Title: Intro to Human Geography: People, Places, and Landscapes Ch 1: Introduction: Some Background Basics
1Intro to Human GeographyPeople, Places, and
LandscapesCh 1 Introduction Some Background
Basicshttp//www.geography.du.edu/sutton/SOCS1410
CourseWebPage.htm
- Paul Sutton
- psutton_at_du.edu
- Department of Geography
- University of Denver
2Where and What on Wednesdays?
- ½ class on Field Trip
- ½ class in Lab
- Field Trip Students go to parking lot behind
Boettcher at 1050 - Lab Students go to Boettcher West Room 124
- Alternates weekly.
- E-mail List
3What is Geography?
- Does it make a difference where things are
located? If answer is yes Geography is involved - Geography is the spatial science
- Geography is the study of spatial variation
- Describe How does a phenomena vary in space
- Explain Why a phenomena varies in space
- Predict How spatial variation will change
- Geography seeks to discover the spatial
relationships of the manifold features, physical
and human, which diversify the earth's surface.
4Evolution of the Discipline of Geography
- Geography Geo Earth graphy Writing
- Eratothenes 200 b.c.
- Strabo (64 b.c. to 20 a.d.) describe the
several parts of the inhabited world to write
the assessment of the countries of the world and
to treat the differences between countries - Greek and Roman Geographers were very involved in
the production and analysis of maps for
navigation and explanation of spatial variation
in the nature of countries. - Chinese geographers were also interested in
explaining patterns and processes of climate,
vegetation, landforms, and their influence on
human activity (environmental determinism) - Muslim scholars preserved much geographic
information that would have been lost during the
middle ages.
5Cartography A major tool of Geography
- Cartographic products such as paper maps were
essential in exploring and colonizing the world
as well as for planning and executing wars
Ptolemys map of the known world 2nd Century A.D.
6Evolution of Cartography
- Cartography has evolved from producing paper maps
of the locations of various features on the
surface of the earth to spatial databases housed
in - Geographic Information Systems
A nighttime satellite image superimposed on a DEM
of the globe
7Where is Geography today?
- Geography is not just states and capitals ?
- Some problems/phenomena studied by modern
geographers - 1) Global Warming
- 2) Deforestation
- 3) Population distribution and migration
- 4) Sustainability Science
-
8Major Themes of Geography
- Studying the areal (spatial) variation of
physical and human phenomena on the surface of
the earth - example explaining population distribution
- Studying the spatial systems that link physical
phenomena and human activity - example understanding the human dimensions of
global change such as global warming - Studying the ecological or unique characteristics
of the human environment relationships in a
particular place regional geography - example describing the political economy of
sub-saharan Africa
9Systematic Specializations within Geographyhow
geography is an integrative synthesizing
discipline
Geography splits naturally Along the
human/physical Divide from which the Discipline
of human geography Allies itself with many other
Related disciplines. The major Contribution of
geography to These allied areas is the
Incorporation of a spatial Perspective on the
analysis Of the respective problems in These
areas.
10Jobs in Geography
- DU graduates in geography are working as
- College professors, High School teachers
- City, County, and State Planning agencies
mapping and analyzing land-use plans and
monitoring urban sprawl - Market analysts and many other areas
- Other Jobs Geography trains you for are
- Data analysis in health care, transportation,
population studies, economic development, and
international economics, Satellite image analysis
for commercial or military applications, and many
more - Geographic Information Science (GIS) a key tool
for employment in many areas
11The Map Quiz
- The Map Quiz will consist of 20 questions taken
from the map exercises (1-8) that are posted on
the course web page (http//www.geography.du.edu/s
utton/SOCS1410CourseWebPage.htm). We strongly
encourage you to do these exercises on your own. - Map Quiz Monday In Class Week 3
- Lets do the National Geographic Quiz
12Basic Geographic Concepts
- The significance of absolute and relative
location - The distinctive physical human characteristics
of a place - Relationships within and between places including
human-environment relationships - Movement expressing patterns and changes in
human spatial interaction - Characterizing Regions and how they change
13Location 1st Universal Spatial Concept
- Absolute location precise coordinates or
mathematical location (e.g. Latitude Longitude) - Relative location Expresses spatial
interconnection and interdependence - New York City absolute location 40 43 N, 73 58 W
- relative
location at mouth of Hudson river on the East
Coast of United States between Boston and
Philadelphia - What does your uncle always say is the most
important attribute of a successful restaurant or
business?
14Flat map interpretation distortion
Where could you walk a mile south, a mile east,
and a mile north and end up right back where you
started?
15Site and Situation
Situation The external relations of a location
description of the Situation of Chicago The
deepest penetration of the great Lakes system
into the interior of the United States, astride
the Great Lakes Mississippi waterways, and near
the Western margin of the manufacturing Belt, the
northern boundary of the Corn Belt, and the
southeastern reaches Of a major dairy region.
Other situation Info natural resources,
transportation Corridors etc.
- Site refers to the physical and cultural
characteristics and attributes of the place
itself - Site of Philadelphia an area bordering and west
of the Delaware river north of its intersection
with the Schuylkil River in southeast PA
16Direction 2nd Universal spatial concept
- Absolute direction Cardinal directions N,S,E,W
- Uniform throughout cultures
- Relative or Relational Directions
- Up North, Down East, Back East, Out West
17Distance 3rd Universal Spatial Concept
- Absolute Distance How long is the piece of
string stretched taut over the earth connecting
to locations - Relative Distance How long does it take to get
there from here? How far does it feel
psychologically?
Why did L.A.s 30 minute travel expand then
contract over time?
18Size and Scale Matters(levels of generalization)
19Physical and Cultural Attributes
- Natural landscape (Scale dependent) Climate,
soils, water supplies, terrain, natural
resources, vegetation, etc. - The setting within which human action
occurs - Cultural Landscape (also scale dependent)
- Agricultural practices, the built environment,
population density, etc. - Environmental and Cultural Change The interplay
between humans and the environment
20Scale and Landscape characterization
Texas City, Texas
LandSat image U.S. Mexico Border
21The changing attributes of Place
- Geologic time (millions of years) continents
drift, islands form and disappear, mountain rise
and erode away. - Ice-Age time scale (tens of thousands of years)
Glaciers advance and retreat, climate changes - Accelerating Human Impacts (centuries decades)
global warming, ozone depletion, groundwater
depletion, deforestation, urban sprawl
22Airphotos of suburban Long Island
1960
1980
From Agriculture to Urban in decades
23Inter-relations within and between Places
- Why is it cheaper to fly from L.A. to New York
(2500 miles) than from Oklahoma City to Salt
Lake City (900 miles)? - Spatial Interaction Accessibility and
Connectivity - Urban Hierarchies (Central Place Theory)
- Distance Decay (Cost of housing along Highway
285) - Friction of Distance (Changing with technology)
- Spatial Diffusion (spread of AIDS)
24A Study of Spatial Interaction
- Desired travel routes of citizens of Chicago
Illinois. Changes with time, is essential info
for transportation planning. Defines a functional
region known as the greater Chicago area.
25The Structured Content of Space
- Measures of Spatial Distribution
- - Density
- - Dispersion
- - Clustering
- - Pattern
- Interesting applications
- In epidemiology,
- Demography,
- Environmental Risk
- Assessment
Varying Patterns (explanations anyone?)
Same Density, Different Dispersion or Clustering
26Place Similarity and Regions
- Just as historians characterize temporal epochs
such as The 60s or The Victorian Era,
geographers characterize spatial regions. - Regions Areas of the earth that display
significant internal uniformity and external
difference from surrounding territories. - Examples The Sun Belt, Inside the Beltway,
The South, New England, The Mid West - Regions have Location, Spatial Extent,
Boundaries, and are Hierarchically Arranged
27Regional Geographers draw lines that dont exist
around places that dont matter.
Where is the Mid West anyway?
28Types of Regions
- Formal or Uniform Regions The largest area over
which a generalization of attribute uniformity
can be made. Examples State and National
boundaries, Linguistic or Relgious realms etc. - Functional or Nodal Regions Spatial system
defined by the interactions and connections that
give it a dynamic, organizational basis. Example
The area served by In-and-out Burger - Perceptual Regions Vernacular regions which
often have fuzzy boundaries such as Northern
California, Dixie, or Chinatown
29Examples of Regions
Aachen, Germany 1649 Clearly defined
boundaries Of a functional region
Regional Hierarchy Delmarva Peninsula contained
by Coastal Plain contained by Humid Continental
Climate
30Functional Regions of Urban Dominance
Do these regions obey all the rules of regions?
31Map Scale and its influence on Area Detail
Confusion over Large Small Scale
32The Global Grid
- All meridians are of equal length each is one
half length of equator. - All meridians converge at the poles are true
north-south lines. - All lines of latitude (parallels) are parallel to
the equator each other. - Parallels decrease in length as one nears the
poles. - Meridians and parallels intersect at right angles
- The scale on the surface of the globe is the same
in every direction
On the equator one degree of longitude Is about
111 km. At 60 degrees north it Is only one half
that (55 km). The length Of one degree of
latitude is always 111 km.
33How maps show data
All these maps are Different ways of
Representing the Same data.
A dot map or dot density map
Quantitative Thematic Map
A choropleth map
An iso-line map
34A Value-by-Area Cartogram
What countries dominate a cartogram of total
population? GDP?
35Mental MapsPart of many Studies inSpatial
Cognition Behavioral Geography
10 year olds map of home
6 year olds map of home
See how mapped World-view expands With age?
How do you think Mapped world-view Will change
with Income, SES or Education?
13 year olds map of home
36Christinas World By Andrew Wyeth(Does this
painting suggest anything about Christinas
Mental Map?)
37- MENTAL MAPS
- and SES
- High Income/Education/SES on Left
- Low Income/Education/SES on Right
- Dramatically different mental maps which how
lower SES can reinforce the production of
restricted and incomplete mental images of ones
environment that in turn reinforces spatial and
economic isolation
38The USGS 124,000 Quad
This map is a piece of a USGS 124,000 Quad
of Santa Barbara, California. This is a very
common Map for which you should Use its scale as
a benchmark For remembering map scale.
39Overview of Geographic InqiurySome courses you
can take here at DU
- Geographic Information Systems
- Natural Resource Management Paleo-ecology
- Air Photo Interpretation Spatial
Statistics - Remote Sensing Meteorology Hydrology
- Geomorphology Transportation Planning
- Biogeography Environment
Development - Cultural Ecology Geography of the National
Parks - Urban Geography The Field Quarter
GPS - Cartography Regional Geography
Courses