Ch. 4 “People and Places”

4.1 Elements of Culture

• Culture:• The total of knowledge,

attitudes, and behaviors shared by and passed on by members of specific group– Can involve:– Religion, food, education,

language, relationships, etc.

Society• A group that shares a

geographic region, a sense of identity, and culture

Cubans

Ethnic Group

• a specific group that shares a language, customs, and heritage.

Culture Change and Exchange

• 3 Types:1. Innovation

2. Diffusion

3. Acculturation

Innovation

• Taking existing technology and resources and creating something new to meet a need.

Diffusion

• Spread of new ideas• Resources like the

television and internet help to spread new ideas

Cultural hearth- where it all begin; the site of innovation

Acculturation

• Occurs when a society changes because it accepts or adopts an innovation.

Language

• Allows people to communicate

• Helps establish cultural identity.

• Dialect: differ. Version of speech– ie.: southern drawl

• Language can be spread through trade and migration

Religion

• Monotheistic: one god• Polytheistic: more

than one• Animistic: divine

forces are within nature

• Spread through diffusion and converts

Major Religions

• Judaism– Holy book is known as Torah.– Centered in Israel

• Christianity– Evolved from Judaism– Based on teachings of Jesus– Holy book is Bible

• Islam– Based on teachings of the prophet

Muhammad– Holy book is the Qur’an

• Hinduism– Polytheistic– Based on a caste system

• Buddhism– Derives from Hinduism– Goal is to reach an enlightened state known

as “Nirvana”

Ch. 4.2 “Population Geography”

World Wide Population Growth

• Birthrate:– Number of births per

1000

• Mortality rate:– Number of deaths per

1000

• Population Growth– “BR-MR”= pop growth

Population Distribution

• Habitable Lands– Area between 20° and 60° latitude

• Urban-rural mix

20°

60°

Population Distribution

Migration

• Movement of people from one place to another

• Push-pull factors:– push: cause people

to leave their homeland

– pull: what attracts people to another location

Population Density

• Avg. # of people who live in a measurable area

• Carrying capacity: the ability of an areas land to support the inhabitants.

Ch. 4.3 “Political Geography”

• Nation: – people with common culture living in a

territory

• State :– Independent unit that occupies a specific

territory and has control of internal/external affairs

• Nation-state: – nation and state occupy same territory

Types of Government

• Democracy: – Citizens hold political

power, either directly or through elected reps.

Monarchy

• Ruling family, headed by a king or queen holds power. May or may not share power with citizen bodies.

Dictatorship

• Individual or group holds complete political power.

Communism

• Govt. and econ. system where all political power and means of production are held by the govt. in the name of the people

Geographic Characteristics

• Size– More potential for resources and population

base

• Shape– Impacts how goods are moved and how

easily it can be governed

Location

– Landlocked: land w/ no direct outlet to water

Bolivia

National Boundaries

• Natural Boundaries– Rivers, lakes, or mountains

• Artificial Boundaries– Fixed line generally following lat. or long.

Regional Political Systems

• Countries are often divided into smaller systems to make govt. more efficient.– Towns, cities, villages are examples

Ch. 4.4 “Urban Geography”

• Cities: – Centers of business & culture– Large populations

• Suburbs:– Political units that touch the borders of the

central city– ie: Redlands

• Metropolitan Area:– Cities, suburbs, linked together to form

Urbanization• Rise in the number of cities and the

changes in lifestyle

City locations

• Cities grow around lakes, rivers or coastal areas– Areas with good natural resources – Economic growth because of location

• Ex.: Pittsburgh, PA located around iron and coal mines

Land Use• Residential: homes

and apts.• Industrial :

manufacturing• Commercial: private

businesses

Central Business District (CBD)

• Core of the city, almost always based on commercial activity

• Land is very expensive

Ch. 4.5 “Economic Geography”

• Economy:– Consists of the production and exchange of

goods and services among a group

• Economic System:– the way people produce and exchange goods

and services

Types of Economic Systems

• Traditional econ.: no exchange of money• Command Econ:

– Production is determined by a central govt.

• Market Econ: – Production is determined by demand from

consumers

• Mixed Econ: – combination of command and market econ’s

for the benefit of all

Economic Levels

• Primary:– Gather raw materials,

derived from resources

• Secondary– Turn raw materials into

goods

• Tertiary:– Add business and professional services

• Quaternary:– Activities by highly-trained persons

Natural Resources• Renewable:

– Resources can be replaced through a natural process

• Non-renewable:– Resources that can not be

replaced once they have been removed

• Inexhaustible:– as a result of the planetary

or solar process

Economic Support System• Infrastructure:

– Basic support system that keeps an economy going

– The more sophisticated the more developed the country is

Measuring Econ. Development

• GNP Gross National Product:– Total value of all goods and services

• GDP Gross Domestic Product:– Total value of all goods and services within a

country