Chapter 2 People, Places, and Patterns

Geography in International Studies

What is Geography?

• Geography is a core discipline of international studies

• Geo meaning “Earth”• Graphy refers to “writing”• Two main areas of study:– Physical• Examines the environment

– Human• Arrangement of Activities of people

Development of Geography

• The classical Greeks and Chinese were the first to understand and study geography

• Arabs continued the study of geography• With the Renaissance, Europe relearned Geography through

encounters with the Arabs• Modern geography is said to embody six elements:

– Space: patterns of human activity across the Earth– Place & Region: focuses on characteristics of places– Physical: understand processes of the environment– Human: understand human influence on Earth– Environment: interrelationships between people and environment– Uses: past, present, and future

Components of Geography

• Three main components of a geographical way of thinking:– Space• Location• Spatial interaction• Spatial organization

– Region• Formal• Functional

– Environment

Space

• Location: answers the question “where?”– Nominal: Oxford, OH– Relative: Ohio is West of New York– Absolute: Oxford, OH is at 39o30’N Lat, 84o45’W Long

• Spatial Interaction: why and how….– People move– Resources move– Ideas move

• Spatial Organization: reveals how people have delineated various territories

[Figure 2.1. Hong Kong. The harbor is the reason for Hong Kong. Photo S. Toops]

Region

• Formal– Human characteristics

• Language, religion, etc.

– Physical• Climate, landform, etc.

• Functional– Defined by network, focal point, or node

• River system• Trading system

• World Regions: Europe, Africa, etc.– Formal and functional

[Figure 2.2. Zurich. The largest city and financial center of Switzerland. Photo S. Toops]

[Figure 2.2. Zurich. The largest city and financial center of Switzerland. Photo S. Toops][Figure 2.3 Istanbul. Asia is in the background, Europe is in the foreground, in between is the Bosporus, the historical divide between Europe and Asia. Photo S. Toops]

Environment• Environmental determinism

– People acting in a certain way according to their environment– Now considered mutually interactive

• Human determinism– People control their environment

• Environmental possibilism– Physical environment cannot determine what we can do but it can limit what

we can achieve• Resources

– Renewable• Recyclable: aluminum, paper• Continuous flow: solar power, hydropower• Short term: timber, soil, water

– Non-renewable: fossil fuels ( coal, oil)

[Figure 2.4. Hunza. Pakistan. The Hunza Valley is irrigated from the glaciers in the surrounding mountains. Photo: S. Toops]

[Figure 2.5. Farm in Iowa. A piece of land, a farm, a home, a place, a geography. Photo S. Toops]

Maps: Tools for International Studies

• Maps are forms of communication that express ideas about the world– Specialized picture of mathematical precision

• Fundamentals– Scale: relationship between length of an object on a map

and length in the real world– Centering and Orientation: can be centered anywhere on

Earth– Projection: the way the Earth’s surface is distorted in a map

• Technological advancements: satellites– Geographic information system (GIS)– Remote sensing

[Map 2.1 World Map – Mercator Projection]

[Map 2.2 World Map – Robinson Projection]

Lying with Maps

• Maps are sometimes used for other purposes than just displaying a place

• Propaganda– Used during war to influence– Political views

• Can you think of any ways in which a map is used for some other purpose than as a means to find a place?

Conclusion

• Geography is critical in international studies– Analyze space, regions, and environments of Earth

• Geographical methods used by businesses, non-profit organizations and governmental organizations– State Department– WHO– WTO

• Geography is helpful in everyday life• Geography matters