What exactly is GEOGRAPHY?

Geography is…• A. Study of everything on Earth, from rocks

and rainfall to people and places

• B. Study how the natural environment influences people

• C. Study how people’s activities affect Earth

 

Geography is also…

•D. Study how world is changing

•E. Important part is perspective (the way a person looks at something)

HOW DO WE STUDY GEOGRAPHY?

• A. Geographic information systems (GIS)

• B. Field work

• C. Satellite images

• D. Photographs

• E. Maps and globes

• F. Data bases

• G. Primary sources

BASIC GEOGRAPHIC TOOLS

•1. THE GLOBE

•A. Scale model of Earth that is useful for looking at the entire Earth or atlarge areas of Earth’s surface

Basic Geographic Tools• 2. Grid

A. Pattern of lines that circle the globe in east-west and north-southdirections

• B. Helps us find places on Earth

-Lines of latitude and longitude-Hemispheres

Basic Geographic Tools• 3. MAPS

A. Flat diagram of all or part of Earth’s surface

B. Map Essentials

1. Maps are visual representations of geographic information

2. Standard ways that maps show information-Symbols-Color-Lines-Boundaries-Contours

Parts of a Map

1. Directional indicator (shows directions) identifies orientation; Most common is the compass rose

2. Scale

3. Legend or Key explains what the symbols mean

Types of Maps

1. Physical: show physical features such as mountains, rivers,oceans, bodies of water, deserts and plains

Types of Maps

2. Political: show political features such as national borders, state and provincial boundaries, capitals and other important cities

Types of Maps3. Thematic maps

a. Population (e.g., distribution and density)b. Economic activityc. Resourced. Languagee. Ethnicityf. Climateg. Precipitationh. Vegetation