Introduction to WorldIntroduction to WorldRegional GeographyRegional Geography

Study of Geography Evolution of Geography Contributions of the Greeks/Romans

– geo (the earth) graphos (to write about/describe)

– Herodotus-”Father of Geography” who explained the physical and human geography of his day

– Aristotle- explained processes of the earth, influence of temperature, wind, soils and vulcanism

– Eratosthenes- measured circumference of the earth from angle of the sun at two points

– Construction of earth grids- longitude and latitude

– Established the science of cartography

– Ptolemy-Greek astronomer who designed early map of the world.

– Strabo- description of Roman World, spatial perspective of the known world

Middle Ages– Geography falls into disrepute in Middle Ages

– Golden Age of Islamic Civilization

– Arabs were outstanding geographers, continued tradition of map-making

– Ibn Batuta travels throughout Middle East, observations of peoples and lands

– Avicenna’s understanding of physical geography, creation of mountains

– Ibn Khaldun’s Muqaddimah provides an account of the influence of man’ physical environment on social and political institutions

– observations are model of scientific research on history and geography

– traveled extensively throughout North Africa and Middle East

– importance of cities and urbanization on the level of civilization.

Ptolemy's World Map, circa 150 A.D.

Ibn Battuta’s travels 1300 A.D.Ibn Battuta’s Travels 1300 AD

Renaissance and Age of Discovery– Resurgence of geography as a science

– Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal, new more accurate maps

– Early explores question old concepts in light of discovery

– Scientific travelers, Alexander von Humbolt’s description of the earth

– Karl Ritter- understanding of the human dimension of the world

– Geography is respected branch of knowledge in European university, particularly in Germany

– Importance of the National Geographic Society in US founded in 1888

– Chinese contributions to geography

World Regional Geography– Different fields of Geography

Physical Geography, study of the environment, location of terrain, physical features of the land

Human Geography, study of human occupation of the land

Regional Geography, analysis of environmental and human patterns within an area or region

– Regions of the World: (1) Europe; (2) Russia; (3) North America; (4) Middle America; (5) South America; (6) North Africa/Southwest Asia; (7) Subsaharan Africa; (8) South Asia; (9) East Asia; (10) Southeast Asia; (11) Australia; (12) Pacific Realm

– Format of course background/historical factors physical features climate population cultural features social and economic factors

– agriculture

– industry

– environmental problems

Basic Geographical FactorsBasic Geographical Factors Climate

– Climatic differences are result of differences in the processes by which earth’s atmosphere is heated and cooled

– Radiation and absorption of heat energy determine climatic variations

– Lower the latitude, the more solar energy received– Sun’s rays strike earth at vertical angles in lower

latitudes

– heat dissipated by air currents and ocean currents– Higher the elevation, the less dense is air and less the

air can hold water vapor. Air temps decrease 3.6 degrees F per 1000 feet of elevation

Precipitation– What causes rainfall? Physical process of how air is

cooled is the cause of rainfall– When water vapor in atmosphere is cooled to point that

it condenses, it changes from a gaseous state to liquid state

– Warm air can hold more water vapor than cold air

– Types of precipitation Convectional precipitation- equatorial latitudes

with land mass warming, as hot air rises it precipates

Orthographic precipitation- air force up over mountains, cooling rapidly and producing rain

Cyclonic/Frontal precipitation-cold front pushes up under war air front or warm front rises over cold front. Found in mid latitudes

Types of Precipitation

Types of Climate– Type A Climate (Humid Equatorial Climate

High temperatures all year High precipitation Subtypes (Af)high rainfall every month; (Am)

monsoon; (Aw) savanna with unpredictable rainfall

– Type B Climate (Dry Climate) lower and higher altitudes (Bw) true desert; (Bs) semi-arid steppe soils thin and poor high range of temperatures (140-48 degrees F)

– Type C Climate (humid temperature climates) found above and below tropic of cancer and tropic of

capricorn US (Kentucky-Florida) Europe; southern Brazil/northern

Argentina: South Africa, Australia, China, and Japan Subtypes (Cf) No drive season i.el Marine West Coast; (Cw)

dry winter; Cs) dry summers, Mediterranean climates

– Type D Climate (humid cold continental climates) great annual range of temperatures very cold winters; cool summers total precipitation not high, much snow found in interiors of North America/Eurasia best soils in world with high levels of humus

– Type E Climates vary from true ice-cap conditions to tundra with 4

months/year of temps above freezing high mountain areas near arctic conditions with limited vegetation

Population– Questions: (1) What factors responsible for growth of

human population? (2) What is density and distribution of the world’s population? (3) What models of population explain change?

– Growth of population 5 million from 5,000 BC to 2,000BC 250 million at beginning of Christian era 500 million in 1650 AD 1 billion in 1850 AD 2 billion in 1950 AD 5.7 billion in 1998 AD 7 billion estimated by 2010 AD

– Models of Population Change Demographic transition Stage I

– preindustrial agrarian economy

– high birth rate and high death rate

– relatively stable population that grows slowly

– large # of children useful for work in fields and social security

– life expectancy low; security dependent on family

Stage II– high birth rates, falling death rates

– improvements in public health, sanitation, and medicine

– productivity of agriculture improves

– opportunity for employment in cities

– industrialization , urbanization, specialization of labor

– Stage III birth rate declines smaller families due to urbanization and demands for

education children more of a liability in an urban, industrial

environment population growth declines dramatically

– Stage IV birth rates and death rates very low population growth stabilizes or grows very slowly

– Amount of time to go through demographic transition? Western Europe/US= 150 years Soviet Union=40 years Japan=25 years

Demographic Transition

Demographic TransitionMDC’s vs. LDC’s

Human Cultural Hearths– Most cultural hearths established from 5,000BC to

1,000 BC– Primary cultural hearths

Middle East (Tigris, Euphrates and Nile Rivers) Indus Valley (Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa) China (Yellow River and North China plain)

– Secondary cultural hearths Mesoamerican civilization (Mayans and Aztecs) Bantu civilization in Africa (Central/South Africa and the

Ethiopian highlands) European civilization

Economic factors– Sectors of the Economy

primary sector (fishing, extracting natural resources, forestry, agriculture)

secondary sector (processing basic commodities, manufacturing)

tertiary sector (services provided by government and private sector)

quarternary sector (institutions that provide information to make decisions, computers, data analysis)

– Modernization and development brings about changes in nature of the economy

– Economic indicators of modernization and development level of GNP and GNP per capita per capital consumption of inanimate energy percentage of labor force in agriculture