Physical Geography

Looking at the Earth

Geography involves the study of places: their locations, their characteristics, and how humans use and move around them.

Satellite image of Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

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SECTION 1 The Five Themes of Geography

SECTION 2 The Geographer’s Tools

Physical Geography

Looking at the Earth

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Section 1

The Five Themes of Geography• Geographers view the world in terms of the

use of space.

• Geographers study the world by looking at location, place, region, movement, and human-environment interaction.

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The Geographer’s Perspective

Geographers and Historians• Historians look at events over time• Geographers look at:

- use of space on Earth- interactions that take place there- patterns and connections between people and

land• Geography is the study of the distribution and

interaction of Earth’s physical and human features

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The Five Themes of Geography

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Methods of Geography• Geographers use a variety of tools:

- maps - photographs- charts, graphs, tables- scale models- five themes of geography

continued The Geographer’s Perspective

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Theme: Location

Where is it?• Absolute location—exact place where a

geographic feature is found- Example: Atlanta is located at 32*N, 48*W

• Relative location—location of a place compared to places around it- Example: Atlanta is 540 miles north of Panama City Beach

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Section 2

The Geographer’s Tools• Geographers use two- and three-dimensional

tools to learn about the earth.

• Geographers use computer-assisted technology to study the use of the earth’s surface.

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Latitude Lines• Geographers use latitude lines to locate places

north and south• Latitude — imaginary lines that run parallel to the

equator• Tropic of Cancer – 23.5* N, represents the

furthest point the northern hemisphere tilts towards the sun

• Tropic of Capricorn – 23.5* S, southern version

continued Theme: Location

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Longitude Lines• Geographers use longitude lines to mark positions

east and west• Longitude — imaginary lines that go over the poles• Where latitude and longitude lines cross is the

absolute location

Map

Map

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Absolute Location• Earth is divided into two equal halves, vertically and

horizontally• Each vertical and horizontal half is called a

hemisphere• An imaginary line, the Equator, divides north and

south halves• Another imaginary line, the Prime Meridian, divides

east and west

continued Theme: Location

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Map

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Time ZonesThere are 24 time zones in the world.You enter into a new time zone every 15*

Longitude.As you move West, you “lose” an hour every

new time zone.This is true until you reach the international

dateline, at which point you actually gain 24 hours

The idea behind this is to make it Noon when the sun is at its peak no matter where you are in the world.

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Important Lines of the World

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Two or Three Dimensions• Globe—a three-dimensional representation (a

sphere) of Earth• Map projection—way of showing Earth’s 3-D

surface on a 2-D surface

continued Maps and Globes

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Interactive

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Theme: Place

What is it Like?• Place includes physical features and cultural

characteristics:- physical features include climate, landforms,

vegetation- cultural characteristics include dams, highways,

houses

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Theme: Region

How are Places Similar or Different?• A region is an area united by similar characteristics• Unifying characteristics—physical, political,

economic, cultural• Three types of regions:

- formal- functional- perceptual

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Formal Regions• have a limited number of related characteristics

(has official boundaries)• Formal regions of the world:

- Continents- States- Countries- Cities

continued Theme: Region

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Functional Regions• Organized around interactions and connections

between places• Example: a city and its suburbs (metropolitan area)

are connected through human movement

continued Theme: Region

Perceptual Regions• Region with characteristics people perceive in much

the same way• Example: “the South”

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Theme: Human-Environment Interaction

How Do People Relate to the Physical World?

• A relationship exists between people and their environment

• People use and change the environment to meet their needs

• People adapt to environmental conditions they cannot change

• Often, people in similar environments adapt in different ways

• Examples include building roads, bridges, or dams

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Theme: Movement

How Do People, Goods, and Ideas Get from One Place to Another?• Geographers use three types of distance to analyze

movement:- linear distance- time distance- psychological distance

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Linear Distance and Time Distance• Linear distance—how far a person, product, or idea

travels• Time distance—how long it takes for person,

product, idea to travel

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Psychological Distance• Refers to the way people perceive distance• Example: unfamiliar places may seem farther away

than familiar ones

continued Theme: Movement

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