Chapter 1 Flashcards
Abiotic
composed of non living or inorganic matter
Acculturation
process where an ethnic group is absorbed into a larger society while retaining aspects of distinct identity
Do everything of new culture but keep their cultural traditions- my family
What is the word geography based on?
invented by Greek Erastosthenes
on two Greek words
Geo means “Earth” and “graphy” means “to write”
How do geography and history differ?
a geographer can go to the place
Areal differentiation
geographers look at where things occur, why they are there and how things differ from place to place
Spatial analysis
way to analyze data which includes information about location of places and characteristics, allows for examining spatial attributes of earths surface
Human geographers ask?
“Where are people and activities found on Earth?” and “Why are they there?”
ex- what languages are spoken in Manitoba
what language characteristics vary from place to place
(french spoken in Manitoba vs french spoken in France/ Quebec)
Summarize geography’s five most basic concepts
place region scale space connection
place
is a specific point on Earth distinguished by a particular characteristic.
Each place occupies a unique location or position
region
is an area of Earth distinguished by a particular characteristic
What do geographers use to explain why every place is unique?
place and region
What do geographers use to explain why different places are interrelated?
scale
space
connection
What are the 3 types of regions?
Formal- share a common feature
Functional- defined by activity
Perceptual- ideas we have abt what constitues a region
Ex- canadian praries
Scale
is the relationship between the portion of Earth being studied and Earth as a whole
Geographers are concerned abt global scale
Space
refers to the physical gap or interval between two objects
Not outer space
Connection
refers to relationships among people and objects across the barrier of space
Concerned abt various means through which connections occur
Specially interested between connections of human activity and physical space
Absolute Location
A precise system of locating phenomena in space (e.g. latitude and longitude)- mathematical location
Provides unique description of location
Describes on point on earths surafce
Specific address
Relative Location
The position of a place or activity in relation to other places or activities- sometimes carries social
Neither precise or unique
Can change over time
Ex- winnipeg is located in southern manitoba
780 km southeast of Saskatoon, a little over 215 km east of Brandon and just over 100 km north of the US border- describing winnipeg in terms of other places location
Absolute Direction
non-culture bound(isnt subject to change in different areas), based on the cardinal, or compass, points (e.g. Saskatoon is northwest of Winnipeg and southeast of Edmonton)
Relative Direction
culturally dependent and vary by location (e.g. does Winnipeg truly belong in the West or is it something else? Is La Ronge, Saskatchewan, in the North, or near the North?)
Absolute Distance
absolute spatial separation between two places (i.e. 400 KM)
Relative Distance
non-absolute measurements of separation between places
e.g. eight hours from Winnipeg to Saskatoon)
Cartography
is the science of mapmaking
Reference maps
Show locations of places and geographic features
Use absolute locations
Can be used for a variety of purposes
Look up roads and rivers
Thematic maps
Tell a story about the degree of an attribute, the pattern of its distribution, or its movement
Used for one specifc reason
Ex- where a specific langauge is spoken, identify rain patterns, income globally
Proportional symbol/ graduated circle
Uses different sizes of shape to represent quantity of the theme
All maps show population
Problem is you cant see location largest of cities- we don’t know exactly which county the circle covers
Dot maps
represent the theme
Each dot represents a particular amount
Density is represented by density of dot
In legend the dots are all the same size
Isopleth maps
use lines to get averages for an area
Temp and elevation
Contour map uses these lines
If a contour shows ll lines at 50 m and joins them up the line represents all points at 50 m
Chloropleth maps
shade areas to represent numerical data by the intensity of the colour
Differ from isopleth bc Use predetermined areas
U can tell if it’s this type of map bc every state country will be shaded in according to boundary
Cartogram
maps with areas scaled to show some other value than shear size
GIS, what are the limitations
: Geographic Information System
a collection of computer hardware and software that permits storage and analysis of layers of spatial data
Very versatile- form and function are based on what is being studied
Only limitation is data must have some spatial characteristic
Data must have some attribute that can be located in space
Spatial coordinate value- latitude or longitude, postal code
photogrammetry
the science of taking measurements of Earths surface from photographs
remote sensing
the acquisition of data about Earths surface from a satellite orbiting Earth or from other long distance method
Vector data
uses coordinates to identify points, paths and boundaries of polygons- represent real world data
Raster data
uses pixels or cells to store information
Attribute data
data associate with the map but doesn’t appear on it
Info stored on the GIS but doesn’t visually appear on map produced
Includes stats values names and qualitative attributes
Qualitative data
In depth answers and responses from open ended question
i.e. Tell me about your quality of life in Winnipeg. What makes it good or bad?
Advantage is it provides info abt human behavior emotions or personality characteristics
Quantitative data
Test and verify hypothesis and develop models
Numerical or “count data”
How good is your quality of life (QOL) in Winnipeg?
1 = poor QOL,…, 5 = excellent QOL
Advantage is it can be put all together and used for statistical analysis
/
Quantitative research requires the standardization of data collection to allow statistical comparison, but qualitative research requires flexibility, allowing you to respond to the interviewee during the research process. Qualitative research is very time consuming, particularly when entering and analyzing the data.
GPS
a system that determines the precise location of something on Earth
geotagging
identification and storage of a piece of info by its precise latitude and longitude coordinates
VGI
volunteered geographic info
the creation and dissemination of geographic data contributed voluntarily and for free by individuals
citizen science
scientific research by amaateur scientists
PGIS
participatory GIS
community based mapping representing local knowledge and info
mashup
is a map that overlays data from one source on top of a map provided by a mapping service
Mental Maps
Personal representation of a part of the Earth’s surface
maps we carry in our minds of places we have been and places we have heard of
landmarks, paths, parks, “happy places”, “scary places”, etc
terra incognita,
unknown lands that are off limits
Activity Spaces
the places we travel to routinely in our rounds of daily activity
Most detailed and well known part of mental map
what 2 decisions must a cartographer make to make a map?
scale and projection
Scale: Interpreting Maps
is the spatial extent of something
Things found at once scale are being influenced by what is happening at a different scale
Ex- federal government can create policy affecting timber prices and change the amount of forestry or close down timber mills affecting ppl in community
gives us a way of showing (in reduced form), all or part of the world (cartographic, or map, scale)
observational scale
the observations we make and the context we see varies across scales, such as:
- local - regional - national - global
map scale
which is the relationship of a feature’s size on a map to its actual size on Earth.
What does a scale of 1:10,000 mean?
Everything on map is one ten thousandths of its size in real life
Map scale is unitless
1 mm on map = 10000 mm on ground
projection
Transferring locations on Earth’s surface to a flat map
Mercator Projection
shows accurate shape of continents but distorts size particularly in high latitudes near the poles
Created in 1569
What google maps uses
Generally preserves shape of country- makes close up of cities accurate
Original purpose was navigation- direction
Was designed that if a line was drawn between 2 places on a map it would provide exact angle on the compass
Size of countries is distorted
Distortion shows imperialist attitude of European domination over southern hemisphere
Gall peters
distorts shape but shows correct size
Equal area map
Size of countries are accuarte
But shape isnt correct
Preserves area
In Mercator third world countries are shown smaller- valued less
(Robinson)
Some projections compromise between shape and size distortion
useful for showing info across oceans
land areas are smaller than on maps of same size
Goode homolosine
separates eastern and western into 2 pieces a characteristic known as interruption
meridians that converge at the northa nd south poles dont converge at all
and dont form angles with parallels
Winkel triple
1998 the Winkel triple was adopted because of its balance
4 types of distortions
shape: of an area can be distorted, so that it appears more elongated or squat than in reality
distance: between two points may become increased or decreased
relative size: of different areas may be altered, so that one area may appear larger than another on a map but is in reality smaller
direction: from one place to another can be distorted.
parallel
is a circle drawn around the global parallel to the equator and at right angles to the meridians
A circle numbered between 0 and 90 north or south latitude depending on if its north or south of equator
latitude
The numbering system to indicate the location of a parallel drawn on a globe and measuring distance north and south of the equator
are scientifically derived by Earth’s shape and its rotation around the Sun. The equator (0° latitude) is the parallel with the largest circumference, where every day has 12 hours of daylight. E
meridian
is an arc drawn between the North and South Poles
is numbered between 0°and 180° east or west longitude, depending on whether it is east or west of 0°
longitude
The location of each meridian is identified on Earth’s surface according to a numbering system
The meridian that passes through the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, England, is 0° longitude, and the meridian on the opposite side of the globe from 0° is 180° longitude(international date line)
human creation. Any meridian could have been selected as 0° longitude because all have the same length and all run between the poles.
equator
0 degrees latitude
prime meridian
The 0° longitude runs through Greenwich,
How did ppl tell time back in the day?
Back in time ppl would set their clocks according to the motion of the sun no standard times- each community set their own times by correcting their clocks to high noon
Ppl began moving west using railroads but there were troubles because of the way time was kept
Who created time zones?
1878 Canadian sir Flemming proposed the globe would be divided into 24 time zones each 15 degrees of width between longitude
Longitude is the basis for calculating time
International Date Line
is an arc that for the most part follows 180° longitude
where days begin and end
How many time zones are in Canada?
Six Time Zones across Canada
i
Daylight Savings- sask doesn’t
Winter and Summer differences in some (but not all) provinces
Newfoundland has a special 30 minute time zone
Was not part of Canada when time zones were established
Since its 3 and a half hrs from greenich they would adopt own time zone
Attempted to change in 1963 but ppl opposed
Lloydminster in sask shares borders with Alberta so it uses that time zone
Sense of place
infusing a place with meaning and emotion
House vs home
Perception of place
belief or understanding of what a place is like, often based on books, movies, stories, or pictures.
location
position of anything on earths surface
location
position of anything on earths surface
Geographers describe a feature’s place on Earth by identifying its location
Accessibility
degree to which isolation may be overcome)
The ease of reaching a particular place
Expressed in terms of travel time and cost
Greater accessibility greater travel time
Parks and libraries
Connectivity
total number of ways that a place is linked to other places)
Number and kind of linkages
Airports, availibity of high-speed computer network, large highways
Connectivity
total number of ways that a place is linked to other places)
Number and kind of linkages
Airports, availability of high-speed computer network, large highways
toponym
is the name given to a place on Earth
Names can be controversial
Major reasons people change toponyms
After decolonization
New governments renamed several countries and newly independent countries also changed the names of cities and towns to reflect their independence
Gold Coast to Ghana
East Pakistan to Bangladesh
Dutch (or Netherlands) East Indies to Indonesia
After a political revolution
Changes in power through coups and revolutions prompt name changes
To memorialize people or events
People change a toponym to memorialize an important person or even
Vimy Ridge park
Lagimodiere Boulevard( john baptiste lagimodiere was a fur trader went to red river continued as voyageur, grandfather of lousi riel)
Clayton H. Riddell Faculty of Environment, Earth, and Resources
To commodify or brand a place
MTS Center
Investors Group Field
Site:
local physical and cultural characteristics and attributes of a place
For example: topography, vegetation, languages spoken, common religions, etc.
what are the local physical and cultural characteristics of Winnipeg?
Multicultural, dams
Situation
refers to external relations and connections of a place
How is the place located relative to other places and things?
what are its connections? How accessible is the place
What are the politcal economic, social or other characteristics?
How is Winnipeg connected to other places?
How accessible is Winnipeg?
How close is Winnipeg to raw materials (not at the site)?
Delivers goods via railroad has airport located near agriculture places
Natural Landscape
the physical setting for human activity, help to shape how people live (e.g. climate, resources and terrain)
Cultural Landscape:
the visible expression of human activity or influence on the environment
Anything we do to modify environment- man made
Regions-
artifical construct that enable us to make sense of the world
Enough similarity in some characteristic that link the region together but also contrast with what surrounds it
gains meaning through its unique combination of features
Formal/ uniform region:
defined by a commonality, typically a cultural linkage(langauge) or a physical characteristic(climate)
Administrative: province, state, country (e.g. Manitoba has a government that passes laws, collects taxes, issues license plates, determines provincial healthcare, etc)
Thematic: German speaking region of Europe, the area of town where the wealthiest people live
regions can be proven to exist
Data can be collected about them
Ex- climates, nations counties and cities (have formal boundaries that don’t change), physical features, language and culture
Functional region
defined by a set of social, political, or economic activities or the interactions that occur within it
Each has at least one node, usually the business, office or entity that coordinates the activity
The region is tied to the central node by transportation or communication systems, or economics
Interdependent
E.g. an airline, the market served by a grocery store
Centered on a focal point that connects other areas by various reasons such as transportation communication or economic activity
Ex of functional- city wifi hot spot towns water delivery, transit
have a use
Have a center and are connected with the area around it by some form of transportation
Ex- water pipeline, power supplies (center = power plant transportation= power lines), pizza delivery area, phone services
Vernacular or Perceptual Region
ideas in our minds, based on accumulated knowledge of places and regions, that define an area of “sameness” or “connectedness.”
Boundaries arent always clear
e.g. the South the Mid-Atlantic the Middle East Opinions about regions No clear boundaries based on stereotypes not facts Opinions about parts of town- this is where rich people live, downtown Winnipeg is bad, countries being stereotyped
Globalization
A set of processes that are increasing interactions, deepening relationships, and accelerating interdependence across national borders (increasing interconnectedness of people and places through converging process of economic cultural and political change)
cultural, social, and economic traits are adopted throughout the world
a growing integration and interdependence of world communities through a vast network of trade and communication
Widens and deepens connectedness between people and places
A response to technology change and global capitalism
Predominantly a recent (late twentieth century on) phenomenon, fuelled by increases in mobility/communication, cultural flows, and economic integration
E.g. fast food brands, language, religion
ex of globalization
Spread of global consumer culture
Western movies and TV – spread of “Hollywood culture”
Fast food disrupting (corrupting?) traditional diets
Fads and pop culture – Fidget spinners, Fingerlings, Feisty Pets, Unicorn and poop EVERYTHING, vaping
Technology: Amazon Alexa, Nintendo Switch, Minecraft and Fortnite
Greater international travel, tourism, immigration, and illegal immigration
Nonmaterial culture also dispersed
World-wide sporting events – Olympic Games
Human rights, women’s rights groups, environmental movements
Drugs, crime, human trafficking, sweatshops
what are some threats posed by globalization?
Threats is that it reduces social diversity creating social tension
poses threats to local cultural beliefs
transnational corporation
conducts research, operates factories, and sells products in many countries, not just where its headquarters and principal shareholders are located.
benefits of globalization
cultural differences flourish
preservation of cultural diversity
because of it we can watch tv shows from all different cultures
Spatial Association
occurs within a region if the distribution of one feature is related to the distribution of another feature
Examples for Baltimore City are below: What might you conclude about areas with lower income and lower life expectancy and the propensity of liquor stores?
causation vs correlation
Things can be correlated (related), but that doesn’t mean one thing caused the other
What are 3 properties of distribution?
density, concentration, and pattern
distribution
arrangement of a feature in space is known
density
is the frequency with which something occurs in space.
number of feature and land area
concentration
The extent of a feature’s spread over space
if the objects in an area are close together, they are clustered; if relatively far apart, they are dispersed. To compare the level of concentration most clearly, two areas need to have the same number of objects and the same size area.
pattern
which is the geometric arrangement of objects in space
Some features are
organized in a geometric pattern, whereas others are distributed irregularly. Geographers observe that many objects form a
linear distribution, such as the arrangement of houses along a street or stations along a subway line.
income of women worldwide
Worldwide its 55% that of men
uneven development
the increasing gap in economic conditions between regions in the core and periphery that results from the globalization of the economy
connection
refers to relationships among people and objects across the barrier of space
hearth
A new idea originates at a source known as a harth and spreads across space from one place to another
what are the types of diffusion
expansion
relocation
what are the types of expansion diffusion?
Contagious
hierarchical
stimulus
diffusion
the process of spread of a feature or trend from one place to another over time
Expansion Diffusion
idea or innovation spreads outward from the hearth
Contagious
spreads adjacently (i.e. person to person). Something “goes viral”
Ex- common cold, play a song for a friend they like
Hierarchical
spreads along hierarchies
is a pattern in which the main channel of diffusion is some segment of those who are susceptible to (or adopting) what is being diffused
i.e. biggest to smallest, most powerful to least powerful, most connected to least connected
Spreads from people of power to people of lower status
Stimulus
an idea promotes similar (but NOT the same) development. The spread of an underlying principle
Competitors have adopted the same idea as apple iPhone but the phones are not the same but are based on similar ideas
Relocation Diffusion
Occurs through migration
Involves the actual movement of individuals who have already adopted the idea or innovation to carry it to a new location and it spread throughout the new location through different types of diffusion
distance decay
The diminishing importance and eventual disappearance of a phenomenon with increasing distance from its origin
the farther a person has to travel to get something or meet someone the less likely they will make the trip)
much less severe than in past
Generally: interaction of places is inversely related to the square of the distance separating them
Interaction = 1 / d^2
space-time compression
The reduction in the time it takes to diffuse something to a distant place
Tobler’s 1st law of geography
All things are related but near things are more related than far things
Innovation:
the changes due to new ideas generated within the culture (resistance to innovation is cultural lag)
Acculturation
process where an ethnic group is absorbed into a larger society while retaining aspects of distinct identity
Do everything of new culture but keep their cultural traditions- my family
Assimilation
is the process by which a group’s cultural features are absorbed into larger society and the group loses aspects of their separate identity
Not wearing clothes speaking language eating food of their home land
Syncretism
is the combination of elements of two groups into a new cultural feature
The two groups form a new culture
network
chain of communication thatc connects places
resource
a substance in the environment that is useful to people, economically and technologically feasible to access, and socially acceptable to use
sustainability
is the use of Earth’s resources in ways that ensure their availability in the future.
what are the 3 pillars of sustainability?
social
environment
economic
environment pillar
The sustainable use and management of Earth’s natural resources to meet human needs such as food, medicine, and recreation is conservation. Resources such as trees and wildlife are conserved if they are consumed at a less rapid rate than they can be replaced
social pillar
Humans need shelter, food, and clothing to survive, so they make use of resources to meet these needs. Consumer choices can support sustainability when people embrace it as a value. For example, consumers might prefer clothing made of sustainable resources such as cotton, or clothing made of unsustainable resources such as polyester made from petroleum. They can also choose products that benefit people living in a particular place
economic pillar
Natural resources acquire a monetary value through exchange in a marketplace (Figure 1.12.4). The price of a resource depends on the value placed on it by people, and on people’s technological ability to obtain it. The greater the supply of a resource, the lower the price; the greater the demand for it by people, the higher the price.
what are the 4 systems of the earth?
atmosphere - abiotic
hydrosphere- abiotic
lithosphere- abiotic
biosphere - biotic
atmosphere
a thin layer of gases surrounding Earth
hydrosphere
all of the water on and near the earths surface
lithosphere
earths crust and a portion of upper mantle directly below the crust
biosphere
all living organisms- plants and animals and microorganisms
ecosystem
A group of living organisms and the abiotic spheres with which they interact
ecology
study of ecosystems
Environmental Determinism
environment shaped /controlled human culture and actions (1800s, now rejected)
Overly simplistic- cause and effect
Similar settings do not produce similar behaviour
Contributes to judging other cultures based on your own culture
Racial view
Enviormnet creates society and culture makes them act the same way
People who lived in tropical areas were lazy and not smart
Takes more the temperature
Everyone living in winnipeg would act and think the same way
Possibilism
environment sets limits, but people decide how to respond to the environment
People determine culture but environment sets some limits
Agriculture- you cant grow certain things here
cultural geography
geographic study of human environment relationships
polder
piece of land that is created by draining water from an area
built to reduce the countries dependence on imported food
Sustainable vs unsustainable ecosystem
dutch created polders and dike
The Dutch government has reserved most of the polders for agriculture to reduce the country’s dependence on imported food.
The Dutch have also constructed massive dikes to prevent the North Sea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean, from flooding much of the country. The Zuider Zee project in the north converted a saltwater sea to a freshwater lake called Lake IJssel. Some of the lake has been drained to create polders
california- California and neighboring states in the U.S. Southwest have grown rapidly and prospered despite limited supplies of water. An extended drought in recent years, followed by flooding, has called into question the region’s ability to sustain its residents’ current lifestyles
Groundwater is being removed more rapidly than it is being replenished. Residents and businesses use only 20 percent of California’s water. The other 80 percent goes to agriculture. The biggest challenge posed to the sustainability of California’s ecosystems by the drought is for agriculture. Much of the land used for agriculture in California does not get enough rainfall even in normal times to grow crop
