Five Themes of Geography:

Essential Question: What are the five themes of geography?

What are themes of geography?: Tools geographers use to study the geography of the earth.

Location: Where is this place?

 Absolute Location: the exact location on the Earth -doesn’t change -latitude/longitude -address -hemispheres

 Relative Location: the relationship of one place to another (distance, near, beside, next to)

Place: What is this place/location like?

1. Physical Characteristics (the way a place looks) (landforms, climate, bodies of water, plants, animals)

2. Human Characteristics (language, religion, nationality, holidays, traditions, clothing, sports, types of houses, jobs)

Movement: How do people, goods, and ideas travel place to place?

1. Transportation of people and goods (cars, boats, planes, trains)

2. Communication of ideas (texting, commercials, computers)

Region: What common features does this area share with other areas?

 Regions are “areas with similar” characteristics.

 Geographers use regions to compare different AREAS of the world.

1. Common Physical Characteristics -landforms =hilly, mountains, coastal -location = southeast, eastern, etc. -climate = dry, subtropical

2. Common Human Characteristics (economy=farming, industry, languages, race, religion, governments)

Human Environmental Interaction: What is this location’s environment like and how does it affect people who live there?

1. Humans depend on environment: food, water, shelter

2. Humans modify environment: cutting a trail in the mountains, clearing land 3. Humans adapt to environment: learn to survive in extreme cold with certain types of clothing

Terms to Know:

 Climate: typical weather in a region

 Migration: movement from one place to another to live or work

 Demographics: characteristics and statistics of human populations (age, ethnicity, gender, income)

 Environment: the geographical characteristics that surround and affect the way people live

 Ideas: something you think, believe, or suggest