Overview

What is Geography? Evolution of the Discipline Some Core Geographic Concepts Geography’s Themes and Standards Organization of This Book

What is Geography?

Much more than place names and locations The study of spatial variation

How and why things differ from place to place on the surface of the earth

How observable spatial patterns evolved through time Focus on the interaction of people and social groups

with their environment and with each other Geography is about space and the content of

space

Evolution of the Discipline

Ancient Greeks and Romans From Greek geo, “the earth,” and graphein, “to write” E.g., Eratosthenes, Strabo, Herodotus, Ptolemy

Ancient Chinese Muslim scholars Modern geography

Origins in the surge of scholarly inquiry that began in 17th century Europe

Subfields of Geography

A number of specialized subdivisions Closely interrelated

Three dominating interests Spatial variation of physical and human phenomena

on the surface of the earth The systems that link physical phenomena and human

activities in one area with other areas Human-environmental relationships and spatial

systems in specific locational settings

Subfields of Geography

Regional geography Identify particular segments of the earth’s surface for

study Systematic geography

Identify particular classes of things for study Physical geography

Focus is on the natural environment Human geography

Focus is on people

Why Geography Matters

The only discipline concerned with understanding why and how both physical and cultural phenomena differ from place to place

Vital to an understanding of national and international issues

Offers a diversity of job opportunities

Some Core Geographic Concepts

Spatial is an essential modifier in forming questions and framing concepts Geography is a spatial science

The geographer’s space is earth space The way things are distributed The way movements occur The way processes operate

Some Core Geographic Concepts

Basic observations regarding places: They have location, direction, and distance with

respect to other places They have size They have both physical structure and cultural content Their attributes develop and change over time Their content is structured and explainable Their elements interrelate with other places They may be generalized into regions of similarities

and differences

Location

Absolute location Based on a precise and accepted system of

coordinates--mathematical location Latitude and longitude Other grid systems

Relative location Position in relation to other places or things Expresses spatial interconnection and

interdependence May carry social and economic implications

Location

Site Physical and cultural characteristics of a place Absolute location concept

Situation External relations of a place Expression of relative location

Direction

Absolute direction Based on the cardinal points (N-S-E-W)

Relative direction Culturally based and locationally variable

“Out West” “Back East” “Down South” “Near East” “Far East”

Distance

Absolute distance Uses standard units such as miles or kilometers

Relative distance Transforms linear measurements into other units more

meaningful for the space relationship in question Time, money, psychological

Size and Scale

Degree of generalization represented Reference to the size of unit studied

E.g., local or global Relationship between the size of an area on a map

and the actual size of the mapped area on the surface of the earth

Physical and Cultural Attributes

Physical attributes Climate, soil, water supplies, mineral resources,

terrain features, etc. Natural landscape

Helps shape—but does not dictate—how people live

Cultural attributes Language, religion, industries, food, music, etc. Cultural landscape

Visible imprint of human activity

Attributes of Place are Always Changing

The physical environment undergoes continuous and pronounced change

Humans alter the environments they occupy Pace of change has accelerated

Built landscape has increasingly replaced natural landscape

Places are the present result of past operation of distinctive physical and cultural processes

Interrelations Between Places

Spatial interaction Movement between places

Accessibility Relative ease with which a destination may be reached

Connectivity All the ways places are connected

Spatial diffusion Dispersion from a center of origin to more distant points

Globalization Increasing interconnection of all parts of the world

Place Similarity and Regions

No two places on earth can be exactly the same The natural and cultural characteristics of places

show patterns of similarity in some areas Regions

Earth areas that display significant elements of internal uniformity and external differences from surrounding territories

Used to classify the complex reality of the earth’s surface into manageable pieces

Types of Regions

Formal (uniform) regions Uniformity in one or a limited combination of physical

or cultural features Functional (nodal) regions

A spatial system with interdependent parts that operate as an organizational unit

Perceptual (vernacular/popular) regions Exist in the perceptions of their inhabitants and the

general society Reflect feelings and images rather than objective data

Geography’s Themes and Standards

Five fundamental themes Location Place Relationships within places Movement Regions

Geography’s Themes and Standards

National Geography Standards The world in spatial terms Places and regions Physical systems Human systems Environment and society The uses of geography

Organization of This Book

Four traditions Earth science tradition

Identified with physical geography in general Culture-environment tradition

Identified with population, cultural, political, and behavioral geography

Locational (or spatial) tradition Identified with economic, urban, and environmental

geography Area analysis (or regional) tradition

Regional geography