The 6 Elements of Geography

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The 6 Elements of Geography Part 1
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6 Elements

• Many geographers use the six essential elements
  to organize their study.
• The World in Spatial Terms
• Places and Regions
• Physical Systems
• Human Systems
• Environment Society
• Uses of Geography

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The World in Spatial Terms

• Geographers look at where things are on the
  Earths surface.
• Changes in settlement patterns over time are also
  important.

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The World in Spatial Terms

• It tells us where this place is in relation to
  other places?
• Or, its LOCATION

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The World in Spatial Terms

• Where are we?
• Absolute Location
• Latitude and longitude (global location)
• Sugar Land is located at 29N, 96W
• Street address (local location)

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Arctic Circle, 66 1/2ºN
North Pole, 90ºN
Tropic of Cancer, 23 1/2ºN
Tropic of Capricorn, 23 1/2ºS
Antarctic Circle, 66 1/2ºS
South Pole, 90ºS
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Practice

• What major city has the following coordinates?
• 41ºN, 73ºW (USA)
• 33ºN, 13ºE (Africa)
• 33ºS, 71ºW
• 34ºS, 150ºE
• Name the global address of
• Hanoi, Vietnam
• Athens, Greece
• Tehran, Iran
• Sugar Land, TX

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The World in Spatial Terms

• Relative Location
• Described by landmarks, time, distance from one
  place to another, etc.
• Sugar Land is southwest of Houston
• College Station is 1 hr 45 min away
• Israel is next to Lebanon Jordan

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Physical Systems

• We study the 4 physical systems Earths
  atmosphere, land, water and lifeand the
  interaction b/w them all
• Physical processes shape and change Earths
  physical features and environments.
• Climate and weather affect humans.

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Physical Systems

• Ecosystem all of an areas plants and animals
  together with the nonliving parts of their
  environment.
• Earth is the largest ecosystem.
• Natural events and human activity change
  ecosystems.
• All of life depends on these ecosystems

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Human Systems

• Human systems include population distribution,
  growth and movement
• Population growth is affected by a populations
  age, birthrate, death rate, and life expectancy.
• What kinds of things lead to population growth?

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Human Systems

• Geographers look at where people live and how
  crowded a place is when they study population
  density.
• They also study migration or the movement of
  people.
• One specific type of movement is urbanization

Houston traffic
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MOVEMENT

• Movement of people, goods, and information
  ideas
• Through travel, trade, internet, political
  events, etc.

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Transportation of humans
Immigration/Migration What are some push factors?
What are some pull factors?
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Environment and Society

• One of the most impt. topics is how people
  interact with the environment.
• Human activities can have positive and negative
  affects on the environment.

Pollution in Houston, Texas on a clear day.
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Environment and Society

• Humans adapt to env.
• Name 3 ways humans ? for the environment
• Humans modify env.
• Name 3 ways humans ? the environment
• Humans depend on env.
• Name 3 ways humans need the environment

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Environment and Society

• Resources are very impt. to study in relation to
  people.
• Population , demands on resources .
• Study the locations, quality, and quantity and
  the effect of humans.

Oil Fields in West Texas
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Places and Regions

• A place has physical and human characteristics
  that make it special.

Palo Duro Canyon
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PLACE

• What is it like?
• Physical Characteristics
• Mountains, rivers, wildlife, beaches, etc.
• Describe Texas
• physical characteristics

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PLACE

• Human/Cultural Characteristics
• Buildings, roads, clothing, food, people,
  language, religion, etc
• Describe New Yorks cultural
  characteristics
• People then develop an image of the
• place based on experience
• What do you imagine when you think
• of China? Saudi Arabia?

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• What physical features of Sugar Land make it a
  unique place?
• What cultural/human characteristics are unique to
  Sugar Land?

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REGIONHow are places similar or different?

• definition area of earths surface with similar
  characteristics
• Geographers categorize regions in 3 ways
• A. formal regions
• B. functional regions
• C. perceptual/vernacular regions

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REGION

• Formal (uniform) regions
• Defined by govnt. (USA, Brazil, Texas)
• Or physical features (Rockies, Great Lake States)
• Or common
• characteristic
• (Corn Belt,
• Rust Belt)

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REGION

• Functional regions organized around a set of
  interactions and connection between places
  (usually characterized by a hub, or central
  place, and links to the central place)
• a newspapers
• distribution route

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REGION

• Vernacular/Perceptual regions
• people perceive the characteristics of the region
  in the same way (loosely defined)
• The Middle East (what countries are actually
  included? Is it linked b/c of oil? Islam?)
• Bible Belt southeastern states in U.S. strict
  Protestants

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Perceptual Region

• The states in dark red are almost always included
  in modern day definitions of the Southern United
  States, while those in medium red are usually
  included. Those cross-shaded are sometimes
  included due to their historic connections to the
  South.

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Uses of Geography

• Historians use geography to understand history.
• Not only do they look at when things happened,
  but where and why they happened.
• Geography helps people understand the present as
  well as the past.

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Uses of Geography

• Geographers use many tools including maps,
  charts, and graphs. What else might they use?
• High-tech tools such as satellites provide
  detailed images
• Computer databases, like Geographic Information
  Systems, (GIS) store huge amounts of data.

Satellite image of Texas, Louisiana and the Gulf
of Mexico