World GeographyFall Final Review

Define Geography

• The study of the Earth’s physical and human features and the interactions of people, places, and environments.

Human vs. Physical Geography

• Human Geography is culture which includes government, economics, religion, language, rituals, customs, etc.

• Physical Geography is the landforms, bodies of water, climates, vegetation and weather of the planet.

5 Themes of Geography

• Location– Absolute: 550 Dulles Avenue– Relative: down the street from Sonic

• Place– Physical: The Grand Canyon– Human: First Colony Mall

• Human Environment Interaction: Pollution• Movement: Transportation• Region: See next slide!

Types of Regions

• Functional- a central focal point with surrounding territories. – The Houston Metro Area.

• Formal - Has boundaries determined by the distribution of some uniform characteristic.– The State of Texas

• Perceptual - Defined by popular feelings and images rather than by objective data.– The Heartland

TODALSIGS

• Title – type of map• Orientation – direction of map• Date – when map made• Author – who made the map• Legend – what the symbols mean• Scale – spatial relation of map, distance• Index – where things are found on map• Grid – latitude and longitude of map• Source – where the info for the map came from

Longitude

• Longitude– Run north to south– Measured east and west of Prime Meridian

• Prime Meridian is 0° Longitude• Prime Meridian divides the Eastern and

Western hemispheres• Lines of Longitude are also known as

meridians they meet at the poles.

Latitude

• Latitude– Run east to west– Measured north and south of Equator

• The Equator is at 0° latitude

• Lines of latitude are called parallels because they never intersect or meet.

Cardinal vs. Intermediate Directions

• Cardinal: North, South, East, & West

• Intermediate: Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest

Maps vs. Globes

• Maps must distort size, shape, direction and distance

The Tropics

• Tropic of Cancer: 23 ½° N latitude

• Tropic of Capricorn: 23 ½° S latitude

Remember it this way:

Cancer is in the Lungs

The Equator is at the waist

Your kneeCAP is below your waist

The Great circles

• North Pole 90°N • Arctic Circle 66 ½ °N latitude• Tropic of Cancer: 23 ½° N latitude• Equator: 0° latitude• Tropic of Capricorn: 23 ½° S latitude• Antarctic Circle 66 ½ °S Latitude• South Pole 90°S

Weathering vs. Erosion

• Weathering: Breaking down of rock into smaller pieces– Chemical: acid rain– Physical: Wind

• Erosion: The movement of dirt, sand, etc from one place to another– Wind– Water– Glacial (Ice)

Continental Drift

• The theory that the continents were once one supercontinent called PANGEA but then they broke apart and drifted to their current locations

• We know this because of– Similar fossils– “fit” of coastlines– Similar rocks

The Earth’s Spheres

• Atmosphere: all of the gasses on Earth

• Hydrosphere: all of the water on Earth

• Lithosphere: the surfaces of the Earth

• Biosphere: living things on Earth

Mountains

• Tall landforms with high altitude

Peninsula

• Surrounded by water on 3 sides

Mouth of a River

• The place where a river empties into a larger body of water

Archipelago

• A group of islands

Source of a river

• The place where a river starts. Usually in the mountains or inland on a landmass

Isthmus

• A strip of land that joins two larger landmasses

Atoll

• A ring of islands formed by a volcano under water with a lagoon in the middle.

Lake

• A large body of water surrounded by land.

Strait

• A narrow body of water that runs between two landmasses and connects two larger bodies of water

Sound

• A small body of water that is partially enclosed by land and opens to the ocean

Ring of Fire

• Ring of volcanic activity surrounding the Pacific Ocean. Lots of earthquakes and volcanoes.

Seasons

• The Sun’s rays shine directly on the following latitudes on these dates– Dec. 21st (winter solstice): Tropic of Capricorn– Jun. 21st (summer solstice): Tropic of Cancer– March 22nd (spring equinox): Equator– September 22nd (fall equinox): Equator

• Seasons change as the earth revolves around the sun

• Rotation gives us days and nights

More Seasons

• Southern Hemisphere, position 1– Summer

• Northern Hemisphere, position 2– Spring

• During the December solstice, the Tropic of Capricorn gets the most light because the Earth is tilted away from the sun

• During the June solstice, the Tropic of Cancer gets the most light because the Earth is tilted toward the sun

Weather vs. Climate

• Weather – constantly changing– Rain, snow, tornadoes, hurricanes– Cold today, chance of snow– Cold front moving in

• Climate – ongoing– Humid, tropical, arid– Warm wet winters, hot, dry summers

Factors that affect climate

• Latitude – largest influence• Elevation/Altitude (higher=colder)• Precipitation• Ocean currents• Wind currents• Continentiality (middle of continent=more

defined)• Orographic/Rain-shadow effect (rain on

windward side and desert on leeward side)• Ultimate source = the sun!

The Orographic Effect

• Created the Atacama Desert

Culture

• The beliefs and actions that define a group of people and their way of life. Some examples of culture traits are:– Religion– Language– Government– Economics– Rituals– Customs– Etc.

Diffusion

• The spread of a product, phenomena, disease, language or idea– SARS – AIDS– Colombian Drugs– Etc

• Another important concept for understanding cultural change is acculturation where people accept the ways of a new culture

Culture Hearth

• The place where a culture emerged and diffused from

ABCs of Culture

• Don’t worry about them!

Government

• Autocratic: single self-appointed ruler – North Korea

• Democratic: people choose leader– USA

Economics

• Command: government controlled– Cuba

• Free Market: supply and demand, private businesses– Mexico

• “There’s No Such Thing as a Free Lunch”

Constitutional Monarchy

• A government with a king or queen but also a government established by a constitution– Great Britain

Dictatorship

• A government controlled by a single leader who took over by force and rules absolutely– Cuba– North Korea

Population Issues

More population means we need:• More resources• More education• More healthcare• More goods and services• More environmental concern!Longer life expectancy (average length of life) is

because of:• Many diseases are better controlled

Population Growth

• Zero population growth: births=deaths

• Negative population growth: births<deaths

• Slow population growth: slightly more births than deaths

• Rapid population growth: many more births than deaths

Increase/Decrease Rates

• Birth rates: number of live babies born each year per 1000

• Death rates: number of people who die each year per 1000

Demographics:The study of human population statistics

including distribution, pop. Density and trends

Population density

• Number of people within a space– People per square mile– People per square kilometer

• Measures how “crowded” a country is

Types of Farming

• Subsistence Agriculture: just growing enough to support family/village with none left over for sale

• Commercial Agriculture: growing additional crops for sale/profit

Revolutions

1. Agricultural Revolution

2. Industrial Revolution

3. Biological Revolution

4. Green Revolution

The Green Revolution

• After scientists discovered the hole in the ozone layer, people focused their consumer and productive efforts on cleaning and maintaining the environment

• A response to the greenhouse effect: gasses trapped in the environment warming the earth.

Resources

• Renewable: can be regenerated– Solar power– Freshwater

• Nonrenewable: can not be regenerated– Oil– Gold

Levels of Development

• Developed: Countries that have moved from a primarily agricultural economy to an industrial/technological economy

– USA, Mexico, Japan

• Developing (middle income): Countries that are in the process of industrializing

– India, China, Much of Latin America

• Underdeveloped: Countries that are still subsistence

– Afghanistan, Much of Africa

Urban vs. Rural

• Urban is cities with buildings, roads, businesses, solid infrastructure

• Rural is the country

Population Pyramid Questions

• The population is fairly stable

• The largest part of the population is young adults from about 25-30

US and Canada

• US and Canada are wealthy nations with many city and suburb dwellers for the following reasons:– Democratic governments– Free market economies (capitalism)– Abundance of land– Belief in the individual– Values that encourage wealth

Megalopolis

• A major city areas linked by smaller cities– Boston to Washington DC

Most Popular Industry in US

• Most Americans work in the service industry today– Doctors– Lawyers– Retail– Food service

Where do most Canadians live?

• In the south and on the coasts– Close to the US– Major cities– Geography…cold, mountainous in the north

The US and Canada

• Shared physical characteristics– Great Lakes (except Michigan)– Great Plains– Rocky Mountains

Capitals:

- US: Washington DC

- Canada: Ottawa

Branches of US Government

• Legislative (makes laws)– Congress

• Senate• House of Representatives

• Judicial (interprets laws)– Supreme Court– Lower courts

• Executive (enforces laws)– President– Cabinet

NAFTA

• North American Free Trade Agreement

• Mexico, US and Canada

• Eliminate or reduce tariffs, embargos and restrictions on trade between the 3 countries

• Good for some groups, bad for others

The Governing Body of Canada

• Parliament

• Led by a Prime Minister

Socioeconomic Status of mostAmericans and Canadians

• Middle class

Where in the US?• Disney World – Florida• West Point – New York• The NFL Vikings team – Minnesota• Kilauea Volcano – Hawaii• Arlington Cemetary – Virginia

American Revolution

• Americans fought for their freedom from British rule

• Declaration of Independence signed July 4, 1776

• Written by Thomas Jefferson

• US Constitution has a preamble

• Federal system is national and state

• Articles of Confed. led to the Constitution

Trade

• Trade deficit: Importing more than you export

• Trade surplus: Exporting more than you import

• The US has a trade deficit

• Canada has a trade surplus

The Bill of Rights

• The first TEN amendments to the Constitution include:– Free speech, press, religion, assembly,

petition– bear arms (guns)– No search and seizure– Trial by jury– Freedom from cruel and unusual punishment

The Orographic Effect in LA

• The Atacama Desert in Latin America was created by the Orographic effect

Latin American Settlements

• Mostly on the coasts because physical geography and climate has made it difficult to settle anywhere else

Economy• Mostly agricultural output

Panama Canal• Links the Caribbean and the Pacific

Ancient Civilizations

• Maya – Mexico

• Aztec – Mexico

• Incas – Peru

European Colonies and LA

• Spanish

• Portuguese

Main Religion of LA

• Roman Catholicism

Brazil

• Major language is Portuguese while the rest of Latin America is primarily Spanish-speaking

Landlocked nations of LA

• Bolivia

• Paraguay

LA Groups

• Mestizos – people who were part Spanish, part native American or “Indian”

• Mulattos – people who were part African part native American or “Indian”

Brasilia

• The capital of Brazil

• Build in the Brazilian highlands as a central location for trade and government

Grasslands of South America

• The Llanos of Colombia and Venezuela

• The Pampas of Argentina and Paraguay

Physical Geography in LA

• The Andes Mountains have isolated people and prevented trade

Most populated country in the world

• China

• They try to control it by only allowing people to have 1 child

Natural Resources

• Elements from the Earth not made by people but usable by them.

Oligarchy

• Government controlled by a small powerful group

Per Capita Income

• Divide GDP by population

Push/Pull Migration

• Push migration – factors that push people out of an area…war, famine, govt. corruption, etc.

• Pull migration – factors that pull people to an area…education and employment opportunities, freedom, etc.

The Greater Antilles

• Cuba

• Jamaica

• Haiti

• Dominican Republic

• Puerto Rico

Human Rights Violations

• Starvation

• Brutality

• Persecution

World’s Highest Lake

• Lake Titicaca in the Andes Mountains