Chapter 1: Introduction: Some background basics

Origin of the Discipline

Three Fundamental Questions

Concepts

Two Dimensioned Researches

System of Geography

Geography

Concept of Geography

The studies of the phenomena, processes and patterns of natural environment and the spatial organization of human life as a whole.

3 Fundamental Questions

1. Where?: Where did/are the phenomenon, processes, patterns happened/happening?

2. Why there?: Why did/are they happened/happening there? (not at a different/other place?)

3. How?: How are they in the relationships to those at other places, and affect or are affected by human life and natural environment?

spatial/geographical thinking

To answer those questions, we:

Focus in spatial and system analysis

Using concepts, terms, and methods in geography

Understand things are rationally organized on earth’s surface

Spatial patterns understanding how people live on and shape the earth’s surface

Spatial/Space

Location

Direction

Distance

Size and Scale

Place

Region

Spatial Interaction and Analysis

Basic Geographic Concepts

Spatial/Space

‘Spatial’ always carries the ideas of the ways things are distributed, the movement occur, and the processes operate over the whole or a part of the surface of the earth.

Space ‘Spatial’ forming the concepts:

Geography spatial science

Places on earth’s surface spatial behavior of people

spatial relationship

Behavior + relationship maintained spatial process

Location

1. Absolute Location

2. Relative Location

1. Absolute Location

being unique to each described place

measuring the distance separating places

finding directions between places on the earth’s surface.

One of systems (also called mathematic location): a positioning system of precise and accepted identification of a place accurately described by reference to its degrees, minutes and seconds of latitude and longitude.

Ex: Vietnam is located at, latitude: 8010’ to 23024’ N

longitude:1020 O9’ to 109030’ E

Other precise and accepted system: survey system on regional level.

Depends any other characteristics, it has:

Legal description of place,

Measuring the distance separating places,

Finding directions between places on the earth’s surface.

Ex:

Vietnam University: the 6th site, Linh Trung ward, Thu Duc district, HCMC

HCMC International University:

University of Oxford: University Offices, Wellington Square, Oxford OX1 2JD UK

Stanford University: 630 Serra Street, Suite 120, Stanford, CA 94305-6032 723-4291 USA

2. Relative Location

the position of a place in relation to that of other places or activities

It explains spatial interconnection and interdependence

Ex: location of library, cafeteria … to your classroom

In other sense, it tells us that people, things, and places exist in the world of physical and cultural characteristics that differ from place to place

Ex: Vietnam is located in the southeastern extremity of the Indochinese Peninsula, nearby the maritime cross-road of the world

Site and Situation1. Site:

refers to physical and cultural characteristics and attributes of the place itself.

tells us the internal features of that place

Ex: the Mekong Delta is the area which has 9 rivers surrounding 9 provinces.

2. Situation:

refers to the external relations of a place.

is relative location with particular reference to items of significance to the place.

Ex: Danang city is the small plain bounded by the sea in the east and the mountain range in the north and west.

Direction1. Absolute direction

Based on the cardinal points of North, South, East, and West.

Eg. the rising and setting of the sun for East and West, the sky location of noontime sun and of certain fixed stars for north and south

2. Relative direction

The directional references are culturally based and locationally variable, despite their reference to cardinal compass points.

Distance1. Absolute distance

refers to the spatial separation between two points on the earth’s surface

measured by standard unit: miles or kilometers, feet or meters (for more closely spaced points).

2. Relative distance

Transforms measurements into other units, more meaningful for the space relationship at question.

Miles, kilometers, meters hours, minutes, monetary system, or psychological transformation (unfamiliar, dangerous/familiar, friendly etc.)

Size and Scale1. Size

being largeness or smallness of a place

2. Scale

Map Scale: the relationship btw the size of an area on a map and the actual size of the mapped area on the surface of the earth.

Spatial size concerned or compared

Local, regional, global

Individual, household, community, areal, national, regional, international, global

THINK GLOCAL, ACT LOCAL

Place Places have location, direction, and

distance with respect to other places

A place may be large or small scale is important.

A place has both physical structure and cultural content.

The characteristics of places develop and change over time.

Places interact with other places.

Places may be generalized into regions of similarities and differences

Physical and cultural attributes

All places have physical and cultural traits that distinguish them from other places.

Physical attributes: natural landscape

Climate, soil, present or absence of water supply, minerals, etc.

Shape how people live.

Cultural attributes: cultural landscape

People modify the environmental conditions of occupied place.

Human activities leave on places soils, water, vegetation, animal life

Interaction among places

Spatial interaction: places interact with other in the comprehensive ways.

Their processes and patterns are described by words ‘accessibility’ and ‘connectivity’

Accessibility:

Connectivity:

Accessibility: refers to location

Consideration of distance implies assessment of accessibility.

Question: How easy or difficult is it to surmount/overcome the barrier of the time and space separation of places? Internal place: transport

network… External place: airplane, ship,

train, etc.

Connectivity: refers to distance

Connectivity: refers to distance

A broader concept of accessibility implying all tangible and intangible ways in which places are connected Tangible: telephone lines,

street and road systems, pipelines and sewers, etc.

Intangible: radio and TV broadcasts, telecommunications, etc.

Spatial distribution How things are distributed in place? The arrangement of things is analyzed by density,

dispersion, and pattern. Density: measure of the number or quantity of anything

within a defined unit of area. Dispersion ≠ Concentration: amount of spread of a

phenomenon over an area. Not tells us ‘how many/how much’ but ‘how far’ things

are spread out. If they are closed together: ‘cluster’ or ‘agglomeration’ If they are spread out: ‘dispersion’ or ‘scattered’

Pattern: describes spatial arrangement Distribution along: linear pattern Concentrated around: centralized pattern Unstructured irregular distribution: random pattern.