Test 1 Notes Part A
Basics of Geography and cartography
I. Geography definition – The study of the earth and the peoples who live on it. “Well-spring” of all sciences.
II. Divisions of Geography
A. Physical Geography
*Geology: The study of the composition of the earth.
*Meteorology: The study of the atmosphere, climate and weather of the earth.
*Oceanography: The study of the world’s oceans.
B. Cultural Geography
* Culture: The sum of what a human group acquires through living together, such as language, knowledge, skills, art, literature, laws, customs and lifestyles.
* Cultural Diffusion: The spread of parts of a culture from one area to another.
lll. Specialties of Cultural Geography
· History: The study of past events.
· Economics: The study of human trade and financial interactions.
· Sociology: The study of group behavior.
· Political Science: The study of the systems by which humans govern themselves.
· Cartography: Map making. The science of accurately depicting the earth and its components, using imagery or models.
· Anthropology: The study of the origins and continued progress of the human species.
lV. Five themes of Geography: *************
A. Location
· Absolute: EXACT location.
· Global Grid: A system of imaginary lines on the earth’s surface, interlocking in fashion that are used to determine absolute location.
· Latitude: Lines that run perpendicular to the poles.
Parallels/Equator
· Longitude: lines that run from pole-to-pole.
Meridians/Prime Meridian
B. Relative Location
Is a GENERAL location.
· Directions from a KNOWN point.
· Approximate.
C. Place
Description of an area based on certain, specific characteristics:
1. Physical Characteristics:
· Landforms, Climate, Soil
2. Human Characteristics
Languages, Religion, Activities
D. Human interaction - Interaction between people and the environment
1. What impact has the environment had on human developments?
2. What impact have human developments had on the environment?
E. Movement – the movement of people from one place to another based on push or pull factors
1. People:
Migration
Immigration
2. Goods
Trade
Exports
Imports
3. Ideas
4. Interdependence
E Regions: An area with its own unifying characteristics.
1. Formal Regions: Areas that share common attributes.
2. Physical Regions: Continental or climatological.
3. Cultural Regions: Areas with similar human characteristics.
4. Functional Regions: Areas connected by movement.
lV. Cartography: The science of accurately depicting the earth using models.
A. Three types of models
· Map: A flat representation of the earth.
· Atlas: A collection of maps
· Globe: A three-dimensional representation of the earth.
A. Four map components:
· Title: Identifies what the map is about.
· Legend or Key: Explains symbols used on map.
· Compass Rose: Demonstrates where North is in relation to the map.
· Scale: Demonstrates distance in relation the map.
Xl. Map projections: A method of displaying a spherical object on a flat surface.
*** Problem-maps always have distortion.
A. Important lines of latitude: Arctic Circle, 66.5 North, Tropic of Cancer, 23.5 N, The Equator, 0, Tropic of Capricorn, 23.5 S, Antarctic Circle, 66.5S.
B. Important Lines of Longitude:
· Prime Meridian-
· International Date Line
C. Types of Map Projections
*Conic Projection- Problem-partial map
*Plane Projection-Problem-half a map
*Cylindrical Projection-Problem-major distortion at the poles
*Interrupted Projections-The most accurate projection
*Mercator Projection-Problems-distortion at the poles.
Xll. Colors Used on a Map
A. Red- Boundaries of countries and states.
B. Blue-Water features
C. Green-vegetation
D. Black-man made features
E. Brown-relief and elevation
F. Other colors- Colors that you choose to put on your map.
Xlll. Relief vs. Topographical Maps
A. Relief Map- Shows elevation or depression.
B. Topographical map-shows man-made items or resources.
Part 2 Landforms and water features (student based) add ocean, river, lake, pond, wadi
Part 3 Our planet
I. Solar System (pg 27)
Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto
II. Structure of Earth (pg 28)
1. Inner Core 2. Outer Core 3. Mantle 4. Crust (plate tectonics)
****Continental Drift – Theory that all continents were once connected and moved to their present positions over millions of years. The one giant continent was called Pangea. Pg 29
III. Component of Earth’s Surface (pg. 28)
a. Atmosphere – gases that protect the Earth by limiting the Sun’s rays and radiation as well as preserving our oxygen
b. Lithosphere – the solid rock portion of the Earth’s surface
c. Hydrosphere – the waters comprising the Earth’s surface such as oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, and vapor in the atmosphere
d. Biosphere – all the plants and animals that live in an area including the atmosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere
****Asteroid which hit the Yucatan ------(pg. 30-31)
IV. Hydrologic Cycle (you must illustrate this)
a. Evaporation/transpiration (water vapor)
b. Condensation (dew point)
c. Precipitation (rain, snow, hail)
d. Runoff (lakes, rivers, oceans)
****process begins again and is perpetual
V. Tectonic Plate Movement (pg 38)
-tectonic plates shape the surface of the earth in various ways
a. Divergent movement – plates separate and magma fill the hole left
b. Convergent subduction – plates push together and one moves up while the other is pushed down (often results in volcanic activity)
c. Convergent collision – plates push together and both go up. This forms mountains.
d. Lateral Slipping – tectonic plate slide against each other causing earthquakes
****Most active plate is in the Pacific Ocean from Asia to California and it is called the Ring of Fire (pg37)
e. Earthquakes – are measured by a seismograph and their strength is judged by the Richter Scale - 3 to 4 mild – 7- 8 violent.
f. Volcanoes – come from splits in plates and spew Magma (Lava) from the center of the Earth. They can be very dangerous and destructive. (i.e. Pompeii, Mt St. Helens)
VI. External forces that shape the Earth
**There are also many external forces that shape the Earth
A. Weathering - is a process where rock is broken and eventually turns into soil
1. Mechanical – a situation such as ice crystals or roots moving into cracks in the stone and breaking it into smaller pieces.
2. Chemical – this weathering can occur when chemicals mix (such as acid rain) and decompose the rocks.
B. Erosion.
** Occurs when weathered material is moved by wind, water, ice or gravity
1. Rocks can be eroded by wind blowing sand onto rocks, water slowly beating rocks apart with sediment or glaciers that slowly move and slice rocks and mountains
VII. Human Governments
1. Monarchy – Rule by decree of a King or Queen. Their heirs inherent the thrown when they die.
2. Democracy – Rule by the masses (people). Usually a republic. Officials are elected to represent people of a certain region.
3. Communist State – Rule by a dictator or a few, where rights are very limited and peoples occupations and living space is dictated by the government.
4. Stateless Nation – a loose confederation of different groups in an area to maintain peace, define loose boundaries and maximize resources.
VIII. Effects of Human growth
1. City – relatively large and permanent human settlement
2. Suburb – a mixed use area immediately outside a city
3. Exurb – ring of prosperous communities outside the suburbs. Usually with higher education and income
4. Metropolitan area – the combination of cities, suburbs and exurbs
5. Infrastructure – basic organization structures needed for human civilization (roads, water, bridges, sewage, communication, etc… )
6. Income differences – can be measured as the “per capita” level of wealth in a given area. (low or high)
7. Population density –number of people per unit of an area (city, county, state, etc…) High population can have negative effects on the society making resources scarce.
8. Gross national product – all the goods and services produced by a nation in a year.
IX. Economic systems.
1. Command economy – economy formulated by a public body to increase production
2. Market economy – economy based on supply and the demand of the people.
3. Communist economy – a classless society where all the goods and services are shared equally. Products and jobs are assigned by the govt.
4. Socialist economy –economy based on the concept that massive taxation in exchange for free social programs will benefit the people.