Transcript aphg 1 ch. 1 presentation 1

Thinking
Geographically
Chapter 1
In order to think geographically, we must consider two
essential questions:
Where? And Why?
PPT by Abe Goldman
Where? Why? Sample Qs.
• Where are the major religions of the
world distributed? Why are they located
there?
• Where are the major languages of the
world distributed? Why are they located
there?
• Where are the major industrial centers
of the world distributed? Why are they
located there?
See introductory PowerPoint on the School website.
Evolution of the Discipline
• Eratosthenes created the Greek word
Geography by combining “Geo” for
earth and “graphy” for to write.
• Aristotle proposed the world to be round
in the 4th century BC.
• Ptolemy wrote a Guide to Geography in
the 2nd century AD.
• Ibn Battuta wrote “Travels” in the 14th
century AD.
• Gerardus Mercator made more accurate
maps in the 15th century AD.
Map Evolution… of the
Marshall Islands
An early Polynesian “stick chart” depicts patterns of waves on the sea route between two
South Pacific islands. Modern maps show the locations of these Marshall Islands.
Philosophies/Approaches to Geography
• Cultural Ecology/Environmental
Determinism:
– Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) & Carl Ritter (17791859)
– Friedrich Ratzel (1844-1904) & Ellen Churchill Semple
(1863-1932) & Ellsworth Huntington (1876-1947)
– CE/ED Philosophy suggests that the physical environment
causes social development.
– As an example, CE/ED suggests that people are
unproductive in tropical areas because of the heat.
World Climate Regions
The modified Köppen system divides the world into five main climate regions. In the
CE/ED approach, these climates would play a critical role in the development of human
patterns across space.
Philosophies/Approaches to Geography
• Regional Studies Approach/Cultural
Landscape/Possibilism:
– Paul Vidal de la Blanche (1845-1918) & Jean Brunhes
(1869-1930)
– Carl Sauer (1889-1975) & Robert Platt (1880-1950)
– PS/CL/P philosophy suggests people are the most important
agents of change on Earth’s surface.
– Human Economic, Political, Religious and Cultural systems
impact the landscape more than the environment.
– Netherland’s Polders are an example of this.
Environmental Modification in the
Netherlands
Polders and dikes have been used as extensive environmental modification in the Netherlands,
which reflects the RS/CL/P approach to geography.
Environmental Modification in Florida
Straightening the Kissimmee River, which has had many unintended side effects, also reflects the
RS/CL/P approach to geography.
Cartography & Contemporary
Tools
Maps:
• Mental Maps
• Space & Scale
Projections & Distortion:
• Mercator, Robinson Equal Area, & Goode’s
Interrupted
Contemporary Tools:
• Geographic Information System (GIS)
• Remote Sensing
• Global Positioning System (GPS)
Mental Maps
A Mental Map is an
internal
representation of a
portion of Earth’s
surface based on
what an individual
knows about a
place, containing
personal
impressions of what
is in a place and
where places are
located.
Maps
• Space is a concept in geography that
accounts for the physical gap or interval
between objects on Earth.
• Scale is the relationship between the
size of an object on a map and the
actual size of that object on Earth.
• Scale can be represented as a fraction
(1/24,000) or ratio (1:24,000), a graphic
bar scale or written statement (1 inch
equals 1 mile).
Types of
Scale
In the Word Statement
example, one inch (on
the map) equals ten
miles on Earth. The first
number always refers to
map distance and the
second to distance on
the Earth’s surface. For
the Graphic Scale,
determine the distance
on the map using paper
or a ruler, then compare
that to the scale and
estimate the distance.
For a Fraction or Ratio,
one unit of distance on
the map equals the
given number of the
same units on Earth’s
surface.
Scale Differences: Maps of Florida
Fig. 1-3: Shows the effects of scale in maps of Florida. (Scales from 1:10 million to 1:10,000)
Small scale maps reflect smaller distances on Earth’s surface and thus show more details.
Election 2000: Regional
Differences Across Scale
The information you gather and the conclusion you make may differ based on the scale of
your investigation. The presidential election results by state reflect the “winner take all”
system of our electoral college, which gave George W. Bush the victory. When you look at
the county level data it illustrates something closer to the popular vote, which Al Gore won.
Projections &
Distortion
Projection in
geography reflects
the science of
converting a round,
3-dimensional globe
onto a flat map.
Every projection
results in some kind
of distortion in
shape, relative size,
distance or direction.
A Mercator Projection
A Mercator Projection heavily distorts shape and relative size near the poles while
maintaining accurate shape, relative size, distance and direction near the
middle latitudes.
An Equal Area Projection
(Robinson)
An Equal Area Projection (Robinson) limits polar distortion of shape and relative size
while maintaining accurate distance and direction.
An Interrupted Map (Goode’s)
An Interrupted Map (Goode’s) preserves size and relative shape well, but distance
and direction are distorted.