Intro To Geography and Maps

1. Intro To Geography and Maps AP Human Geography Overview

2. Historical Foundations • Geography is the description of the Earth’s surface and the people and [processes that shape its landscapes

3. Greeks • Geo is a study and science • Literature – Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey • Explorers • Anaximander – first maps • Philosophers – Aristotle, Socrates, Plato • Eratosthenes – used term geography (meaning Earth and to write)

4. Romans • Ptolemy – wrote Guide to Geography • Cartography became more of an art form

5. Medieval Period • Dark Ages – Europe was caught but rest of world was exploring

6. China • Zheng He – rumored to have discovered western coast of North America mid-1400s (before Columbus)

7. Renaissance – Age of Exploration • Marco Polo, Christopher Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan, Ponce De Leon, etc. explorers • Cartographers – mapmakers • Gerardus Mercator – one of first to produce a world map that showed with relative accuracy the general outline of the continents

8. Modern Period • 1830 – Royal Geographical Society founded in England • Environmental Determinism – cultures are a direct result of where they exist. Warmer climates cause inhabitants to have more relaxed attitude toward work and progress. Philosophy led people to believe that Europeans from temperate climate were more motivated, intelligent, and culturally advanced • Possiblist – humans are not a product of their environment but possess the skills necessary to modify their environment to fit human needs – people determine their outcomes

9. Today and Beyond • Global Positioning Systems (GPS) • Geographic Information Systems (GIS) • Both are new technologies that have profound impact on the study of geography

10. Maps • Scale – relationship of the size of the map to the amount of area it represents on the planet • Distortion – 3D into 2D • Equal Area Projection – keep the size or amount of an area intact but distort shapes • Conformal Maps – distort area but keep shapes intact • Classes and Types • Cylindrical – true direction but loses distance, Mercator • Planar - azimuthal map, polar projection – shows true direction and examines earth from one point • Conic – cone over earth, tries to keep distance intact but loses directional qualities • Oval – combo of cylindrical and conic projections, Molleweide • Thematic Maps – area class, area symbol, cartograms (chart and assign data by size), choropleth (info in spatial format determine demographic data), digital, dot maps, flow line maps (define movement), isoline maps, point symbol, proportional symbol • Misuse • Toponyms – place names

11. 5 Themes • Place • Human Geo – study of human characteristics • Physical Geo – study of physical characteristics • Region • Formal – everything has same characteristic • Functional – defined around certain point/mode • Vernacular/Perceptual – exist primarily as individual’s perception or feelings • Location • Relative – location in reference to another feature • Absolute – latitude and longitude coordinates • Latitudes/parallels and Longitude/meridians • Human-Environment Interaction • Movement

12. 6 Essential Elements in Geography • The Spatial World – no place is alone • Places and Regions – characteristics • Physical Systems – barriers • Human Systems – modifications made • Environment and Society – using land • Uses of Geography in Today’s Society – think spatially

13. Diffusion • Hearth – place where characteristic began • Diffusion – movement of characteristic, how it’s spread • Relocation – physical spread of cultures, ideas, diseases • Migration – physical spread of people • Expansion – spread form central node thru various means • Hierarchical – group (usually elite) spreading ideas and patterns • Contagious – spread of disease • Stimulus – an idea and spreads to create innovative product

14. Distribution • Distribution – physical location, organized in space • Density – how often object occurs within given area or space • Population Density – how many people per square mile • Physiological Density – total number of people divided by arable land • Arithmetic Density – density using all land in given area • Concentration – proximity of phenomenon over area spread • Clustered/Agglomerated – close together • Dispersed/Scattered – spread out • Pattern – how organized in space • Linear – singular line • Centralized – clustered together • Random – lack of pattern Demographic Transition Model – predict what will happen to population growth as well as economic structure and dependence