7th grade Geography Notes

Name ____Mrs. Alls______

§  5 Themes of Geography

o  1. Location

o  Absolute – exact location

·  i.e. – address or longitude/latitude

·  Lines of latitude run east to west.

·  Lines of longitude run north to south.

·  Glasgow is located at 37°N and 85°W.

o  Relative – what it is near

·  Wendy’s is located beside Arby’s.

·  Philadelphia lies between the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers.

·  Best for giving directions

o  2. Place

o  Physical features – occur naturally such as mountains, hills, fertile soil, climate

o  Cultural features – ideas, languages, religion, and customs

o  3. Region – areas that have something in common

o  4. Movement – Humans interacting on Earth

o  5. Human and Environment Interaction – Humans adapt, modify, and depend on their environment.

o  Negative Impact: cutting down a rainforest to build a shopping center

o  Positive Impact: man made lake/building a dam to assist with irrigation

o  Why do scientists study the impact of Human and Environment Interaction? Helps people plan and manage the environment responsibly

o  Examples: adapt- clothing you wear, shelter; modify – cutting down trees to build something; depend – growing food

o  Things created by humans: Great Wall of China, pyramids

§  A person who makes maps is called cartographer.

§  Hemisphere is half the earth.

o  Name the hemispheres for the following locations:

o  USA – northern and western

o  Australia – southern and eastern_

o  Africa - southern and eastern

o  South America – southern and western

o  Asia – northern and eastern

§ 

o  4 basic parts of a map: Title, key/legend, scale, and compass rose

§  Culture is way of life.

o  People who share common beliefs, customs, laws, art, and ways of living

§  What might explain why areas to the North of the Himalaya Mountains have a desert climate? Mountains absorb rainfall more rapidly than flatter areas.

§  Major world religions

Decide which theme the following pictures are an example and write the theme beside the picture.

region HEI absolute location place –cultural place –cultural

absolute location place - physical

absolute location

region HEI

movement