Unit 1-4 geography Flashcards
Five themes of geography
Location, place, region, movement, human environment interaction
Geography
The study of the earth, our home
Location
Where a place is
Absolute location and relative location
Absolute location
A place’s exact location
Longitude
Lines run north and south
Measures east and west
Called meridians
Runs 180° east and west
International dateline
180° East and West
Latitude
Lines run east and west
Measures north and south
Called parallels because they never meet
90° north is the north pole, 90° South is the South Pole
Tropics
Receive direct sunlight all year around
- 5° North- tropic of Cancer
- 5° South- tropic of Capricorn
Relative location
Describes where a place is by describing places near it
Landmarks, directions, distance, etc.
Place
Includes a locations physical and human characteristics
Human environment interaction
Explains how people affect the environment, the physical characteristics of their natural surroundings and how their environment affects them
Can be both positive and negative
How are we hurting the earth
Movement
Helps geographers understand relationships between places
Explains how people, goods and ideas get from one place to another
- planes, trains, and automobiles
- ideas
Helps you understand how cultures change
- routines and rituals
Regions
Unifying characteristics
- climate
- landforms
- population
- history
- religion
How do we find absolute location
Longitude and latitude
Isthmus
A narrow strip of land connecting two larger pieces of land
What are the main physical regions of the US
Interior plains, Rocky & Appalachian Mountains, pacific coastline, eastern borderline
Mississippi/ Missouri River system
Longest and most important river system in the US
Carries water hundreds of miles from the interior plains to the Gulf of Mexico
Tributaries
Stream or smaller river that flows into a larger one
Tributaries of the Mississippi River
Ohio, Tennessee, Arkansas river
Other important rivers
Platte, st. Lawrence, Rio Grande, Colorado, and Hudson river
Great lakes
Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior
Together form the largest body of fresh water in the world
Important for transportation and trade
Weather
The condition of the Earth’s atmosphere at a given time and place
Climate
The average weather of a place over a period of 20 to 30 years
Precipitation
Water that falls in the form of rain, sleet, hail, and snow
What helps define an areas climate?
Temperature and precipitation
Two key factors affect climate
Distance from the equator
Altitude – height of land above sea level
Why do historians collect historical evidence
To help them interpret different events in different places at different times
They utilize primary & secondary sources to analyze and interpret
But they must also ensure authenticity and be aware of bias
Chronology
Sequence of events over time
Just as geography tells “where”” chronology tells “when”
Relative chronology
Time an event took place in relation to other events
Absolute chronology
The exact time an event took place
The study of history is closely related to what?
Economics and social sciences
Economics
The study of how people manage their limited resources to satisfy their wants and needs
Three basic economic questions
- What goods and services should we produce
- How should we produce goods and services
- For whom should we produce the goods and services
Basic needs
What do you need to survive
A. Food
B. Clothing
C. Shelter
Remaining resources
After basic needs are met in society must decide how to utilize the remaining resources
- consumerism
- education
- Heavy industry
- infrastructure
Producing goods and services
Even when people can agree what to produce, they must choose how much to produce and how to produce it
- sustainable farming
- family-run farm
- mechanized; corporate farms
Technology
Technology plays a major role in how goods are produced
Supply and demand
supply and demand affects the price and the amount of goods and services
Consumers must decide what they need versus what they want
Free enterprise
Ensures citizens own businesses and government plays a limited role in the economy
