Unit 2.1 Notes

Question 1

Geography is the study of 7 things, what are they?

Answer 1

Earth’s surface, climate, continents, countries, peoples, industries, and products.

Question 2

Where did the term “geography” come from and what does it mean?

Answer 2

The Greek word “geographia” which means “earth description.”

Question 3

What is geography dependent on for much of its basic material and information (7 things)?

Answer 3

Geology, biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, astronomy, and anthropology.

Question 4

What is geography, simplified?

Answer 4

The study of the earth.

Question 5

What are the nine classes that geography is divided into?

Answer 5

Physical geography, meteorology, climatology, economic geography, urban geography, political geography, mathematical geography, cultural geography, and regional geography.

Question 6

What is physical geography?

Answer 6

The study of the physical features of the earth and the influence that these features have on humankind.

Question 7

What does physical geography include?

Answer 7

The formation, description, and effect of the landforms of plains, plateaus, and mountains.

Question 8

What is meteorology?

Answer 8

The study of the earth’s atmosphere; it was once considered a branch of geography, but today it’s considered a branch of physics.

Question 9

What 10/11 problems are dealt with by meteorology?

Answer 9

Condensation, evaporation, precipitation, temperature changes and their variations, wind systems, local winds, air masses, weather fronts, cyclones, and anticyclones.

Question 10

What is climatology?

Answer 10

The study of averaged weather conditions over time, called climate.

Question 11

What are the 4 elements of climate?

Answer 11

Temperature, pressure, wind, and moisture.

Question 12

What are the six elements that control climate?

Answer 12

Altitude, the relationship between continents and oceans, pressure belts, wind belts, ocean currents, and topography.

Question 13

What are two kinds of erosion that change landforms, and so, the earth’s surface as well?

Answer 13

Land erosion (weathering) and stream erosion.

Question 14

What is economic geography?

Answer 14

The study of humankind’s economic activities over the earth’s surfaces, specially those activities by which people earn a living or support life.

Question 15

What does economic geography deal with?

Answer 15

The agricultural, industrial, and commercial activities of humankind on earth’s surface.

Question 16

What is urban geography?

Answer 16

The study of city growth, city decline or decay, city planning, and the problems that cities have; whether the city is large or small, it’s affected by urban geography.

Question 17

What is political geography?

Answer 17

The study of the earth and state and is concerned with the earth in relation to government and societies of people groups; political regions are influenced by the different landforms of the world.

Question 18

What does mathematical geography deal with?

Answer 18

The measurement of the earth; it cosiders the earth as a globe; although the earth is actually an imperfect sphere, it bulges at the equator and is somewhat flattened at the polar areas.

Question 19

What is the circumference of the earth around the equator?

Answer 19

24,902 miles.

Question 20

What is the circumference of the earth from pole to pole?

Answer 20

24,860 miles.

Question 21

What is the diameter of the earth from north to south?

Answer 21

7,900 miles.

Question 22

What is the diameter of the earth from east to west?

Answer 22

7,926 miles.

Question 23

What is cultural geography?

Answer 23

The study of a society’s activities, beliefs, institutions, and behavior patterns; regardless of where you live, culture plays a very important role in your life.

Question 24

What is regional geography?

Answer 24

A method of studying an area by applying the principles of all the different branches of geography to a given area.

Question 25

What’s the deepest spot in the ocean and how deep is it?

Answer 25

The Mariana Trench, it’s 36,198 feet deep.

Question 26

What’s the highest point above sea level and how high is it?

Answer 26

Mount Everest, it’s 29,028 miles high.

Question 27

What are four major landforms?

Answer 27

Mountains, hills, plateaus, and plains.

Question 28

About how far away from the sun is earth?

Answer 28

≈93 million miles.

Question 29

What’s weird about the poles?

Answer 29

At the North Pole the sun never sets in the six summer months, and never rises in the six winter months; the reverse is true for the South Pole.

Question 30

When is the beginning of winter?

Answer 30

December 21st.

Question 31

When is the beginning of spring?

Answer 31

March 21st.

Question 32

When is the beginning of summer?

Answer 32

June 21st.

Question 33

When is the beginning of fall?

Answer 33

September 23rd.

Question 34

How many miles away from the sun is earth at the beginning of winter?

Answer 34

91,500,000 miles.

Question 35

How many miles away from the sun is earth at the beginning of summer?

Answer 35

94,500,000 miles.

Question 36

How many degrees is the axis of the earth tilted?

Answer 36

23.5

Question 37

What stays the same in every point of the earth’s orbit?

Answer 37

Its axis is tilted so that the North Pole points toward the North Star.

Question 38

What are the two potential meanings of the world “solstice?”

Answer 38

Either “sun stands still or “equal day.”

Question 39

What does “equinox” mean?

Answer 39

“Equal night.”

Question 40

Where do the sun’s closest and most direct rays strike earth on the winter solstice?

Answer 40

The Tropic of Capricorn (a line 23.5 degrees south of the equator.)

Question 41

Where is the Arctic Circle?

Answer 41

23.5 degrees south of the North Pole.

Question 42

Where is the Antarctic Circle?

Answer 42

23.5 degrees north of the South Pole.

Question 43

What happens on the spring and fall equinoxes?

Answer 43

The most direct rays of the sun shine down on the equator.

Question 44

Where do the sun’s closest and most direct rays strike earth on the summer solstice?

Answer 44

The Tropic of Cancer (a line 23.5 miles north of the equator.)