Basic Concepts of Geography

GeographyGeographyGeographyGeography is the scientific study of the locationlocationlocationlocation of peoplepeoplepeoplepeople and activitiesactivitiesactivitiesactivities around the Earth, and thereasonsreasonsreasonsreasons for their distributiondistributiondistributiondistribution. Geographers ask the questions “wherewherewherewhere” things are, “whywhywhywhy” they arethere, and “whywhywhywhy” their geographic arrangements are significant. HistoriansHistoriansHistoriansHistorians study the logical sequenceof human activities through timetimetimetime, and geographersgeographersgeographersgeographers study the logical arrangement of human activitiesthrough spacespacespacespace.Geography may be divided into twotwotwotwo primary components: Human GeographyHuman GeographyHuman GeographyHuman Geography and PhysicalPhysicalPhysicalPhysicalGeographyGeographyGeographyGeography. Human Geography will be our primary focus, and can be further divided into 3 parts:Cultural, Social,Cultural, Social,Cultural, Social,Cultural, Social, and Economic.Economic.Economic.Economic.The most useful tool used to study geography is the mapmapmapmap, which is a graphic representation of anyareaareaareaarea, at a reduced scalescalescalescale, on which selected data or locational traits are shown. The science of mapmapmapmap----makingmakingmakingmaking is known as cartographycartographycartographycartography.ScaleScaleScaleScale is an important variable in map projectionsprojectionsprojectionsprojections, as it determines how much an area, and how muchdetaildetaildetaildetail a map represents. Scale can be presented in one of three ways: a fractionfractionfractionfraction or ratioratioratioratio, a writtenstatementstatementstatementstatement, or a graphicgraphicgraphicgraphic----bar scalebar scalebar scalebar scale. A smallsmallsmallsmall----scalescalescalescale map shows a largelargelargelarge surface area, but contains onlyminorminorminorminor detail. A largelargelargelarge----scalescalescalescale map shows a small surface area, but contains highhighhighhigherererer levels of detail.ProjectionProjectionProjectionProjection is the method of portraying the Earth (or any portion of it) on a flatflatflatflat map. There are manydifferent forms of projections, but no single projection can accurately show both equal shape(conformal mapconformal mapconformal mapconformal map) and equal size (equivaequivaequivaequivalent maplent maplent maplent map). Each map has advantages and disadvantages, but if used properly much can be gained in terms of real knowledge about a given location. The most famousis the MercatorMercatorMercatorMercator projection, which was created in 1569 by a Flemish geographer named GerardusGerardusGerardusGerardusMercatorMercatorMercatorMercator. This projection is mathematicallymathematicallymathematicallymathematically adjusted to attain conformityconformityconformityconformity. The parallels andmeridians form a square gridsquare gridsquare gridsquare grid on this projection. The distortiondistortiondistortiondistortion of shape is great in the high latitudes(the Greenland problem). Though the Mercator distorts directiondirectiondirectiondirection, it is very useful for navigationnavigationnavigationnavigation.The Earth is a spherespherespheresphere with a diameter of about 8000800080008000 miles and a circumferencecircumferencecircumferencecircumference of about 25,00025,00025,00025,000miles. It rotates continuously on an axisaxisaxisaxis that passes through the poles.poles.poles.poles. Distance is measured withlatitudes (paralparalparalparallelslelslelslels) and longitudes (meridiansmeridiansmeridiansmeridians). These are measured in degrees, minutesdegrees, minutesdegrees, minutesdegrees, minutes, andseconds.seconds.seconds.seconds.

The earliest surviving maps werscience of cartography is even o

Relationships andRelationships andRelationships andRelationships andConnectionsConnectionsConnectionsConnections

•How elements in a physical orcultural system interact•Ways in which systems areconnected•How environment and humanactivity are related, includingthe consequences.

Scale And PerspectiveScale And PerspectiveScale And PerspectiveScale And Perspective

•The relative size of things understudy•How the scoe of study affects thedegree of generalization that canbe made•The observational perspective of the location under study

Basic Concepts of Geography

drawn by BabyloniansBabyloniansBabyloniansBabylonians on clay tabletsclay tabletsclay tabletsclay tablets aboutlder. PPPPolynesianolynesianolynesianolynesian peoples navigated for thousan

Is itIs itIs itIs itGeography?Geography?Geography?Geography?GeographicQuestions

Location/DistributionLocation/DistributionLocation/DistributionLocation/Distribution

•Absolute and relative positions•The way in which tings aredistributed in space•The significance of the locationand/or distribution•The regulaarrangeme•The lack odistributio•The signifi•Why thingthey are•The proceand patte•The role o

PlacePlacePlacePlace

•The physical and humancharacteristics that give meaning toa location•The ways in which places aredefined and grouped into regions•The development and significance of the sense of place•The mental maps humans constructof places

By Mich

300 B.C.300 B.C.300 B.C.300 B.C., but theds of years with threethreethreethree----

PatternsPatternsPatternsPatterns

rity or distinctivent of things in spacepatterns in theance of patterns

ProcessesProcessesProcessesProcesses

s are situated whereses that affect locationrns of distributionf change

l L. LeVasseur

Basic Concepts of Geography

dimensionaldimensionaldimensionaldimensional maps. MediterraneanMediterraneanMediterraneanMediterranean sailors and traders made maps of rock formationsrock formationsrock formationsrock formations, islandsislandsislandsislands, andocean currentsocean currentsocean currentsocean currents as early as 800 B.C800 B.C800 B.C800 B.C.AristotleAristotleAristotleAristotle (384-322 B.C.) was the first to demonstrate that the earth was sphericalsphericalsphericalspherical. He observed thecurved shadowcurved shadowcurved shadowcurved shadow of the earth on the moonmoonmoonmoon during an eclipseeclipseeclipseeclipse and the fact that visible groups of starsstarsstarsstarschange as one travels north or south.EratosthenesEratosthenesEratosthenesEratosthenes (276-194 B.C.) was the first person on record to use the word ‘geoggeoggeoggeographyraphyraphyraphy’. Hecalculated the circumferencecircumferencecircumferencecircumference of the earth, and made one of the earliest maps of the known world,correctly dividing the earth into five climatic regionsfive climatic regionsfive climatic regionsfive climatic regions.PtolemyPtolemyPtolemyPtolemy (AD 100-170?) wrote an eight volume Guide to GeographyGuide to GeographyGuide to GeographyGuide to Geography, taking advantage of informationcollected by merchantsmerchantsmerchantsmerchants and soldierssoldierssoldierssoldiers who traveled throughout the Roman EmpireRoman EmpireRoman EmpireRoman Empire.After Ptolemy, little progress in mapmaking or geographic thought was made in Europe for hundreds of years. Outside of Europe, advances were made in Asia. Phei Hsu produced an elaborate map of ChinaChinaChinaChinain AD 267, and the MuslimMuslimMuslimMuslim geographer alalalal----IdrisiIdrisiIdrisiIdrisi prepared a world map and text in 1154, building onPtolemy.Geography and mapmaking enjoyed a revival in EuropeEuropeEuropeEurope during the Age of Exploration and Discovery. Bythe 17171717

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CenturyCenturyCenturyCentury, maps accurately displayed the outlines of most continentscontinentscontinentscontinents and the positions of theoceansoceansoceansoceans.