AH9 – Outline #1 – Chapter 1

 Wherever people live, they have shaped their environment to suit

their needs. The Human ability to change the environment, however,

is limited. Often, people must adapt their agriculture, industry,

arts, and daily habits to their surroundings. It is important to see

the connections between people and their environment.

I.  The Global Environment

 A.     Geography =

Study of people, their environments and their sources

How the natural environment affects the way we live and how we affect the environment

B.     The 5 Themes of Geography

 1.      Location = Where did it

happen? To answer this we turn to relative and exact location.

a.      Relative Location =

the location of a place in relation to another

can help explain why people settled in certain areas or why battles took place

in certain areas

 b.      Exact (absolute) Location =

use of grid numbered lines on a map or globe

c.       Latitude =

measure North and South from the Equator

+ Equator =

imaginary line at 0 degrees latitude, divides the Earth into two

halves called hemispheres

middle from the two poles

d.      Longitude =

measures distance East and West of the Prime Meridian

+ Prime Meridian =

runs through Greenwich, England

Zero degrees

middle of nothing

 2.      Place = Geographers describe places in terms of their physical and

human characteristics.

 Physical Features =

include climate, soil, vegetation, animal life, and bodies of water

natural resources (or materials that humans can use from the

environment)

Human Features =

kinds of houses, means of transportation, ways of earning a living, languages, and religions

3.      Interaction between People and their environment = wherever people live, they change the world

around them. They may clear forests, blast tunnels through

mountains, or plow fields.

 How did the Native Americans

adapt =

learned to plant seeds and grow food, not having to be nomadic

Irrigation or bringing of food into dry lands with American southwest

natives.

Arid lands into productive lands

b. Today’s Adaptations =

Advanced technology changes the environment dramatically

wiped out pests

take oil from the ocean floor

 4. Movement = the fourth theme is Movement, the movement of

people, goods, and ideas.

 a. Why does movement occur? =

because people and resources are scattered unevenly around the

globe

b. Migration =

people travel from place to place to get what they need

early hunters followed the herds of large animals to the Americas

Freedom of religion, etc. to the Americas

5.  Region = has unifying characteristics, either physical or

human / cultural

 a.      Physical Characteristics =

a region's climate or landforms dictate an areas attributes

b. Human / Cultural Characteristics =

the language, culture, customs of a particular region

II. Tools of Geography = geographers use globes and maps

to represent the Earth. Globes tend to be more accurate than maps due to globes being shaped more like the Earth. A map is a drawing of the surface of the Earth or part of the Earth. Globes are the most

accurate, but are awkward to use.

 + Cartography – the act of

mapmaking

A.     Map Projections =

ways of drawing the Earth on a flat surface

benefits and drawbacks, show sizes or shape, but distorts

1. Mercator Projection =

most widely used map projections

developed in 1569 by Flemish cartographer

gave sailors an accurate picture of ocean distances and shape of

landmasses

a.      Problems with Mercator Projection =

distorts size, especially places that are far from the Equator

Greenland appears as big as all of South America

2.      Robinson Projection =

show correct sizes and shapes of landmasses for the most part

fairly accurate view of the relationship between landmasses

and water

used often today

distortion along the edges

B.     Special Purpose Maps = geographers have developed many kinds of maps to show

different information. Using this information, you can learn a lot

about a region.

1.      Physical maps =

show mountain ranges, bodies of water, etc.

2.      Political Maps =

features determined by people

boundaries for countries and states, locale of cities

3.      Thematic Maps =

maps that deal with specific topics, that help understand the

connections between geography and history

a.      Population Maps =

# of people in a particular area

b.      Economic Maps =

how people make a living in an area

c.       Battle Maps =

locations of major battles and the routes of advancement and/or retreat

4.      Today, cartographers use the improved technology of satellites

and computers to make maps extremely accurate.