Unit 1: Introduction to Geography

1a. Identify how the spatial perspective distinguishes geography from other disciplines

  • How would you define geography as a discipline?
  • What is the spatial perspective?
  • Explain the difference between physical and human geography.
Originating from the Greek words meaning writing about the earth, geography uses a spatial perspective to understand the problems and phenomena of the world. In other words, geographers seek to understand "where" a phenomenon occurs (in space) and "why" it occurs at that place. This perspective distinguishes geography from history (which considers time or "when" and "why" things happened) and sociology (which systematically examines the structures of society).
 
We broadly define a spatial perspective as understanding "where" (in space) a phenomenon occurs and "why" it occurs at that place. Geographers use several techniques to achieve this understanding. For example, one way is to determine a position's absolute and relative location. Determining something's relative location involves gauging where it is with respect to something else. The concept of core and periphery is a common way to accomplish this.
 
Core areas are typically more-developed, urban, and industrialized; the periphery is generally less developed, made up of rural hinterland. Identifying regions as core and periphery can tell us a lot about their economic and political relationships, which are often one-sided. We determine the absolute location of an object by measuring its location in terms of latitude and longitude on a grid superimposed on the Earth. Since latitude and longitude are angular measurements, we measure them in degrees.
 
Geographers measure latitude north and south from the Equator (0°). The Earth's circumference is the longest at the Equator (the Earth is not a perfect sphere), so it is a natural starting point. Determining longitude east and west is more challenging than latitude since longitude does not have an obvious starting line. Geographers divide Earth into 360° of longitude. Most countries recognize Greenwich, England, as the starting line, 0°, which we call the Prime Meridian. We measure longitude to 180° east and west of the Prime Meridian, which is the International Date Line (IDL).
 
There are two major approaches to geography. Physical geography looks at the physical landscape of the world. Their focus is on the non-human aspects, such as landforms and the climate. Human geography, by contrast, examines the relationship between humans and the natural features of the Earth's surface. For example, they use maps to depict the cultural landscape or the terrain features of the Earth that humans have created or altered to establish trade routes, build cities, run factories, or farm different types of crops.
 
For a concise introduction to geography, see:

 

1b. Describe the importance and limitations of maps

  • What are the main features of maps?
  • What roles do maps play in geography?
  • What are some of the problems associated with creating maps?
Maps are two-dimensional (that is, flat) representations of all or part of the Earth. Maps do not always include a scale or a coordinate system, such as latitude and longitude. We can use techniques of either relative or absolute location on a map. Many maps include a legend to help interpret the symbols on the map. There may also be a directional indicator, such as a compass rose.
 
These main features of maps help us to (1) locate a place that is represented on the map, (2) interpret what we see on the map, (3) measure distances on the map, and (4) identify the sources of the data used to make the map. Maps are a fundamental part of the study of geography.
 
However, it is important to remember that maps are spatial abstractions of the environment – they are graphic representations of landforms and terrain and the relationships between them. We use them to navigate, explore, communicate information, solve problems, and organize our ideas. Maps are an efficient way to share data that occurs in two- and three-dimensional space.
 
We call the study of maps cartography. Cartography includes any activity that focuses on the presentation and use of maps, such as teaching map use skills, studying the history of cartography, maintaining map collections, manipulating data for mapping, and designing and preparing maps.
 
There are two major problems associated with creating maps: determining how to project the roughly spherical Earth onto a two-dimensional map and fitting the Earth onto a map that is a size we can use.
 
First, expect to see some distortion when map makers convert the spherical Earth to a flat map. A map projection represents the Earth's surface on a two-dimensional flat plane, which always distorts at least one of the four properties: area, direction, distance, or shape. Note that one map may preserve its depiction of three of these four properties, but it may significantly distort the final aspect. Another map might be able to minimize the overall distortion by only distorting each property by a small amount.
 
Secondly, cartographers may reduce the actual size of a location when they represent the Earth to create a map that is of a manageable size. The scale of a map refers to the ratio of the distance between two locations on a map and the corresponding distance between the same two locations on Earth's surface. For example, depending on the terms, a 1:1000 scale map means that one centimeter on the map equals 1,000 meters or one kilometer on the Earth's surface. The concept of scale can be confusing. Remember that scale is a ratio, not the actual size of the map.
 
To review, see:


 

1c. Name and explain examples of technologies geographers use

  • What is geospatial technology? Can you give two examples?
  • Define geographic information systems (GIS) as a geospatial technology.
  • What kinds of information are used in GIS?
Geographers use many tools to study places and their relationships with each other. One approach is to use remotely sensed imagery of the Earth captured by satellites, aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones). These images can provide information about land use and cover to help us mitigate hazards. Much of this imagery was captured over time, which allows geographers to track changes in the landscape. Another source of information is the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) which provides detailed absolute location information for navigation.
 
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) integrate hardware, software, and data to capture, manage, analyze, and display geographically referenced information. Geographers use geographic information systems (GIS) to compile data, including remotely sensed imagery and GNSS locations, to study various phenomena. Maps are the most common mode of analysis and presentation, giving GIS a spatial perspective distinct from other modes of information science.
 
To review, see:

 

1d. Assess the value of a regional approach to understanding the world

  • What is the purpose of the regional approach in geography?
  • What are the different types of regions used in geography?
Geographers divide the world in different ways to make it less complex. They call these different divisions realms. Each realm or region has one or more features in common. Vernacular regions are based on popular ideas about a particular area and give us ideas about how people see the world. For example, some Americans divide the United States into regions that do not have clear boundaries, such as the Midwest, Northeast, or South. Formal regions, on the other hand, have boundaries that are not open to debate. For example, France is a formal region because it is a country with internationally recognized boundaries. Functional regions coincide with a particular attribute, function, or service.
 
To review, see:


1e. Identify the Earth's physical components that contribute to human-defined regions

  • What are two major physical components that have shaped human activity and human-defined regions?
Through the two facets of geography, physical and human geography, we know that the physical environment affects human activity, and human activity affects the physical environment.
 
When looking at the Earth's physical landscape, it becomes clear that several components play a major role in shaping human activity over time, including the recognition of various vernacular, formal, and functional regions.
 
Climate is one of the most important predictors of human activity. Climate refers to long-term weather patterns that are affected by a location's latitude, terrain, altitude, and nearby water bodies. Many geographers use the Köppen climate classification system to name the functional regions we find worldwide based on major climatic zones.
 
Like national boundaries and vernacular regions, landforms, such as rivers, mountains, and seas, present another major component of the physical environment that shapes formal regions. These landforms result from the movement of tectonic plates, the rigid underground plates that float on top of a bed of molten magma in the center of the Earth and lie underneath these landforms.
 
To review, see:

 

Unit 1 Vocabulary

This vocabulary list includes terms listed above that students need to know to successfully complete the final exam for the course.

  • absolute location
  • cartography
  • core area
  • cultural landscape
  • distortion
  • Equator
  • formal region
  • functional region
  • Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
  • geography
  • Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)
  • human geography
  • International Date Line
  • Köppen climate classification
  • latitude
  • longitude
  • map
  • periphery
  • physical geography
  • Prime Meridian
  • realm
  • relative location
  • remotely sensed imagery
  • scale
  • spatial perspective
  • tectonic plate
  • vernacular region

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