World Geography

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World Geography
Essential Skills
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Chapter 1 Sect.1

• Geography is..

Geography is the study of everything on earth.
Geography is divided into two branches.
Human Geography
Physical Geography
The interaction of humans and the environment
links the two together.
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Regions

• A REGION is an area with one or more common
  features that make it different from surrounding
  areas
• Geographers like to organize big parts of the
  world into smaller parts (REGIONS) to gain a
  better understanding of this complex planet we
  live on

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Regions
Formal Region Has one or more common features
that separates it from surrounding areas
Example The Sahel in Africa lies between the
Sahara desert in the North and forested areas to
the South.
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Regions
Functional Region Different places that are
linked together and function as a unit.
Example The Iron Range in Northern Minnesota
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Chapter 1 Sect.1
Perceptual Region Regions that reflect human
feelings.
Example The U.S. Midwest.
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The Six Elements

• 1.LOCATION the world in spatial terms
• ie latitude and longitude/maps

2. PLACES REGIONS The physical and human
features ie China
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The Six elements
3. PHYSICAL SYSTEMS weather, mountains, rivers,
plants and animals. ie a delta 4.
HUMAN SYSTEMS How people effect the earth and
each other. ie slash and burn
agriculture
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The Six elements

• 5. ENVIRONMENT SOCIETY How the physical
  environment shapes cultures and how cultures
  change the environment.
• ie Nomads
• 6. The Uses of Geography Geography helps us
  understand the relationships of people, places,
  and the environment over time.

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What do all maps have in common? DOGSTAILSD
(date)O (orientation)G (grid)S (scale)T
(title)A (author)I (index)L (legend)S
(sources)
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Chapter 1 Sect. 2

• Organizing the Globe

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Chapter 1 Sect. 2
Geographers use many different kinds of maps.
Many maps, for example, focus on certain themes
(ie Population Density, Land Use, or Average
Precipitation) Political maps show the world's
borders, cities, countries, states, and other
political features. Physical maps show natural
features like mountains, rivers, and other bodies
of water.
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Map Projections
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Mercator Projection- distorts the size and shape
of large objects, as the scale increases from the
Equator to the poles
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Peters Projection
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A little different look at the World . .which
countries might prefer this map?
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Chapter 1 Sect. 2
Great-Circle Route Drawing a straight line on a
flat map will not show the shortest route between
two places. Remember that maps represent a round
world on a flat plane. The shortest route between
any two places on the planet is called a
great-circle route. (See the illustrations on
this page.) Airline pilots and ship captains use
great-circle routes to help them navigate.
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Climate Weather

• Weather The condition of the atmosphere at a
  given time and place
• Climate Weather conditions in a geographic
  region over a long period of time

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Climate Weather

• Weather is influenced by these factors
• Atmospheric Pressure
• Global Wind Belts
• Oceans and Currents
• Mountains and Elevation

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Climate Weather

• Weather is influenced by these 4 factors
• 1. Atmospheric Pressure (weight of the air around
  us)
• 2. Global Wind Belts (the horizontal flow of air)

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Climate Weather

• Weather is influenced by these factors
• 3. Oceans and Currents (oceans moderate
  temperatures/ currents push the water around)

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Climate Weather

• Weather is influenced by these factors
• 4. Mountains and Elevation (orographic
  effect/rain shadows)

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Orographic effect

• Mountains influence climate! But how?
• moist air pushes up against mountains
• the barrier forces the air to rise
• the rising air cools and condensed forming
  clouds and causes precipitation
• therefore, the side of the mountain facing the
  wind gets moisture (windward side) and the side
  of the mountain way from the wind (leeward side)
  is dry and often is a desert.
• How do you think the orographic effect influences
  human settlements? Vegetation?

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STORMS!

• STORMS are sudden and violent weather events
  caused by quick changes in air temperature,
  pressure and direction
• Types of storms
• Tornados twisting spirals of air often
  accompanied by thunderstorms- (middle latitudes-
  the United States experiences the more tornados
  than any other country) Lightening strikes and
  downpours
• Hurricanes rotating storms that bring heavy rain
  and strong winds-(tropics- most powerful of the
  tropical cyclones)- produces in warmer waters-
  primarily the Atlantic (Katrina)
• Typhoons can produce huge waves, thunderstorms
  and tornados found in the western Pacific

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STORMS!

• Write your response to the following
• questions, then share your answers with a
• partner.
• How does weather and climate affect human
  populations?
• Which factor weather OR climate has more affect
  on people when deciding where to live? Why?
• Describe the worst storm youve experienced.

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Global Warming

• The increase in the earths temperature due an
  increase in the greenhouse effect, which is how
  the earths atmosphere traps heat. (the
  atmosphere allows much sunlight to pass through
  but slows the rate at which the heat escapes)
• Most scientist believe global warming is cause by
  human activities (burning coal, natural gas, oil,
  ect..) Some scientist believe it is a part of a
  natural cycle.
• What are some effects of global warming that you
  are aware of?
• SEE READING AND QUESTIONS

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Climographs

• -visual comparison of two elements of climate
  (precipitation and temperature) plotted at
  monthly intervals throughout the year
• (See Climographs of Las Vegas and Montreal,
  Canada)

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Climograph Questions

• 1. Which city has the greatest change in
  temperature and precipitation over a years time?
• 2. Which has the least?
• 3. Which city has the most rain? Why do you
  think that is?
• 4. Which city has the least rain? Why?
• 5. What could climographs be used for?

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Chapter 3 Sect. 3
All of the world's climates support a variety of
ecosystems. An ecosystem is the community of
plants and animals in an area. It also includes
the nonliving parts of their environment, such as
soil and climate.
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Climate and Vegetation Pattern Activity

• Using your textbook (pages 51-57), the atlas, and
  your mind powers, find climate and vegetation
  information for the locations listed on your
  worksheet. Work quickly- you have the hour to
  complete it.
• You may work in pairs.