Geographic Literacy Flashcards
What is geography?
Geography is the study of patterns and processes of human and physical landscapes, where landscapes comprise real and perceived space.
What fields of study is it related to, and how is it useful in our everyday lives?
Geography is a big topic and has lots of fields within it, such as: cartography, hydrology, meteorology, etc.
It’s useful is our everyday lives because we use GPS systems, and check the weather forecast everyday.
What are the root words of the word ‘geography?’
Ge- relating to the earth, Graph- writing
What is human geography?
Human geography is the field of geography that deals with human presence, activities, and impacts on the natural environment.
It includes:
1) The study of human populations
2) Human Modification of the Environment
3) Technological Advancements
4) Economic Activities
4) The Issue of Sustainability
Ex. urban geography, economic geography, cultural geography, political geography, social geography, population geography
Human landscapes are landscapes created by humans. This includes golf courses, parks, manmade lakes, etc.
What is physical geography?
Physical geography is sometimes referred to as the setting upon which human activities take place. It’s the study of landform features, rock types and natural resources, soils, rivers, lakes, and oceans, weather and climate, and flora and fauna. It also includes processes such as erosion, landslides, earthquakes, and volcanoes. Any landforms such as plains, mountains, shields, valleys, ridges and badlands are included in physical geography.
1) Rock types
2) Soil types
3) The water cycle
4) Natural vegetation and wildlife
5) Weather and Climate
Ex. hydrology, glaciology, climatology, pedology, biogeography
Physical landscapes are natural landscapes that would be here whether we are or not. This includes forests, deserts, and natural lakes.
What is the difference between real and perceived space? Give examples of each.
Real space: Something that you can see, and can see the borders of. Ex. a lake (or any body of water)
Perceived Space: Space you cannot physically see the borders of. Ex. Canada (the borders between provinces are just perceived)
What do the following careers in the field of geography entail?
Meteorologist: Meteorology - study of the Earth’s atmosphere and the variations in temperature and moisture patterns that produce different weather conditions.
Hydrologist: Hydrology- study of water and soil
Cartographer: Cartography- map making
Glaciologist: Glaciology- study of glaciers
Seismologist: Seismology- study of seismic waves (earthquakes)
Demographer: Demography - study of human population
How does GPS technology work?
Stands for Global Positioning System. Made up of 24 Satellites that orbit at 10 900 nautical miles and transmit signals to the users device on Earth. Displays latitude and longitude to an exact position on the Earth’s surface, and directions from any location.
Be familiar with the compass rose and compass points. How does the compass work?
The Earth is a magnet that can interact with other magnets in this way, so the north end of a compass magnet is drawn to align with the Earth’s magnetic field. Because the Earth’s magnetic North Pole attracts the “north” ends of other magnets, it is technically the “South Pole” of our planet’s magnetic field.
What is the main issue when trying to portray a globe (sphere) onto a map (flat surface)?
The main issue is that you cannot take a sphere and turn it into a flat surface, without any distortions. The distortions that can occur are inaccurate scale (land mass size, land shapes, distances), and Inaccurate directions.
What are the 4 basic features of a map?
Title
Compass
Key or legend
Scale
What benefit is there in using each of the major map projections? (Mercator, Peters, Robinson, Winkel-Tripel)
Mercator: benefits- gives true compass bearings between any two points, very useful for navigators for direction
drawbacks- the distances and areas are greatly distorted, especially near the poles
Peters: benefits- landmass sizes are accurate, area is not distorted
drawbacks- shapes are distorted, distances are inaccurate
Robinson: benefits- compromises all distortions by keeping them at a minimum, world appears like an oval, with continents in the truest size and shape.
drawbacks- north and south poles are flattened, which has created some distortion near the top and bottom of the map… lines of latitude are straight and parallel and the lines of longitude are curved
Winkel Tripel: benefits- provides the best balance between size, shape, distance, it is best known as a compromise projection, meaning it has a minimal amount of the distortions, even though it has every type of distortion
drawbacks- lines of latitude and longitude are curved, so can not be used for accurate directions
What is absolute location? How do we find absolute location?
The specific location of a place. You find it using latitude and longitude.
How do you measure latitude and longitude? What methods/tools are used (past/today)?
You can find latitude by measuring the distance between the horizon and the north star or sun (sextant).
You can find longitude by using a marine chronometer. It has the time in Greenwich, Europe and you would keep track of how far you’ve gone. Every 15 degrees would be an hour.
What are contour lines? Be able to read a simple topographic map if contour lines are shown.
Contours are lines on a map that join places of equal elevation above sea level. This three-dimensional effect allows for detailed study of landscape and drainage features.