Overview What is Geography? Evolution of the Discipline Some Core Geographic Concepts Geography’s Themes and Standards Organization of This Book
May 18, 2015
Overview
What is Geography? Evolution of the Discipline Some Core Geographic Concepts Geography’s Themes and Standards Organization of This Book
What is Geography?
Much more than place names and locations The study of spatial variation
How and why things differ from place to place on the surface of the earth
How observable spatial patterns evolved through time Focus on the interaction of people and social groups
with their environment and with each other Geography is about space and the content of
space
Evolution of the Discipline
Ancient Greeks and Romans From Greek geo, “the earth,” and graphein, “to write” E.g., Eratosthenes, Strabo, Herodotus, Ptolemy
Ancient Chinese Muslim scholars Modern geography
Origins in the surge of scholarly inquiry that began in 17th century Europe
Subfields of Geography
A number of specialized subdivisions Closely interrelated
Three dominating interests Spatial variation of physical and human phenomena
on the surface of the earth The systems that link physical phenomena and human
activities in one area with other areas Human-environmental relationships and spatial
systems in specific locational settings
Subfields of Geography
Regional geography Identify particular segments of the earth’s surface for
study Systematic geography
Identify particular classes of things for study Physical geography
Focus is on the natural environment Human geography
Focus is on people
Why Geography Matters
The only discipline concerned with understanding why and how both physical and cultural phenomena differ from place to place
Vital to an understanding of national and international issues
Offers a diversity of job opportunities
Some Core Geographic Concepts
Spatial is an essential modifier in forming questions and framing concepts Geography is a spatial science
The geographer’s space is earth space The way things are distributed The way movements occur The way processes operate
Some Core Geographic Concepts
Basic observations regarding places: They have location, direction, and distance with
respect to other places They have size They have both physical structure and cultural content Their attributes develop and change over time Their content is structured and explainable Their elements interrelate with other places They may be generalized into regions of similarities
and differences
Location
Absolute location Based on a precise and accepted system of
coordinates--mathematical location Latitude and longitude Other grid systems
Relative location Position in relation to other places or things Expresses spatial interconnection and
interdependence May carry social and economic implications
Location
Site Physical and cultural characteristics of a place Absolute location concept
Situation External relations of a place Expression of relative location
Direction
Absolute direction Based on the cardinal points (N-S-E-W)
Relative direction Culturally based and locationally variable
“Out West” “Back East” “Down South” “Near East” “Far East”
Distance
Absolute distance Uses standard units such as miles or kilometers
Relative distance Transforms linear measurements into other units more
meaningful for the space relationship in question Time, money, psychological
Size and Scale
Degree of generalization represented Reference to the size of unit studied
E.g., local or global Relationship between the size of an area on a map
and the actual size of the mapped area on the surface of the earth
Physical and Cultural Attributes
Physical attributes Climate, soil, water supplies, mineral resources,
terrain features, etc. Natural landscape
Helps shape—but does not dictate—how people live
Cultural attributes Language, religion, industries, food, music, etc. Cultural landscape
Visible imprint of human activity
Attributes of Place are Always Changing
The physical environment undergoes continuous and pronounced change
Humans alter the environments they occupy Pace of change has accelerated
Built landscape has increasingly replaced natural landscape
Places are the present result of past operation of distinctive physical and cultural processes
Interrelations Between Places
Spatial interaction Movement between places
Accessibility Relative ease with which a destination may be reached
Connectivity All the ways places are connected
Spatial diffusion Dispersion from a center of origin to more distant points
Globalization Increasing interconnection of all parts of the world
Place Similarity and Regions
No two places on earth can be exactly the same The natural and cultural characteristics of places
show patterns of similarity in some areas Regions
Earth areas that display significant elements of internal uniformity and external differences from surrounding territories
Used to classify the complex reality of the earth’s surface into manageable pieces
Types of Regions
Formal (uniform) regions Uniformity in one or a limited combination of physical
or cultural features Functional (nodal) regions
A spatial system with interdependent parts that operate as an organizational unit
Perceptual (vernacular/popular) regions Exist in the perceptions of their inhabitants and the
general society Reflect feelings and images rather than objective data
Geography’s Themes and Standards
Five fundamental themes Location Place Relationships within places Movement Regions
Geography’s Themes and Standards
National Geography Standards The world in spatial terms Places and regions Physical systems Human systems Environment and society The uses of geography
Organization of This Book
Four traditions Earth science tradition
Identified with physical geography in general Culture-environment tradition
Identified with population, cultural, political, and behavioral geography
Locational (or spatial) tradition Identified with economic, urban, and environmental
geography Area analysis (or regional) tradition
Regional geography