Geography Flashcards
Geography
the study of the interaction of physical and human phenomena at individual places and of how interactions among places form patterns and organize spaces
The two primary focuses of geography
Physical: anything involving the environment
Human: anything involving people
The six elements of geography
Space, Place and Regions, Physical, Human, Environment and Society, and Uses
The Space Element of Geography
This looks at patterns of activity: how we organize and interact with space and people
The Place and Regions Element of Geography:
both physical and human creations. These are not a given. They help us understand the complexities of Earth and are shaped by different cultures
The Human Element of Geography
How people shape the planet. It’s how humans spread out and affect the world. It captures how our ideas and theories are often changing
The Environment and Society Element of Geography
This covers the interrelation between the two. How humans, the media, and environment affect one another.
The Uses Element of Geography
Past, present, and future
The Three Primary Aspects of Geography
Space, Region, and Environment
Define Space as an aspect of geography
Simply put, it is location, or where things and people are. It’s three major features are nodes, networks, and territories
What are the three major features of space?
nodes, networks, territories
What are nodes and what aspect of geography do they relate to?
Space; they are points where people congregate; where they live, interact, and exist
What are networks and what aspect of geography do they relate to?
Space; they are the transport systems between nodes
What are Territories and what aspect of geography do they relate to?
Space; they are divisions of some surface into segments. Spatial Organization is highly relevant to territorial divisions
Spatial Organization
How people delineated territories
What two factors create order for a system to work?
Spatial interaction and spatial organization
Spatial Interaction
Analyzing the flows, interdependence, and underlying structures of points in space and geography
Within space, how does the combination of the two spatial factors create order for the system to work? (Name three aspects)
It defines how society coordinates efforts in resource distribution, it specifies responsibilities of groups and individuals, and it prevents people from getting in each other’s way
Regions as an Aspect of Geography
A concept people create and use to differentiate one area from another. It is important to remember that regions are social constructions
The two types of regions
Formal/Uniform and Functional
Uniform/Formal Regions
Areas in which selected characteristics are present, such as terrain, language, and GDP per capita. These are often defined by the government or other structures.
Functional Regions
Areas in which an activity has a network and node. These are dynamic as changes occur in connections that ultimately alter the map. Functional regions can be thought of as being made up of a central place (the node) and surrounding places affected by it (the network) via a transportation route. They have a use of some sort, hence are called “functional”
Environment as an Aspect of Geography
Our natural surroundings. The environment deals with how we interact with our natural surroundings and resources to make our lives function – how we utilize natural surroundings
Resource and its Aspect of Geography
Environment; the functions that an object or substance may perform and every resources needs humans to fashion its uses, by definition. Resources must be fashioned into use of characteristics which are neither evident nor inherent
