THE 5 THEMES OF GEOGRAPHY

THE FIVE THEMES OF GEOGRAPHYLocationPlaceHuman-Environment Interaction

MovementRegions

LOCATIONWhere are we?

Absolute Location A latitude and

longitude (global location) or a street address (local location).

Paris France is 48o

North Latitude and 2o East Longitude.

The White House is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Relative Location Described by

landmarks, time, direction or distance. From one place to another.

Go 1 mile west on main street and turn left for 1 block.

You

are

Her

e

Map Scale Details are omitted because of space.

Level of detail and amount of area covered on a map depend on scale

Small scale map: depicts a large area; little detail. Ex: world map

Large scale map: depicts a small area; greater details Ex: city map

Map Scale Ratio/fraction: numerical ratio btw distance on map

and Earth’s surface Ex: 1:24,000 or 1/24,000 (1 is the unit on map=24,000

of the same unit on the ground) Written scale: describes relation btw map and Earth

in words Ex: “1 inch equals 1 mile” = 1 inch on map equals 1

mile on surface Graphic scale: bar lone marked to show distance on

Earth’s surface Ex: use ruler to measure distance on map and hold

against bar ling and read correlating number

Projection Method of transferring locations on

Earth Advantages and disadvantages of maps

and globes?

Projection Distortion may occur (especially in world

maps) 1) Shape

Map appear more elongated or squat 2) Distance

Increase or decrease 3) Relative Size

One area seems larger than another map but in reality it is small

4) Direction

Projection Robinson: pros—

useful for oceans; cons—land areas are smaller

Mercator: pros—little shape distortion, consistent direction, map rectangular. Cons—heavy distortion at the poles. High latitude appears larger than reality.

The West Wing: Why are we changing maps?

PLACEWhat is it like there, what kind of place is it?

Human Characteristics

What are the main languages, customs, and beliefs.

How many people live, work, and visit a place.

Physical Characteristics

Landforms (mountains, rivers, etc.), climate, vegetation, wildlife, soil, etc.

Place Names Toponym: name given to a place

Founder, religious, landscape, physical environment

Site: Physical character of a place Climate, water sources, topography, soil,

vegetation, elevation. Situation: Location of a place relative to

other places. Relative location

HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION How do humans and the environment

affect each other? Also known as cultural ecology We depend on it.

People depend on the Tennessee River for water and transportation.

We modify it. People modify our environment by

heating and cooling buildings for comfort. We adapt to it.

We adapt to the environment by wearing clothing suitable for summer (shorts) and winter (coats), rain and shine.

MOVEMENT

How are people, goods, ideas moved from place to place? Human Movement

Trucks, Trains, Planes Information Movement

Phones, computer (email), mail Idea Movement

How do fads move from place to place? TV, Radio, Magazines

Movement Diffusion: Process of a characteristic spreading

across space. Hearth: where an innovation originates. Relocation diffusion: spread of an idea through

physical movement of people. Ex: Spanish speaking culture in Miami, FL. Spread of

AIDS across continents.

Expansion Diffusion: spread of a feature from one place to another in snowball fashion. Hierarchical diffusion: from person or nodes of

authority or power to other persons or places. Ex: hip hop music

Contagious diffusion: rapid, widespread diffusion of a characteristic through population. Ex: Ideas on the internet.

Stimulus diffusion: spread of principle; characteristic fails to diffuse. Ex: computers sold

REGIONSHow are Regions similar to and

different from other places? Formal Regions (uniform)

Regions defined by governmental or administrative boundaries (States, Countries, Cities)

Regions defined by similar characteristics (Corn Belt, Rocky Mountain region, Chinatown).

Functional Regions (node) Regions defined by a function (newspaper service area,

cell phone coverage area). Vernacular Regions (perceptual)

Regions defined by peoples perception (middle east, the south, etc.)

Formal Regions

Functional Regions

Vernacular Regions

Remembering the 5 themes

If you can’t remembering what they are just ask MR. HELP!!!M – MovementR – RegionsHE – Human Environment interactionL – LocationP - Place

Your assignment Describe you and your family using the 5 Themes

of Geography. Make sure you use every theme. Type your biography, double space.