The Geography of

Texas!Chapter 1

So….what is geography? Well….it means to study the earth

*This includes the earth’s landforms, or shapes and types of land!

* So…we are going to study the geography of Texas!

Do you know some examples of landforms in Texas?

Plateaus Hills

Mountains Plains

Basins Mesas

Buttes Escarpments

Don’t forget…Climate & Vegetation!

*In addition to landforms, if you want to learn about a place you must learn about the weather and what plants grow there!

*So what is climate?? It is the average weather of a place over a period of 20 to 30 years!

*Climate helps determine what vegetation, or plant life, grows in the area.

*For example: Would it make sense if palm trees naturally grew in West Texas? NO! The climate needs to be damp!

*So…if climate affects what vegetation grows in an area…what does vegetation affect?

*The vegetation (plant life) that grows in an area affects what kind of animals live in a region!

*All of these factors help shape a place!!!

*So…..understanding a place like Texas involves learning about the land and its features! This is called physical geography!

Do people shape the geography of a place???

*Yes!! Learning about people and their ways is called human geography!

*Where people live, culture leaves its mark!

*Culture means the customs, ideas, beliefs, and skills of a people.

*It includes the language people speak, the foods they eat, and other details about the way they live!

**Remember! Physical and human geography are connected! It is key to understanding a place!

Why study geography???

*Studying geography tells you about a place – what it is like and how it got to be that way!

*Understanding TX geo. helps give us a greater

appreciation for our home.*We learn about the abundance the land has provided and what we must do to continue to live successfully on the land.

5 Themes to Geography

1.Location2.Place 3.Interaction4.Movement5.Region

Location

*Absolute location – finding the exact location of a place on a map or globe.

Ex: Where is Austin located?

*To describe absolute Location, latitude and longitude lines are used.

*Latitude – measure distance N and S from the equator and runs sideways on a globe! (AKA parallel lines)

*Longitude – measure distance E to W from the prime meridian and runs up and down on a globe! (AKA meridian lines)

*Relative location – the location of a place compared to or relative to another place.

Ex: Is Austin North or South of Dallas?

Ex: Is a place inland or on the coast? Is it near a river or a lake?

*Answering these questions can tell us about a place.

Place*Place is described in terms of its physical

and human features.Ex: physical features include landforms,

vegetation, and weather.Ex: Human features show how people

shape a place through their ideas and actions like religion, language, food, and sports.

Interaction*This means the interaction between

people and their environment.*People have always adapted to their

environment in which they live*They also change the place in which they

live.

Movement*Transportation – the movement of people

and goods.*Communication – the movement of ideas.*In order for people to get what they want,

they travel from place to place. When they move they bring things with them…ideas, technology, products, and so on.

*They meet other people with their own things and ideas. This exchange of information and things changes the place.

MovementToday, the internet and television speed

up the movement of ideas. *Movement allows us to enjoy the

features of diverse cultures.

Region*A region is an area of the world that

has similar, unifying characteristics.*Any trait can define a region! - Physical: climate, landform- Cultural: language, customs- Economic: ranching, farming, and

other major industries set apart regions.

*A region can be any size!!

Region*A region can be as large as the U.S. or as

small as a neighborhood!*One city can have several regions! Ex: parks, residential areas, and businesses.