human geography ch. 1 basic concepts – where and why?
TRANSCRIPT
HUMAN GEOGRAPHY
Ch. 1 Basic Concepts –Where and Why?
GEOGRAPHY AS A FIELD OF STUDY
• Physical and human geography are the two branches of study
• Spatial awareness/relationships is knowing how space is being used
• Spatial analysis of patterns and processes is supported through the use of maps, map projections and photographs.
NOTABLE GEOGRAPHERS
•Aristotle – demonstrated that the Earth was spherical.
• Eratosthenes – father of geography; calculated the circumference of the Earth.
• Ptolemy – codified the principles of mapmaking and prepared maps.
Tools of Geographers• Maps – scale model of the
real world• Map scale – can be a ratio or
fraction, can be written or graphic and gives the level of detail on a map.
• Map projection – the scientific transfer of locations on the Earth’s surface to a flat map. Always has distortion.– Examples include the
Robinson and Mercator projections.
SOURCES OF DATA
• Field research• Remote sensing
• Census data
• GPS – global positioning system
• GIS – geographic information systems
• Satellite/Space Shuttle photography
Geographers see the Earth through …
• Place – a point on the Earth with unique features.
• Location – the position that something occupies on the Earth’s surface. Examples – absolute and relative.
• Toponym – is the name given to a place on Earth. Example – Houston
• Site – physical characteristic of a place.• Situation – the location of a place relative to
other places.• Mathematical location – Uses
meridians/longitudes and parallels/latitudes in a grid pattern.
Geographers see the Earth through …
• Cultural landscape – a combination of cultural features such as language, religion, economy and physical geography (aka regional studies approach).
• Formal region – everyone shares in common one or more distinctive characteristics. Example – Texas
• Functional region – an area organized around a node or focal point. Example – The Houston Chronicle newspaper
• Vernacular region – is a place that people believe exists as part of their cultural identity. Example – The South
Geographers see the Earth through …
• Culture – What people care about and what people take care of.
• Cultural ecology – the study of human environment relationships.
• Environmental determinism – by Humboldt and Ritter, physical environment caused social development.
• Possibilism – the physical environment may limit some human actions, but people have the ability to adjust and alter the environment. Example – polders of the Netherlands
Geographers see the Earth through …
• Physical Processes include– Climate– Vegetation– Soil– Landforms
Geographers see the Earth through …
• Distribution – arrangement of features in space.
• Density – frequency something occurs in space. Examples – arithmetic, physiological, agricultural.
• Concentration – extent of a feature’s spread over space.
• Pattern – geometric arrangement of objects in space. Example the Land Ordinance of 1785.
Concentration and Distribution
• http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap11_frq_human_geography.pdf
Geographers see the Earth through …
• Diffusion – process by which a characteristic spreads across space from one place to another over time. Begins in a hearth.
• Relocation diffusion – spread of an idea through physical movement of people from one place to another.
Geographers see the Earth through …
• Expansion Diffusion – spread of a feature in a snowballing process. Can result in the following types of processes…– Hierarchical diffusion, spread of an idea
from persons or nodes of authority or power. Ex. Pop culture
– Contagious diffusion, rapid and widespread diffusion of a characteristic throughout the population. Ex. flu
– Stimulus diffusion, the spread of an underlying principle. Ex. technology