chapter 1: notes

Question 1

human geography

Answer 1

Human geography focuses on: How people make places How we organize space and society How we interact with each other in places and across space How we make sense of ourselves and others

Question 2

geography =

Answer 2

“Description of the Earth”

Question 3

spatial science

Answer 3

Spatial — “pertaining to space on the earth’s surface” Study of Spatial Variation (physical and human characteristics) Spatial ‘context’ is also key (idea of place and local characteristics)

Question 4

medical geography

Answer 4

Mapping the distribution of a disease is the first step to finding its cause Dr. John Snow, a noted anesthesiologist in London, mapped cases of cholera in London’s Soho District in 1854 and found a link to contaminated water

Question 5

cholera

Answer 5

Cholera An ancient disease associated with diarrhea and dehydration Was confined to India until 1816 Spread to China, Japan, East Africa, and Mediterranean Europe in the first of several pandemics (worldwide outbreaks) Second pandemic: 1826–1837: North America Third pandemic: 1842–1862: England and North America What processes create and sustain the pattern of a distribution? The patterns of victim’s homes and water pump locations helped uncover the source of the disease. Cholera has not been defeated completely We expect to find cholera in places that lack sanitary sewer systems and in places that are flood prone

Question 6

focus of geography

Answer 6

Areal Variation on the Earth’s Surface (looking for differences across space) special systems – interrelated phenomena across space regional geography – sum of phenomena in a particular area

Question 7

human geography subfields

Answer 7

Subfields: Behavioral Political Economic Cultural Social Urban Medical Population Cultural ecology

Question 8

Why do Kenyans grow tea and coffee instead of food?

Answer 8

Foreign corporations own the best lands globalized economy thrives on foreign income failure to distribute systems Disempowered women

Question 9

globalization

Answer 9

a set of processes that are increasing interactions cultural, social, and economic traits are adopted throughout the world Predominantly a recent (late twentieth century on) phenomenon, fuelled by increases in mobility/communication, cultural flows, and economic integration. i.e. fast food (brands/language/religion

Question 10

globalization examples

Answer 10

Spread of global consumer culture Western movies and TV – fast food disrupting traditional diets Fads and pop culture – Sudoku, Origami, MySpace, Idol series greater international travel/tourism/immigration/illegal immigration Nonmaterial culture also dispersed Language world wide porting events (Olympics) human rights, womens rights, groups, ngo’s Hybridization American culture melds with local cultural traditions

Question 11

themes of geography

Answer 11

Place Location Movement Region Human-Environment

Question 12

place (sense and perception)

Answer 12

Sense of place: infusing a place with meaning and emotion. Perception of place: belief or understanding of what a place is like, often based

Question 13

interrelations between places

Answer 13

Accessibility (degree to which isolation may be overcome) The ease of reaching a particular place Connectivity (total number of ways that a place is linked to other places)

Question 14

Elements (features) of places have an arrangement or distribution

Answer 14

Density: the measure of the quantity of a feature within a defined area; Dispersion: the amount of spread in space between features; Pattern: the geometric arrangement of features in space (e.g. linear, clustered or random)

Question 15

site vs situation

Answer 15

Site: Local physical and cultural characterisitics and attributes of a place For example: topography, vegetation, language spoken, common religions, etc. 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 political, economic, social or other characteristics?

Question 16

situation of mtl

Answer 16

Near the eastern margin of the manufacturing heartland Along major highway and rail systems connecting Atlantic Canada to the rest of Canada The furthest ocean tankers go before the St. Lawrence is un-navigable

Question 17

site or situation The median income of Winnipeg

Answer 17

site

Question 18

absolute vs relative location

Answer 18

Absolute Location: A precise system of locating phenomena in space (e.g. laituude and longitude): provides unique description of location Relative Location: The position of a place or activity in relation to other places or activities: neither precise nor particularly unique

Question 19

abs or rel? Located in the Southern part of the province of Manitoba

Answer 19

relative

Question 20

abs or rel 49o 54’ North Latitude, 96o 14’ West Longitude

Answer 20

absolute

Question 21

abs or rel 780 kilometres southeast of Saskatoon, a little over 215 kilometres east of Brandon, and just over 100 kilometres north of the U.S. border.

Answer 21

relative

Question 22

movement

Answer 22

Expression of interconnectedness of places Spatial diffusion: the movement of an idea or innovation from its hearth across space and over time (to new areas) Newest technology, colds & flu, new ideas What slows/prevents diffusion? - distance decay - cultural barriers

Question 23

types of diffusion

Answer 23

expansion and relocation diffusion

Question 24

expansion diffusion

Answer 24

) Expansion Diffusion – idea or innovation spreads outward from the hearth Contagious – spread adjacently (i.e. person to person) 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 Stimulus – an idea promotes similar (but NOT the same) development

Question 25

relocation diffusion

Answer 25

movement of individual who carry an idea or innovation with them to a new, perhaps distant locale

Question 26

formal vs functional region

Answer 26

Formal region: Defined by a commonality typically a cultural linkage or a physical characteristic German speaking region of Europe the area of town where the wealthiest people live 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 each province and territory in canada an airline market served by grocery store

Question 27

region exmpls

Answer 27

Artificial construct – as people we create them so we can compare and contrast regions with one another Functional region example: target was here, went away.. When they left, their functional region in Canada went away –newspaper route, as long as the job is being done it is a functional region. It exits a long as the physical activity of it exists Functional regions formed by patterns of interaction b/w separate areas — service areas, commodities, water, people -functional regions: area that can be defined by interactions

Question 28

types of formal region

Answer 28

1) administrative – formed by political or legal action — census tract, provinces, states 2) thematic – measuring and mappingobservable content (variable/theme) — shows where someproperty exists, ——physical: rainfall, climates, pine trees ——– human: education level, lives in tornado alley

Question 29

formal/functional/perceptual regions

Answer 29

Formal regions – proven to exist. Through collection of data… i.e. climates. countries and cities can be proven to exist. Physical features can be proven (river systems). languages,/culture. Economic regions. Functional regions. They have a use. Based around something, connected to thing round them by some form of transportation… ie water pipeline (has an area it is based around, transported to homes), electricity – from powerplant transported to homes, delivery, phone coverage Perceptual regions – opinions about regions. No clear boundaries, all based on sterotypes, no types, attitudes about a place. Not necessarily real. i.e. stereotypes about area of town, countries, American south stereotypes

Question 30

perceptual region

Answer 30

Perceptual Region: ideas in our minds, based on accumulated knowledge of places and regions, that define an area of “sameness” or “connectedness.” e.g. the South –mid atlantic, middle east

Question 31

natural vs cultural landscape

Answer 31

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

Question 32

nature-culture dualism

Answer 32

Nature Physical environment external to people Culture Culture distinguishes people from nature This sets up nature and culture to be opposites 18th century: this dualism was used to argue that culture makes people superior to nature societies were ranked by their culture Cultural ecology: studies the relationship between people and the environment

Question 33

culture

Answer 33

Culture is an all-encompassing term that identifies not only the whole tangible lifestyle of peoples, but also their prevailing values and beliefs Culture is: a social creation dynamic complex Both tangible (physical ie clothes) and non tangible (language)

Question 34

sequent occupance

Answer 34

Layers of imprint in a cultural landscape that reflect years of differing human activity Athens, Greece: ancient agora surrounded by modern buildings

Question 35

environments as controls

Answer 35

Environmental Determinism – environment shaped/controlled human culture and actions (1800s, now rejected) overly simplistic similar settings do not produce similar behaviour Contributes to judging other cultures based on your own culture

Question 36

possibilism

Answer 36

environment sets limits but people decide how to respond to the environment – people develop culture – environmental possibilism replaced determinism

Question 37

reference vs thematic maps

Answer 37

Reference Maps Show locations of places and geographic features absolute locations (do not change) Thematic Maps Tell a story about the degree of an attribute, the pattern of its distribution, or its movement. relative locations (modified and change over time)

Question 38

dot maps, graduated symbol, chorpleth maps, isopleth maps

Answer 38

Graduated circle represents quantity of the theme (does not provide specific location) Dot maps represent the theme -not good for populationdata Isopleth maps use lines to get averages for an area – -can cross county lines, follows actual population Choropleth maps shade areas to represent numerical data by the intensity of the colour -shade full area, does not cross into different areas

Question 39

cartograms

Answer 39

Cartograms are maps with areas scaled to show some other value than shear size.

Question 40

absolute and relative direction

Answer 40

Absolute Direction: non-culture bound, based on the cardinal points (ie 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 in the north, near north?)

Question 41

absolute vs relative distance

Answer 41

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)

Question 42

isochrone

Answer 42

Iso = line of equal (something) Chrone = time

Question 43

mental maps

Answer 43

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 Mental maps include terra incognita, unknown lands that are off limits

Question 44

activity spaces

Answer 44

the places we travel to routinely in our rounds of daily activity Activity space is the most well known part of mental map…. Routes you take etc

Question 45

GIS geographic information system

Answer 45

: a collection of computer hardware and software that permits storage and analysis of layers of spatial data.

Question 46

vector, raster and attribute data

Answer 46

Vector data – real things on a map i.e. roads. Points and lines are used Raster data – same as vector except use pixels Attribute data – things associated with map but are not physically on the map….. Qualitative or quantitative - These three things make up a GIS

Question 47

data collection

Answer 47

Data Collection Data must have some spatial characteristic Primary data: Secondary data: collected by someone else; often use data collected by government or other agencies (i.e. census data) Data Management A variety of different data types can be stored in the same database, and related to each other Data Analysis gis is designed to answer some question

Question 48

qualitative v quantitative

Answer 48

Qualitative data in depth answers and responses from open ended questions i.e. Tell me about your quality of life in Winnipeg. What makes it good or bad? 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

Question 49

GIS tasks

Answer 49

create thematic graph Overlay/relate different sets of information create buffer areas around features Calculate distances Create a dynamic link between the map and the database

Question 50

gis applications in health

Answer 50

Determining distribution of diseases Analysing spatial trends mapping populations at risk Assessing resource allocation (health care) Planning and targeting interventions forecasting epidemics Monitoring intervention over time

Question 51

remote sensing

Answer 51

A method of collecting data by instruments that are physically distant from the area of study (via satellites, planes, weather balloons, etc.)

Question 52

scale

Answer 52

Scale is the spatial extent of something. scale gives us a way of showing (in reduced form) all or part of the world (cartographical scale)

Question 53

observational scale

Answer 53

Also, the observations we make and the context we see varies across scales, such as: - local - regional - national - global This is observational scale

Question 54

cartogrphical scale

Answer 54

ratio between the size of an area on a map and the size of the area in real life; Small scale maps show a greater area (more generalized), large scale maps show less area (in more detail) Scale of 1/10000, everything is 1/10000 the size that it is in real life. Larger scale than something that is 1/1mil

Question 55

observational scale

Answer 55

the level of analysis used in a project or study From small scale (level of an individual – body scale) to large scale (global level) reverse scale from cartographic

Question 56

geography =

Answer 56

“Description of the Earth”