The Five Themes of Geography

1. The Five Themes of Geography Location, place, HEI, movement & region

2. Relative Location: is where something is located in relation to other places Theme #1: Location (Absolute & Relative) • Absolute Location: the exact spot where something is found • Example: Culver City High School is at 4401 Elenda Street • Example: Tito’s Tacos is located on Washington Place between the freeway & Sepulveda Blvd CCHS

3. Example: Freeways in Los Angeles are very crowded Theme #2 – Place • Place describes the physical surroundings that make a place unique • Example: Cities in Alaska are very cold • Example: Streets in Big Bear Mountain are very windy

4. Theme #3 – Human-Environment Interaction (HEI) • HEI is how people interact with their environment, or how people adapt to their environment • Example: People change the environment: S. Fernando Valley used to be orange groves, today it is homes& businesses • Example: People change the environment: Because of over-hunting there are few whales left in the world. • Example: The environment changes people. People that live in Alaska must wear heavy outer clothing.

5. Example: Hawaiian pineapples can be found at Ralphs • Example: The language we speak came from England Theme #4 – Movement • Movement is the transport of people, products, and ideas • Example: If I need milk and don’t have a car, I will get on a bus and go to the supermarket People Products Ideas

6. Example: Buddhism is the primary religion of SE Asia Theme #5 – Region • A larger area with similar characteristics • Example: Spanish type homes are very common in the US Southwest • Example: Outdoor sports are popular in So. California due to the weather