Intro to Human Geography

1. It’s Nature and Perspective Intro to Human Geography

2. Geographic Questions: • Where are things located? • Why? • How are places related? • How are places inter-connected? • How are humans affected by these locations? “THE WHY OF WHERE!!!”

3. Definition of Geography • scientific and systematic study physical & cultural features of the earth’s surface. • spatial perspective looking at patterns and distributions • Invented by Greek scholar: Eratosthenes -Geo – “Earth” -graphy – “to write”

4. Human (or Cultural) Geography: study of the spatial differentiation and organization of human activity on the earth’s surface. • how we organize space and society • where & why human activities are located

6. THE REGIONAL APPROACH Latin America • Regional (Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia) Sub-Saharan Africa Southeast Asia

7. Five Themes of Geography • Location • Place • Region • Movement • Human-Environment

8. Location Location-position on the earth’s surface Absolute Location: latitude and longitude; street address Relative Location: a way of expressing a location in relation to another site

9. Site & Situation Site-the physical character of a place Situation– the location of a place relative to other places Fig. 1-7: Singapore is situated at a key location for international trade.

10. Place Place: physical location with physical & cultural attributes sense of place: infusing a place with meaning and emotion.

11. Perception of Place Where Pennsylvanian students prefer to live Where Californian students prefer to live

12. The Cultural Landscape • visible expression of human activity • natural landscape modified by human activities • Can also be called the “Built Environment” Religion and cremation practices diffuse with Hindu migrants from India to Kenya.

13. Sequent Occupance Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: African, Arab, German, British, and Indian layers to the city Apartment in Mumbai, India Apartment in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

14. Spatial analysis:the study of geographic phenomena on the earth’s surface - how are things organized on Earth? - how do they appear on the landscape? - Why of where? and so what?

15. the SPATIAL: 1. Distance 2. Accessibility 3. Connectivity

16. Distance Decay • interaction between places diminishes frequency as distance between them increases closer = more interaction

17. Distance Decay

18. Friction of distance Farther people have to travel…less likely they are to do so.

19. place utility: a place’s usefulness to a particular person or group

20. Accessibility “How easy or difficult is it to overcome the friction of distance?”

21. Connectivity • Level of interaction • channels of communication & transportation Ex: Telephone Lines, streets, pipelines, radio, TV, internet

22. Ullman’s Spatial Model of Interaction 1. Complementarity: supply & demand between places

23. 2. Transferability: ability to acquire item

24. 3. Intervening Opportunity: alternative locations for activities between two points

25. Diffusion - Dissemination or spread of an idea or innovation from its hearth to other areas What prevents diffusion? - time -distance decay - cultural barriers

26. a. Contagious • – spreads adjacently • b. Hierarchical • – spreads to linked people or places first • c. Stimulus • – foreign idea promotes a • local change 1. Expansion Diffusion:spreads outward from the heart

27. Stimulus Diffusion Ex: Because Hindus believe cows are holy, cows often roam the streets in villages and towns. The McDonalds restaurants in India feature veggie burgers.

28. 2. Relocation Diffusion: permanent movement of individuals who carry an idea or innovation with them Paris, France Kenya

29. Spatial Distribution • elements common to all spatial distributions : Density, Dispersion, & Pattern

30. Density • The measure of the number or quantity of anything within a defined unit of area

31. Dispersion • Spread of a phenomenon over an area • How spread out? 1. Clustered (Agglomerated) = spatially close together 2. Dispersed (Scattered) = spread out

32. Pattern • The geometric arrangement of objects in space • Types of Patterns: Linear, Clustered, & Random

33. Linear Pattern • typically depict houses along a street or towns along a railroad

34. Clustered Pattern • typically involve items concentrated around a single node • Ex: Center City with surrounding suburbs

35. Random Pattern • An unstructured irregular distribution

36. Types of Regions • Formal (Uniform) region: defined by a commonality, typically a cultural linkage or physical characteristic Ex: German speaking region of Europe

37. Functional (Nodal) region: defined by a set of social, political, or economic activities or interactions Ex: an urban area, magazine circulation, radio station, downtown CBD

38. Perceptual (Vernacular) Region: ideas in our minds that define an area of “sameness” or “connectedness.” Exs: the South the Mid-Atlantic the Middle East Chinatown Little Italy

40. The meanings of regions are often contested. In Montgomery, Alabama, streets named after Confederate President Jefferson Davis and Civil Rights leader Rosa Parks intersect.

41. Region v. Realm • “Realms” are larger, and often encompass several regions Ex: The “Muslim World”

42. 1. Globe Grid: based upon latitude-longitude coordinates latitude lines (parallels) – decrease in length closer to poles longitude lines (meridians) – converge at the poles * scale on Earth’s surface is same everywhere 2. Map Projections: making a flat map of a round surface * All maps distort the globe grid properties

43. World Geographic Grid The world geographic grid consists of meridians of longitude and parallels of latitude. The prime meridian (0º) passes through Greenwich, England

46. Cylindrical Projection Planar Projection (Azimuthal) Conic Projection

47. The Robinson Projection

49. Thematic Maps “Tells a story” Data attributes Pattern, distribution, movement Relative locations/features Two Types of Maps: Reference Maps • Show locations • Geographic features • Absolute locations Ex: street maps

50. Reference Map