

18. Average Tempurature

19. Forested Land

20. Vegetation

21. Land Use (see World Atlas pg. 148)

22. Europe: Environmental History
Europe was initially dominated by temperate forests (deciduous). Today only 5% of Europe remains forested.
1000 – 1300: Agriculture becomes dominate land-use.
Warm climactic period.
Technological advances in agriculture.
Population boom (~36 million to ~80 million).
Need for more agricultural land:
Large-scale drainage projects
Sea-reclamation projects
Settlement on less-than-optimal agricultural land.
1300 – 1500: Reduction in agricultural land use.
Black Plague
“Little Ice Age” shortens growing season.
Marginal agricultural lands abandoned.
18th century industrialization dramatically altered the landscape:
Population concentration
Mining
Pollution

23. Europe: Environmental Issues
Derelict landscapes:
Strip mining
Exposed chemical hazards
Air / Water pollution:
Originally a western European issue resulting from industrialization.
Eastern European countries suffer from sub-standard industrial infrastructure.
Water usage / scarcity:
Nine EU nations currently using water at unsustainable levels.
Agricultural and personal use.
Natural Resources:
Many resources used in production must be imported.
Over-fishing.
Worth noting Europe has been the most proactive region in terms of meeting Kyoto protocol and imposing waste minimization standards.