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AP Human Geography Chapter 6 Notes
AP Human Geography Chapter 6 Notes
I.
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More than 40% Belong to the Russian Orthodox Church (est. Sixteenth Century).
Christianity In The Western Hemisphere
a. 90% of people in the Western Hemisphere are Christian.
Smaller Branches Of Christianity
a. Most of these branches are isolated because of differences in doctrine and
because of Islamic control in Southwest Asia and North Africa.
b. The 2 small churches in Africa are the Coptic Church of Egypt and the Ethiopian
Church.
c. The Ethiopian Church started by 2 shipwrecked Christians who converted the
king in the fourth century.
2. Islam
a. 1.3 billion people.
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b.
c.
d.
e.
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messenger of God.
2. Five times a day, a Muslim prays, facing the city of Mecca.
3. A Muslim gives generously to charity.
4. A Muslim fasts during the month of Ramadan.
5. A Muslim makes a pilgrimage to Makkah.
Branches Of Islam
a. 2 Branches: Sunni and Shiite.
Sunnis comprise 83% of Muslims and are the largest branch. Sunni means
Islam
a.
b.
c.
3. Buddhism
a. Third most universalizing religion.
b. 400 million adherents, living in China and Southeast Asia.
c. Four Noble Truths.
1. All living must endure suffering.
2. Suffering, which is caused by the desire to live, leads to reincarnation.
3. The goal of life is to escape from suffering and the endless cycle of
reincarnation into Nirvana, which is achieved through mental and moral selfpurification.
4. Nirvana is attained through an Eightfold Path, which includes rightness of
belief, resolve, speech, action, livelihood, effort, thought, and meditation.
d. Buddhism splits into more than one branch because people disagree on the
statements by its founder, Siddhartha Gautama. The three main branches are
Mahayana (56%; China, Japan, and Korea), Theravada (38%; Cambodia, Laos,
Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand), and Tentrayana (6%; Tibet and Mongolia).
e. Difficult to count because most Buddhists also believe in another religion.
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4. Other Universalizing Religions
a. Sikhism and Bahai. Sikhs are clustered in the Punjab region of India; Bahais are
dispersed in Africa and Asia.
B. Ethnic Religions
a. Largest is Hinduism. It is the third-largest religion.
1. Hinduism
a. Mostly in India, but some in Nepal.
b. Hindus believe it is up to the individual to decide the best way to worship God.
c. Various paths include the path of knowledge, the path of reunification, the path of
devotion, and the path of action.
d. Hinduism does not have a single holy book.
e. Some manifestations of God are Vaishnavism, Sivaism and Shaktism.
2. Other Ethnic Religions
a. In East Asia, people practice both a universalizing and an ethnic religion.
- Confucianism
a. Confucius (551-497 B.C.)
b. A philosopher in the Chinese province of Lu. His sayings emphasized the importance
of li (propriety or correct behavior).
c. Confucianism is an ethnic religion because it has strong rooting in traditional values
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b. Within the United States, Jews are clustered into large cities, especially in the
II.
empty.
Origin of Islam
a. Abraham married Sarah, who did not have children. Then, he married Hagar, who
had Ishmael. Then, Sarah had Isaac. She banished Hagar and Ismael. Hagar and
Ismael wondered the Arabian desert to Makkah. Centuries later, one of Ishmaels
descendants, Muhammad, became the prophet of Islam. Jews and Christians trace
their story though Sara, while Muslims trace their story through Hagar.
b. Muhammad was born in Makkah around 570. He had his first revelation of God
through Angel Gabriel. The Quran is a record of Gods words. It is written in
Arabic.
c. After suffering persecution, he was told by god to emigrate to Yathrib in 622, an
event known as the Hija which marks the start of the Muslim calendar.
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d. The 2 main branches, Shiites and Sunnis, are split because of the disagreement in
the line of succession. Because Muhammad had no son, his father-in-law was the
next successor (Abu Bakr).
e. The next 2 caliphs were Umar and Uthman.
f. Uthman had initially opposed Muhammad so Muslims criticized him and found a
are monks.
e. Mahayana believe they can help more people because they are less demanding.
Origin of Other Universalizing Religions
a. Sikhism and Bahai are the two most recent.
b. The founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, traveled through South Asia 500 years ago,
spreading his new faith. Nine other gurus followed him, the fifth, Arjan, wrote the
Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book.
c. Bahai was established in Iran in the nineteenth century.
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b. First diffused from its hearth in Palestine through relocation diffusion.
c. Missionaries Individuals who help to transmit a universalizing religion through
relocation diffusion
d. Paul of Tarsus traveled through the Roman Empire as a missionary.
e. Christianity spread widely through the Roman Empire through contagious diffusion
by daily contact and conversations.
f. Pagan A follower of a polytheistic religion. Comes from the countryside.
g. Christianity then spread through hierarchical diffusion by kings and emperors.
h. Emperor Constantine encouraged the spread of Christianity by embracing it in 313,
and Emperor Theodosius proclaimed it the empires official religion in 380.
i. Latin America is primarily Roman Catholic because their territory was colonized by
Portugal.
j. The US is primarily Protestant because the early colonists came from England.
k. New England has concentrations of Roman Catholics because of immigration from
Ireland, Italy, and Eastern Europe.
l. Mormons settled in Fayette, New York and eventually moved to Salt Lake Valley in
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Utah.
Diffusion of Islam
a. Muhammads successors organized followers into armies that extended into Africa,
Asia, and Europe.
b. Often through intermarriage, Muslims converted non-Arabs to Islam.
c. To the West, Muslims captured much of North Africa, crossed the Strait of
Gibraltar, and retained part of the Western Europe, mostly Spain.
d. Indonesia is predominantly Muslim because Arab traders brought the religion there
India.
Diffusion of Other Universalizing Religions
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a. The Bah religion diffused in the nineteenth twentieth centuries, under the
leadership of Abdul-Bah, son of the prophet Bahullh. Bah also spread rapidly
during the late twentieth century, when a temple was constructed on every
continent.
b. Sikhism remained relatively clustered in the Punjab, where the religion originated.
After it became an independent state, the British took control but let them fight in
the British army.
c. Preferring to live in Hindu-dominated India rather than Muslim dominated Pakistan,
2.5 million Sikhs moved from Pakistans West Punjab region to East Punjab in India.
2. Lack of Diffusion of Ethnic Religions
a. These religions lacked missionaries
- Mingling of Ethnic and Universalizing Religions
a. Traditional African religious ideas and practices have been merged with
Christianity.
b. Buddhism is the universalizing religion most mingled with ethnic religions.
c. Although Japan is a wealthy country with excellent record-keeping, the number of
Shintoists in the country is currently estimated at either 4 million or 100 million.
When responding to questionnaires, 4 million respond yes. However, when counting
those who attended festivals and holidays, they counted 100 million.
d. Ethnic religions can diffuse if adherents migrate to new locations for economic
reasons.
e. Mauritius, an island by Madagascar, has Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity.
Judaism, An Exception
a. The diffusion of Jews is different because Judaism is practiced across many
countries, not just its hearth.
b. When Romans forced the Jews to disperse, it was known as diaspora. After
dispersing, they continued to practice in Europe, North Africa, and Asia.
c. Ghettos A city neighborhood set up by law to farce the inhabitance only to be
Jews.
C. Holy Places
An ethnic religion has a less widespread distribution because its holy place
of physical features.
a. Pilgrimage Journey for religious purposes.
1. Holy Places in Universalizing Religions
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a. Buddhism and Islam place the most emphasis on identifying shrines. Places are
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returned to Earth,
Rajagrha is where Buddha tamed a wild elephant and after he died, is where
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a. One of the reasons why ethnic religions are highly clustered is that they are closely
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D. The Calendar
a. An ethnic religion is more clustered because the holidays are based on the
environment.
b. Universalizing religions are more dispersed because the holidays relate to the
founders not the seasons.
1. The Calendar in Ethnic Religions
a. Knowledge of the seasons is important in agriculture.
- The Jewish Calendar
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a. Judaism is considered an ethnic religion because its holidays are based on events in
the agricultural calendar of Israel.
Pesach The liberation of the Jews from slavery. When farmers offered God
the fruit for the year. Prayers for rain next year.
Shavuot When Moses received the 10 commandments. End of the grain
harvest.
b. Lunar calendar. Add an extra month 7 out of every 19 years.
The Solstice
a. Winter Solstice on December 21 and June 21.
b. Shortest day and longest night.
III.
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A. Places of Worship
a. Church, basilica, mosque, temple, pagoda, and synagogue
1. Christian Churches
a. The word church derives from the Greek term meaning lord, master, and power.
It also refers to the gathering of believers.
b. The church is more prominent in Christianity because it is an expression of
religious beliefs and attendance is important.
c. The church was originally the tallest and largest building.
d. Orthodox churches were developed in the Byzantine Era and have highly ornate,
topped by domes. The Protestant churches are more simple and is decorated in
the assembly hall.
e. Early churches in the U.S. were built from wood (Northeast), brick (Southeast),
and adobe (Southwest). Stucco and stone were prominent in Latin America.
2. Places of Worship in Other Religions
a. Other religions do not consider their important buildings to be a place of
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worship.
Muslim Mosques
a. Muslims consider mosques to be places of assembly and are primarily found in
larger cities of the Muslim world.
b. A mosque is organized around a central courtyard. Surrounding it is a coister
used for school and non-religious activities. The minaret is a tower where the
muzzan summon people for worship.
Hindu Temples
a. Important religious activities are more likely to take place at home. Temples are
built to house shrines, not to pray in.
b. The typical temple contains a small, dimly lit room with an artifact.
c. Size and frequency of temples is determined by the local population.
Buddhist and Shintoist Pagodas
a. Visually attractive. Tall, many sided towers with balconies and slanted roofs. They
contain relics that are believed to be part of Buddhas body or clothing. These are
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a. The locations are not because of proximity, but have been dispersed across
different continents to dramatize the religion. They are open to all religions.
b. Built in Wilmette, Illinois, in 1953; Sydney, Australia, and Kampala, Uganda, both in
1961; Lagenhain, near Frankfurt, Germany, in 1964; Panama City, Panama, in 1972;
Tiapapata, near Apia, Samoa, in 1984; and New Delhi, India, in 1986. Also in Russia.
B. Sacred Space
1. Disposing of the Dead
- Burial
a. Christians, Muslims, and Jews bury the dead in a cemetery. Catacombs were used
to bury the early Christians. Some Christians bury the dead with their feet facing
Jerusalem.
b. Cremation is encouraged in China because cemeteries consume 10% of farmland.
Other Methods of Disposing of Bodies
a. Hindus practice cremation. They wash the body in the Ganges river. Burial is only
for children and people with diseases. Cremation is an act of purification.
b. Zoroastrians expose the dead to wild birds and animals. Tibetan Buddhists reserve
cremation for the priests.
c. Water burial is used in some parts of Micronesia.
2. Religious Settlements
a. Early utopian settlements in the United States were Bethlehem, Pennsylvania;
Oneida, New York; Ephrata, Pennsylvania; Nauvoo, Illinois; and New Harmony,
Indiana.
b. The utopian movement started with the building of Salt Lake City by the Mormons.
c. Most utopian societies declined in importance and residents moved away.
3. Religious Place Names
a. In Qubec, a province with a predominantly Roman Catholic population, a large
number of settlements are named for saints, whereas relatively few religious
toponyms are found in predominantly Protestant Ontario, New York, and Vermont.
C. Administration of Space
a. Universalizing religions must be connected to ensure communication and
consistency.
1. Hierarchical Religions
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a. Hierarchical Religion Well-defined geographic structure and organizes territory
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Protestant Denominations
a. The Episcopalin, Lutheran, and most Methodist churches have hierarchical
structures. Baptists and United Church of Christ are extremely autonomous.
b. Individual churches are united in a presbytery, several of which in turn are
governed by a synod, with a general assembly as ultimate authority over all
churches.
Ethnic Religions
a. Judaism and Hinduism have no centralized structure of control.
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b. Hinduism is more autonomous because worship is done privately. Hindus share ideas
primarily through undertaking pilgrimages and reading traditional writings.
IV.
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e. The Indian government legally abolished the untouchable caste.
2. Religion Versus Communism
a. The three religions most affected were Orthodox Christianity, Islam, and
Buddhism.
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in Eastern Europe.
Buddhism Versus Southeast Asian Countries
a. In Southeast Asia, Buddhist were hurt by the Vietnam War. Air raids bombed
shrines and others were vandalized. On some occasions, Buddhists immolated
(burned) themselves to protect their policies.
b. The Angkor Wat complex in Cambodia, the most beautiful shrine, is being
destroyed. These countries do not have the funds needed to restore them.
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conditions. Independence was declared in 1937 and a republic was made in 1949.
The six northern countries voted to remain Protestant United Kingdom rather
that Roman Catholic Ireland.
c. Roman Catholics in Northern Ireland have been discriminated with lower paying
jobs.
d. Roman Catholics joined the Irish Republican Army (IRA), a military organization
that is dedicated to achieving Irish unity by whatever means available, including
violence. Similarly, Protestants created an extremist organization to fight the
IRA including the Ulstar Defense Force (UDF).
e. Although the majority of the population are willing to live peacefully, the
extremists disrupt daily life. As long as most Protestants are firmly committed
to remaining in the United Kingdom and most Roman Catholics are equally
committed to union with the Republic of Ireland, peaceful settlement appears
difficult.
2. Religious Wars in the Middle East
a. Conflict in the Middle East is among the worlds longest standing and most
intractable. Jews, Christians, and Muslims have fought for 2,000 years to
control the same small strip of land in the Eastern Mediterranean.
b. All three trace their origin to Abraham, which makes it difficult to share.
Judaism Ethnic religion. Calls it the Promise Land. The major events of
ascended to heaven.
Christianity Palestine is the Holy Land and Jerusalem the Holy City. Major
events in Jesuss life, death, and resurrection.
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c. To recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims, European Christians launched
military campaigns, known as crusades, over a 150 year period. Crusaders captured
Jerusalem from the Muslims in 1099 during the First Crusade, lost it in 1187 (which
led to the Third Crusade), regained it in 1229 as part of a treaty ending the Sixth
Crusade, and lost it again in 1244.
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d. The Fatah Party is willing to recognize Israel as a country if they get their land
back from the 1967 war. The Hamas Party wants to continue fighting and is
considered a terrorist group.
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