INTRODUCTION TO REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY II

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Definition: Shared patterns of learned behavior Components:

Beliefs Institutions Technology

REGIONS & CULTUREWhat people care about? What people take care of?

*Ethnicity- language, religion, traditions *Conflicts

A wide-ranging and comprehensive field that studies spatial aspects of human cultures

Major components focus on:

Cultural Landscapes

Culture Hearths

Cultural Diffusion

Cultural Environments

Culture Regions

Not mutuallyexclusive - constantly

interacting witheach other

CULTURAL GEOGRAPHYA visible character of a region in many ways: architecture,forms of transportation, clothing of people, religion, etc.

The composite of human imprints on the earth’s surface.

Carl Sauer’s definition: “the forms superimposed on the physical landscape by the activities of man”

CULTURAL LANDSCAPE

CULTURAL LANDSCAPE

The source areas from which radiated ideas, innovations, and ideologies that change the world beyond

CULTURE HEARTH

Church of the Nativity: Bethlehem

SEQUENT OCCUPANCE

E.J.PALKA

A subfield within the human branch of geography

The study of the interaction of geographical area and political process

The spatial analysis of political phenomena and processes

POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY

World Political Boundaries (2007)

Fig. 1-2: National political boundaries are among the most significant elements of the cultural landscape

A politically organized territory

Administered by a sovereign government

Recognized by a significant portion of the international community.

A state must also contain:

a permanent resident population

an organized economy

a functioning internal circulation system

STATEBoundaries (changes- Germany,Cold war), capital cities

Must a nation be a

place?

Some examples of stateless nations: the Cherokee Nation, the Kurds, the Palestinians

NATION

THE KURDS

KURDISH REGION

A country whose population possesses a substantial degree of cultural homogeneity and unity

NATION - STATE

An Example of An Example of a Nation-State: a Nation-State:

JapanJapan

Other Examples?Other Examples?

4 major clusters

1) East Asia 2) South Asia3) Europe 4) Eastern North America

POPULATION DISTRIBUTION

PATTERNS OF DEVELOPMENT

Economic geographyEconomic conditions (World Bank’s groupings)

•High-Income•Upper-middle-income•Lower-middle-income•Low-income

Core areas versus peripheries

PATTERNS OF DEVELOPMENT

PATTERNS OF DEVELOPMENT

Symptoms of underdevelopment

High NIR Short life expectancy High IMR Low urban rates Low literacy rates Small income Poor health & sanitation National debt Mismanagement &

corruption

Causes of contrast Climate & human capacity,

environmental degradation Overpopulation Cultural heritage- resistance to

change Colonial exploitation Neocolonialism & distribution

of natural resources High tariffs against the

products of poorer countries Foreign interference Mismanagement Globalization- positives and

negatives

Globalization and terrorism

Globalization- A New Revolution

The march of international capitalism, open market, and a free trade.

World Trade Organizations It simulates commerce,

brings jobs to remote places (US jobs).

Globalization in culture- Americanization

Negatives and positives

INTRODUCTION TO REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY II

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