3. Geographical Concepts

1. Space

A physical area on the earth's surface where learning, business and recreation can take place. 

Location

We can locate a point on earth using latitudes and longitudes.

• • Latitudes are imaginary horizontal line around the globe. Latitude 0° is the equator which separates the earth into 2 equal parts – the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The values increase towards the north and south of the Equator such that it is 90°N at the North Pole and 90°S at the South Pole.

  • Longitudes are imaginary vertical lines from the North Pole to the South Pole. Longitude 0° is known as the Prime Meridian or Greenwich Meridian.

  • Latitude and Longitude can help one locate a place e.g. Singapore is located at 1°N and 103°E

Look at the location of Singapore again. Are we located in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere?

If you had been to Palawan Beach at Sentosa, you will see a suspension bridge linked to an islet which has a sign that says you are at the Southernmost Point of Asia!

Spatial pattern

How geographical features are arranged in an area.

For example settlement (where people live) can be presented in the following patterns:

Have you map out your neighbourhood?

The above is a sketch map of my neighbourhood. It is not drawn to scale but you can see the various amenities and facilities in my neighbourhood. Many of you live in a HDB estate and you will observe the planned nucleated pattern. 

2. Place

An area which holds special meaning for people.

For example, the neighbourhood which you grow up in.

• • Who live in this place?

• Where is this place?

• How do they view and feel about this place?

  • Why do they have such feelings about this place?

  • What can be improved in this place for the people?

3. Environment

Physical and Human (built) Environments

Interaction between human and the physical or built environments

Impacts of the interaction.

• • Where is this environment found?

  • What is special in this environment?

  • How is this environment changing?

  • Why is this environment changing?

  • What can be done to minimise the impact of humans on this environment?

4. Scale

Level of details which geographer study our earth.

Map scale

Maps are used to represent the features of the physical and human environment. 

Map scale is used to represent the distance on actual ground.

For example, from the linear map scale above, 4 cm on the map represents 1 km.

Thus every cm on the map represents 0.25km

Time scale

Processes and changes in the environment occur at different time scales, from seconds to days, years to decades and even to millennia.

For example the development of the Serangoon Reservoir as shown in the Google Earth from 2005 to 2010.

Geographic scale