Geography Notes

1. Geography Notes

2. Geography • The study of the earth’s physical features and how they relate to living things

3. Physical Features The natural features on the earth’s surface such as mountains, rivers and oceans

4. 5 THEMES OF GEOGRAPHY • Location • Place • Region • Movement • Human-Environment Interaction

5. LOCATION: Where something is located on the earth’s surface

6. LOCATION: Absolute Location – exact spot on the earth’s surface – most common absolute location is your street address

7. LOCATION: • Absolute Location can also be determined by using latitude and longitude coordinates: • Savannah is located at 32.05N 81.05W

8. LOCATION: • Latitude – measures degrees of distance north and south of the equator • lines of latitude are also called parallels

9. Latitude

10. LOCATION • Longitude – measures degrees of distance east and west of the Prime Meridian, which is located in Greenwich, England • Lines of longitude are also known as meridians

11. Longitude

12. LOCATION: • Relative Location – the location of one place in relation to another place • Based upon the cardinal (main) and intermediate (in between) directions on a compass • Georgia is north of Florida • Rincon is northwest of Savannah

13. Place • Physical and human characteristics of places (how a place is “known”) • Savannah is characterized by River Street, moss-covered live oak trees, the squares, the beach. • China is known for its Great Wall.

14. Region • An area of the earth that has shared characteristics that make it different from other areas of the earth • Includes language / dialect and foods

15. Region • Geographic Regions: In the U.S. – North, South, East, West, Midwest, Deep South, Southwest, Pacific Coast, Sunbelt etc.

16. Region • Political Regions: nation, state, county, city • must have legal boundaries and its own government

17. Region • Population Regions: • Urban (city w/2500+ people) • Rural (community w/less than 2500 residents) • Suburban (heavy populated area near a city) • Metropolitan (MSA) (central city w/50,000+ residents or an area with a total population of at least 100,000 with an urbanized area w/50,000)

18. MOVEMENT: • The shifting of people, goods and ideas from one place to another • During the 1970’s there was a massive migration of people from the northeast to the Sunbelt.

19. HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION: • The ways people interact with their environment • Includes dam building, logging, beach combing, preparing for hurricanes, etc.

20. Points to Ponder: • What is the absolute location of EMS? • What is Georgia’s relative location compared to her 5 bordering states? • Georgia is located in what geographic regions of the United States • What are the four political regions in which you live? • What example of movement have we experienced in our area? • How have you interacted with the environment in the past month?

21. Unit 01 Vocabulary 14. Gross Domestic Product Capital Entrepreneur Unitary Confederation Federal Autocratic Oligarchic Democratic Presidential Parliamentary Citizen • Absolute Location • Relative Location • Traditional Economy • Command Economy • Market Economy • Mixed Economy • Trade barrier • Tariff • Quota • Embargo • Trade • Currency • Specialization