Unit I: The Basics of Geography

Chapters 1

Looking at the Earth
Chapter 1, Section 1
L1 Homework Review Questions
Identify & Example (2 sentences)
1) geography 2) hemisphere 3) equator 4) prime meridian 5) latitude 6) longitude
Main Idea (3-5 sentences)
How is place different from location?
Why do geographers study human-environment interaction?
Summarize (6 sentences)
Chart the 5 themes of geography (EXTRA CREDIT OPTION!!!)
Critical Thinking (5-7 sentences)
How is the study of geography different from the study of history?
Which theme of geography do you think is the most important? Explain your
reasoning.
What is Geography?
From Greek word geographia: to describe the earth
Historians vs. Geographers
Historians look at events over time
Geographers look at the use of space on the earth AND the
interactions that take place there
Geographers look for patterns AND connections
Geography: the study of the distribution and interaction of
physical and human features on the earth
Tools of Geography
Maps (obviously) visual representations of a
portion of the earth
Maps can be in your head (ex: morning route, school)
Photographs = visual evidence
Charts, graphs, tables = geographic patterns over time
Models
5 themes of geography
Location, Place, Region, Movement, Human-
Environment Interaction

Theme: Location
Answers: Where is it?
Absolute location: the exact place on earth were a
geographic feature is found (ex: city)
Relative location: describes a place in comparison
to other places around it

Theme: Location (continued)
Absolute Location
Geographers use grid system of
imaginary lines
Hemisphere: divides Earth into
equal halves
Equator: divides Earth into
North/South
Latitude lines: run parallel to
equator
Prime Meridian: divides Earth
into East/West
Longitude lines: run parallel to
prime meridian
Relative Location
Relative location describes
how a place is related to its
surrounding environment
Ex: the library is on the 6
th

floor
Ex: Cairo, Egypt is located
near the Nile River in Africa
Theme: Place
Answers: What is it like?
Physical features: climate,
landforms, vegetation
Cultural characteristics:
human
adaptation/interaction with
environment (dams,
highways) and animals
Theme: Region
Answers: How are places similar or different?
Region: an area of earths surface with similar characteristics
Ex: physical, political, economic or cultural
Most regions defined by specific combinations of climate,
vegetation and land use patterns
United States & Canada, Latin America, Europe, Russia, Africa,
Southwest Asia, South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, Oceania
and Antarctica
Theme: Human-Environment Interaction
Answers: How do people relate to the physical world?
Refers to relationship between humans & environment
People use AND change their environment
People learn to live with aspects they cannot control, such as
climate
Sometimes people use similar environments in different ways
Examples of use and change
Drain swamps, dig irrigation ditches
Effects: pollution?
Theme: Movement
Answers: How do people, goods and ideas move from one
location to another?
3 types of distance
Linear distance: how far across earth a person, an idea, or a
product travels
Time distance: amount of time it takes for a person, idea, or
product to travel
Psychological distance: refers to the way people perceive
distance
Familiar places seem smaller, closer than less familiar places

The Geographers Tools & Skills
Chapter 1, Section 2 + Skills Handbook
L2 Homework Review Questions
Identify & Example (2 sentences)
1) globe 2) map 3) cartographer 4) map projection 5) thematic map
6) physical map
Main Idea (3-5 sentences)
What are the three types of basic maps? What do they show?
How does a cartographer decide which type of map is needed?
Summarize (6 sentences)
Chart 9 elements necessary to read and understand maps (pg. 15) (EXTRA CREDIT OPTION!!!)
Critical Thinking (5-7 sentences)
Research and summarize modern technology that assists geographers. (Read pgs. 11-13)
Maps & Globes
Globe: three-dimensional representation of the earth.
Very accurate, but not always practically (hard to carry, measure)
Map: two-dimensional graphic representation of selected parts of
earths surface
Easily portable, can be drawn to scale
Disadvantage: causes distortion; earth is flattened
Cartographer: mapmaker
Map projection: a way of drawing the earths surface that reduces
distortion caused by presenting a round earth on flat paper
Azimuthal Projection
The azimuthal projection
shows the earth so that a
line from the central point to
any other point on the map
gives the shortest distance
between the two points.
Size and shape are distorted
Conical Projection
A conical projection is a
projection onto a cone.
Shows shape fairly
accurately
Distorts landmasses at the
edges of the map
Conical projections are used
to show landmasses that
extend over large areas
going east and west
Compromise Projection: Mercator
Compromise projection is a
projection onto a cylinder
Shows entire earth on one
map
Mercator projection: shapes
of continents are distorted at
the poles AND somewhat
compressed near equator
Ex: Greenland is actually 1/8
th

size of S. America
Compromise Projection: Homolosine
Imagine peeling an orange
into one piece and then
spreading it flat on a table
Homolosine projection has
accurate and sizes of
landmasses BUT distances
on the map are not correct

Compromise Projection: Robinson
Robinson projection
commonly used in textbooks
Shows the entire earth with
nearly true sizes and shapes
of the continents and oceans
However, shapes of
landforms near the poles
appear flat
3 Types of Maps
3 types of maps: physical maps, thematic maps,
political maps
Topographic map: representation of natural and
man-made feature on the earth

Physical Map
Physical maps show types of
landforms and bodies of water
found in a specific area
You can understand relative
location and characteristics of a
place or region
Uses: color, shading to indicate
elevation or altitude
Can show you which directions
rivers flow
Political Map
Political maps
show features
on the earths
surface that
humans created
Ex: cities, states,
provinces,
territories, or
countries

Thematic Maps
Thematic maps focus on specific types of
information
Ex: climate, vegetation, natural resources,
population density and economic activities
Can illustrate historical trends, such as movement
of people and ideas
Thematic Map: Qualitative Maps
Use colors,
symbols,
dots, lines
to show
patterns
related to
specific idea
Thematic Maps: Cartograms
Size of
each
country is
drawn in
proportio
n to
specific
data set
NOT to
land size

Thematic Maps: Flow-Line Maps
Show movement of people,
goods, ideas, animals, or
even glaciers
Information is usually shown
in a series of arrows
Location, direction and
scope of movement can be
seen