Transcript The Five Themes of Geography

Geography
The study of the earth and its
features and of the distribution of
life on the earth, including human life
and the effects of human activity
The Five Themes of
Geography
Location
Every place on Earth has a location.
Location is defined in terms of absolute
and relative location
– Absolute location: the exact spot on Earth
where something is found
– Relative location: the position of a place in
relation to other places
Examples
Marietta, Georgia is
located at 33N 84W
Yosemite National
Park is located north
of Los Angeles,
California, and east
of San Francisco, CA
Place
The special characteristics that make a
place different from every other place
Every place can be described in terms
of its physical features
Every place can be described in terms
of its human features
Place
The Sahel is a hot
and dry place along
the southern edge
of the Sahara in
Africa
Yosemite National
Park has several
hotels and
campgrounds to
accommodate
tourists
Human-Environment Interaction
How people interact with their
surroundings
People adapt to their environment
People change their environment
Examples
People who live in
the Sahel wrap their
heads with heavy
material to keep the
hot sun and sand out
of their faces
People build roads to
make travel easier
Movement
People, goods, and ideas move
continuously
– The movement of people, goods, and ideas
is called spatial interaction
Examples
Open markets
provide centers
where herders and
farmers can trade
their goods
The movement of
tourists into
Yosemite National
Park has created a
need for a shuttle
bus service
Region
A region is an area defined by common
characteristics
A region can be defined by more than
one characteristic
Examples
The Sahel can be
defined as a dry
grassland region in
Africa because of its
physical characteristics.
Many people in the Sahel
speak Arabic, so it also
can be defined as a
region by language. And
the Sahel can be defined
as a region by religion
because many people are
Muslims.
5 Themes of Geography
Assignment
In groups of 2-3 come up with your own
examples of each of the 5 themes of
geography
Be prepared to share some of your
examples