5 Themes of Geography

Geography

The study of the earth and how people live and

work on it.

5 Themes:

1. Location

2. Place

3. Human/Environment Interaction

4. Movement

5. Region

Location“Where is it?”

Two types of location –

1. Absolute – Precise position on the earth

e.g. Latitude and Longitude/Address

A. Hemisphere: Two halves of the earth

Location cont.

– Latitude: Measures distance North and South of

Equator

Location cont.

– Longitude: Measures distance East and West of Prime

Meridian

Location cont.

– Grid System: Global network of horizontal and vertical

lines

Location cont.

1. Relative Location – Where it is in relation to

another location

e.g. “I live in Orem near Wal-Mart”

Place“What is it like there?”

A Description of the area using –

1. Physical Characteristics – Landforms, Animals,

Plant Life

2. Human Characteristics - What kinds of people

and what they do

Human/Environment Interaction“What is the relationship between people and their

environment?”

How the environment affects the way people

live.

How people affect the environment.

Movement“How are people and places connected?”

Movement of people, goods, information,

ideas

Interdependence: relying on each other for

goods

Region“What characteristics do people and the land

have in common?”

Areas of the world organized or divided up by

similar characteristics

e.g. Rocky Mountain Region, Great Plains, The

Cotton Belt