THINKING GEOGRAPHICALLY

	Chapter 1

“Earth Description”

	Geo = “Earth” + graphy = “to write”
	Goal: To describe AND understand
	Comparison: Geography / History
	Geography Questions:
		Where?
		Why?

Two Branches of Geography

	Physical Geography = where and why natural forces are located where they are

Two Branches of Geography

	Human Geography - where and why human activities are located where they are
	Physical Geography - where and why natural forces occur as they do

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Distribution =
The arrangement of a feature in space

Density =
The frequency with which something occurs in space

Concentration =
The extent of a feature’s spread

Pattern =
The geometric arrangement of objects in space

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The Importance of Maps

	MAP = two-dimensional model of Earth’s surface
	Map purposes:
		To display information
		To reveal patterns
		To communicate geographic information

Early Mapmaking

Contemporary Mapping

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Contemporary Mapping

Contemporary Mapping

Map Projections

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How can we describe location?

Mathematical Location
Latitude & Longitude

Mathematical Location

Mathematical Location

Region = an area of Earth defined by one or more distinctive characteristics

	Types of Regions
		Formal = uniform / homogeneous: universal or predominant sharing of a characteristic
		Functional = nodal: area organized around a focal point
		Vernacular = perceptual: a region people perceive to exist

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Map Scale = Relationship between map size and actual size on Earth’s surface

Spatial Association and Scale

Scale and Globalization

	Globalization = “a force or process that involves the entire world and results in making something worldwide in scope”

Globalization of Economy

	Transnational corporations
		Examples?
	Modern technology
		Benefits?
	Specialization based on local assets
	Result: Heightened                                           economic differences                                       between places!

Globalization of Culture

	Uniform cultural preferences?
	Modern technology / Communication revolution
	Uniform “global” landscapes of material artifacts
	Reactions?

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Connections

	Space - Time compression = more rapid connections have reduced the distance between places

Spatial Interaction

	Networks
	Distance decay?
	Cultural diversity influences on interaction?

Diffusion =
The process by which a characteristic spreads

	Hearth = where something originates

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"Each place,"

	Each place, each region, is the product of forces both local and global in origin.
	Each is linked to many other places and regions through these same forces.
	Geographers attempt to understand the interactions between groups of people and human activities across space.
	Thus, geography is a SPATIAL SCIENCE