Five Themes of Geography

Location, location, location

Where in the world is it?

How do we find a place?To find the absolute location of a place we use

longitude and lattitude.

What else do we need to know about Location?

• How else do we know where something is?– “It’s right next door to me.”– “Bowling Green is south of Louisville and north of

Nashville.”It is also important to know relative location. In

other words, how is that place is related to other places.There are many ways places are connected

land, water, even technology

PlaceEvery Place has characteristics that distinguish them from other

places.Places have two main types of characteristics.

1.Physical characteristics -landforms-climate-plant and animal life

2.Human characteristics-architecture-land use and ownership- communication networks

Human/ Environment Interaction• This theme has to do with the effects of

humans interacting with their environment.– Examples• Building a dam.• Building a dumpsite• Building an igloo• Growing a certain type of crop• or building canals

Movement• People travel and transport things that they

need, and communicate with other places.– People move from place to place.• What ways do they travel?

– People need information and resources from other places so they import it or travel to get it.• Are we interdependent on other places in the world?

If so, how?

Region• Geographers organize places into groups

based on their common characteristics.-Physical characteristics

– Regions based on Climate– Grassland, desert, rainforest, mountain, or polar regions– South, northern, western, or eastern regions

- Human Characteristics- Ethnic regions- Commercial regions- Recreational regions