Fundamental Themes of Geography

Objective: Define Geography Describe the five fundamental themes that geographers use.

   Geography is the study of the earth and the way that people live on it and use it.

It includes landforms, bodies of water, weather, plant and animal life, people, and the effects of human activity on the earth.

Geographers use the Five Fundamental Themes of Geography to help organize their study.

 Every place on earth has an exact position.

• This is called an absolute location.

 This can be measured using lines of latitude and longitude.

  This theme explains what a place is like by describing its physical and human characteristics.

For example, • the shape of the land • its climate • animal life • how people look • kinds of buildings the live in

   The environment is the surroundings in which people, plants, or animals live.

This theme describes the relationship between people and their environment.

An example, Japanese people make their living catching fish.

• This could hurt the environment if they catch too much fish.

 Another theme of geography is the movement of people, goods, and ideas.

   Another theme of geography is regions. A region is an area with common physical or cultural features that set it apart from other areas.

Regions can be divided by size and language.

 What does the word geography mean?

 What are the five fundamental themes of geography?

 What are two ways that geographers divide regions?