The Five Themes of Geography

Chapter 1, Section 1

What Does It Mean?

• In your social studies notebook, write about what you think the subject of geography covers.

The Study of the Earth

• Geography the study of the Earth• Geographers analyze the Earth

from many points of view– Study things such as oceans, plant life,

landforms, people– Study how the Earth and its people

affect each other

The Five Themes of Geography

• Geographers are guided by two basic questions:

1. Where are things located?2. Why are they there?

• Use five themes to organize information

Location

• Absolute location a place’s exact position on Earth– Lines of latitude are east-west circles

around the globe• “Parallels” because lines never cross• Circles divide the globe into units called

degrees• Equator 0 degrees latitude

– Geographers measure locations either north or south of the equator

Location

• Longitude also known as “meridians”, circle the globe from north to south– The Prime Meridian 0 degrees

longitude

• Relative location explains where a place is by describing places near it

Parallels

Place

• A location’s physical and human features

Human-Environmental Interaction

• How people affect their environment• The physical characteristics of their

natural surroundings• How their environment affects them• Also used to discuss consequence’s

of people’s actions

Movement

• Helps geographers understand the relationship among places

• Helps explain how people, goods, and ideas get from one place to another

Regions

• Used to make comparisons• Climate, land population, history• On maps, geographers use color and

shape or special symbols to show regions– For example, a plain region of flat

land; elevation