Geography – The study of people, their environment and resources; or more simply: the connections between the world and its people.
The Five Themes of Geography
I. Location – Where are we?
A. Absolute Location – latitude/longitude, or a specific address
1. Coordinates – latitude first, then longitude (36°N, 97°W)
B. Relative Location (relative to another place) – described by landmarks, time, direction, or distance
II. Place – What kind of place is it?
A. Physical Characteristics – mountains, rivers, weather, animals, etc.
B. Human Characteristics – culture, buildings, food, economy, lifestyle, etc.
III. Interaction Between People and the Environment – How do humans and the environment affect one another?
A. Adapt – we adapt our lives to fit the land (ex. – wearing warm clothes)
B. Change – we change the land to suit our purposes (ex. – tunnels, cutting trees)
C. Depend – we rely on natural resources to live (ex. – food, water, air)
IV. Movement – patterns of movement of people, goods, and ideas
A. People move for many reasons - financial, education, family, etc.
1. push factor – a reason to leave somewhere (ex. – war)
2. pull factor – a reason to come somewhere (ex. – better education)
B. Ideas also spread around the globe– religion, music, democracy, etc.
C. Goods – clothes, oil, food, etc. through trade
1. imports – goods brought into a country from somewhere else
2. exports – goods sent to other countries
V. Region – How is the area on the Earth’s surface divided? An area with its own unifying characteristics.
A. Formal (definite borders)– United States, The Rockies, The Great Lakes States, etc.
B. Functional (for a purpose) – area code, TV stations, newspaper service area, etc.
C. Vernacular (in people’s minds) – The Middle East, The South, The West Coast, etc.