Cultural Geography

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Cultural Geography

• WG.3c, 10b-c

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Cultural Characteristics

• Cultural characteristics are parts of a groups
  everyday life. They are the ideas and themes
  which the group will teach to all members. These
  same characteristics can also link or divide a
  region.

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• Examples of cultural characteristics would be
  language, religion, and ethnic heritage

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Examples of cultural characteristics

• Language
• Arabic unites the Arab world
• Spanish unites the Hispanic world

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• Brazil is the only South American nation which
  does not speak Spanish. It speaks Portuguese.

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• Canada is a bilingual nation. French and English
  is its official language.

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Examples of cultural characteristics

• Switzerland has multiple languages but very
  little conflict between the groups
• English is now considered the world language and
  is used for most business transactions around the
  world

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Examples of cultural characteristics

• Ethnic Heritage
• In Yugoslavia, many ethnic groups were made into
  one country (Serbs, Croats, Bosnians, Albanians).
  

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• When strong leadership died out, the different
  groups fought a very bloody civil war and now
  they all have separate countries

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Examples of cultural characteristics

• In the countries of Rwanda and Burundi in Africa,
  Two ethnic groups are dominate, the Tutsis and
  the Hutus.

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• The Hutus are dominate in one and they persecute
  the Tutsis, and the Tutsis are dominate in the
  other

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• and they persecute the Hutus. It has led to
  almost constant war between the groups.

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Examples of cultural characteristics

• The United States and Switzerland have peacefully
  merged multiple ethnic groups in their countries.
• Korea and Japan have primarily one ethnic group

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• On the island of Cyprus, the Greeks and the Turks
  try to gain control

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Examples of cultural characteristics

• Religion can be both a unifying force.
• There are five major religions in the world
  today--Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity,
  and Islam.

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• They have millions of followers all believing the
  same thing.

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Examples of cultural characteristics

• Religion can also be a dividing force around the
  world.
• Hindus and Muslims fight in India (Hindu) and
  Pakistan (Muslim)

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• There are conflicts between Catholics and
  Protestants (two forms of Christianity) in
  Northern Ireland

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• Jews, Christians and Muslims all claim Jerusalem
  as their religions holy site. They are
  constantly fighting over the land

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Spatial divisions

• Spatial divisions are how we divide the livable
  space found on the earth by establishing social,
  economic, and political control.

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• You can be a member of more than one spatial
  group.
• Spatial divisions can also cause conflicts or
  cooperation

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Spatial divisions

• Examples of Spatial Divisions--
• Countries
• Economic alliances
• European Union (EU)
• Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
  (OPEC)

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Examples of Spatial Divisions-Economic Alliances
cont.

• North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
• Association of Southeast Asian Nations

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Spatial divisions

• Examples of Spatial Divisions
• Political alliances
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
• Commonwealth of Nations
• Organization of American States (OAS)

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Examples of Spatial DivisionsPolitical alliances
cont.

• League of Arab States
• African Union (AU)

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Spatial divisions

• Reasons for spatial divisions
• differences in culture, language, or religion
• keeping of historical boundaries
• imperial conquest and control
• economic similarities and differences

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Reasons for spatial division conflicts

• Boundary and territorial disputes--Syria/Israel,
  Western Sahara/Morocco, China/Taiwan,
  India/Pakistan, Iraq/Kuwait

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Reasons for spatial division conflicts

• Cultural differences (language and
  religion)--Indonesia, Canada (Quebec), Ireland,
  Sudan
• Nationalism--(the belief that your nation is
  superior to all others)

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Reasons for spatial division conflicts

• Economic differences--fertile land, access to
  fresh water, access to the coast, fishing rights,
  natural resources, different economic philosophies

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Reasons for spatial division conflicts

• Ethnic differences--Balkans (Europe), Cyprus
  (Europe), Rwanda and Burundi (Africa), Kashmir
  (India)

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Examples of Cooperation

• Humanitarian--Red Cross, Red Crescent
• Economic Alliances--NAFTA, Law of the Sea,
  multinational corporations, OPEC

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Examples of Cooperation

• Cultural Alliances--French speaking world,
  Commonwealth of Nations
• Military Alliances--NATO
• Problem-solving Alliances--United Nations (UN),
  Antarctica Treaty

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Examples of Cooperation

• Programs to promote international understanding--
• Peace Corps
• Foreign Aid
• Alliances for environmental preservation