The 5 Themes of Geography
How we look at the world, both past and present
Geography
• Geography: the study of the earth’s physical and human characteristics.
• Geographers use 5 themes to explain and understand these characteristics
Location
• “Where is it?”• Every place has:
– Absolute Location: the exact spot of a place on the earth’s surface. • Latitude and Longitude
– Relative Location: tells where a place is by comparing what is around it. • Bismarck is east of
Dickinson
Place
• “What is it like?”• Describes all of the
characteristics that give an area its own special quality.
• Physical: mountains, waterways, climate, plant and animals
• Human: language, religion or architecture
Examples of Place
• Concrete/Physical:– Landforms– Buildings– Bridges– Trees– Statues
• Abstract/Human:– Climate-- Language– Culture- the way of life
of a group of people who share similar beliefs and customs
Movement
• “How do people, goods, and ideas get from one place to another?”
• Has brought the world’s people closer together.
• Transportation and
communication
Movement of People
• Population- total number of people in a given area
• Migration- moving from one place to another
• Immigrants- people who leave one country to move to another
Why do people move?
• “push-pull” theory- people migrate because something “pushes” them from where they currently live and “pulls” them to the new place.
Push-Pull Example
• Push:– Economic– Government– Religious persecution
• Pull– Better life– Similar people– Climate
Population Growth
• The world’s population has increased dramatically. – Growth rate has never
been seen before.
• Many people move from rural areas (villages in the countryside) to urban areas (cities and towns).
• Causes overcrowding in areas and over use of natural resources.
Movement of Products
• Import- goods bought from a foreign country.
• Export- goods sold to a foreign country.
• Economy- having to do with the exchanging of money for goods and services
Region
• “What common features bring geographical areas together?”
• Can be defined by– Physical features (mts)– Religion (Islamic)– Language (French)– Livelihood (agriculture)
Examples of Regions
• North Dakota is in the plains, a flat land region.
• North Dakota has regions within the state (Red River Valley).
• North Dakota is a part of a region (the Midwest).
Human-Environment Interaction
• “What is the relationship between people and their surroundings?”
• Landforms, waterways, climate and natural resources have either helped and harmed people and their activities.
Natural Resources
• Natural Resource- any useful material found in the environment.
• Usually soil, water, minerals and vegetation
3 Types of Resources• Recyclable: recourses that
cycle through the natural process in the environment. – Water Cycle
• Renewable: a natural resource that the environment continues to supply or is replaced as used. – Wind and trees
Non-renewable Resources
• Non-renewable: natural resources that cannot be replaced once they are used up. – Coal, oil, fossil fuels
Why is Geography Important to History
• Geography is a key factor in shaping historical events.
• It helps explain why and how things happened.