SECTION 2 Studying Geography

What You Will Learn… CTBOBQEBOB’’’ Main Ideas RhnkiZk^gmlZk^ablmhkbZglk^l^Zk\abg`Z\bmrmaZm]blZii^Zk^] 1. Geography is the study of ehg`Z`h'Rhn`hpbmama^fmhZeb[kZkrmha^eil^Zk\a_hk\en^lmh places and people. 2. Studying location is important ma^\bmrÍleh\ZmbhgZg]_Zm^'Pabe^manf[bg`makhn`aZ]nlmrhe] to both physical and human [hhd%rhnÖg]ZgZg\b^gmfZilmn\d[^mp^^gmphiZ`^l'FZkd^] geography. 3. Geography and history are hgma^fZiZk^kbo^kl%_hk^lml%fhngmZbgl%Zg]lmkZb`amebg^lmaZm closely connected. ehhdebd^khZ]l'BmblZfZimaZmlahplma^pZrmhma^ehlm\bmr LT@>KQEFPJ>MEBIMVLR]KAQEB@FQVŸ The Big Idea Physical geography and human geography contribute to the study of history. ;NBE=BG@;:geographers—also contribute to our study of history. landforms, p. 12 climate, p. 12 environment, p. 13 region, p. 15 HijYn^c\EaVXZhVcYEZdeaZ resources, p. 16 When you hear about an event on the news, the fi rst questions DEFINE: you ask may be, “Where did it happen?” and “Who was there?” What is Historians ask the same questions about events that happened in geography? the past. That is why they need to study geography. rivers, people, cities, and countries. SUMMARIZE: and human geography. What are E]nh^XVa

6-8_SNLAESE485805_C01S2.indd 12 5/8/10 11:00:44 AM Physical Geography Human Geography

Ma^lmn]rh_ma^^ZkmaÍliarlb\Ze_^Zmnk^lZg] Ma^lmn]rh_ma^^ZkmaÍli^hie^%bg\en]bg`ma^bkpZrh_ ikh\^ll^l%ln\aZlfhngmZbgl%kbo^kl%h\^Zgl%kZbg_Zee% eb_^%ahf^lZg]\bmb^l%[^eb^_l%Zg]mkZo^el%ln\aZlma^l^ Zg]\ebfZm^%bg\en]bg`mabll^\mbhgh_

Geography

Ma^lmn]rh_ma^^ZkmaÍliarlb\ZeZg]\nemnkZe_^Zmnk^l

Climate affects many features of a =jbVcdeserts. Climate also affects landforms. For human geography study many different example, constant wind can wear down things about people and their cultures. mountains into fl at plains. What kind of work do people do? How do Although climate affects landforms, they get their food? What are their homes landforms can also affect climate. For like? What religions do they practice? example, the Coast Ranges in northern Human geography also deals with California are mountains parallel to the how the environment affects people. For Pacifi c coast. As air presses up against these example, how do people who live near mountains, it rises and cools. Any moisture rivers protect themselves from fl oods? that the air was carrying falls as rain. Mean- How do people who live in deserts survive? while, on the opposite side of the range, the Do different environments affect the size Central Valley stays dry. In this way, a of families? Do people in certain environ- mountain range creates two very different ments live longer? Why do some diseases climates. spread easily in some environments but not Landforms and climate are part of a in others? As you can see, human geogra- place’s environment. The Zck^gdcbZci phers study many interesting questions includes all the living and nonliving things about people and this planet. that affect life in an area. This includes the area’s climate, land, water, plants, soil,  Å Summarizing What are the animals, and other features. two main branches of geography?

UNCOVERING THE PAST 13  Å HijYn^c\AdXVi^dc AZVgc^c\[gdbBVeh 
  features Both physical and human geographers To study various locations, geographers use characteristics study location. Location is the exact maps. A map is a drawing of an area. Some DEFINE: description of where something is. Every maps show physical features. Others show What does location place on Earth has a specifi c location. cities and the boundaries of states or coun- mean? No two places in the world are exact- tries. Most maps have symbols to show ly alike. Even small differences between different things. For example, large dots SUMMARIZE: places can lead to major differences in often stand for cities. Blue lines show where What are how people live. That is why geographers rivers fl ow. Most maps also include a guide some try to understand the effects that different to show direction. activities that locations have on human populations, or People have been making maps for would use maps? groups of people. more than 4,000 years. Maps help with By comparing locations, geographers many activities. Planning battles, look- learn more about the factors that affected ing for new lands, and designing new city each of them. For example, they may study parks all require good maps. On the fi rst why a town grew in one location while a day of class, you may have used a map of town nearby got smaller. your school to fi nd your classrooms.

Studying Maps

By studying and comparing maps, you can see how a place’s physical and human features are related.

California: Physical California: Climates

OR OR ELEVATION Highland Feet Meters Marine S

a 13,120 4,000

c Mediterranean

r 6,560 2,000 R a Semiarid i m 1,640 500 v e e 656 200 Desert C r n

t (Sea level) 0 0 (Sea level) o 075150 Miles o S Below Below a i Lake sea level sea level C e 0 75 150 Kilometers s Tahoee e r 075150 Miles t r n a t 0 75 150 Kilometers r

a UT N l NV e UTUT V R v NV a a a l l d n e a iv g y R er e San Joaquin o

s d

River a

r

o

l Mojave o

Desert C

AZ AZ Salton PACIFIC Sea PACIFIC OCEAN OCEAN

MEXICO MEXICO

&What are some of California’s main physical features? 'What climates are found in California? How are the Where are the state’s highest mountains? climate regions related to California’s physical features? HRW World History HRW World History wh06as_c01map006aaHRW World History wh06as_c01map006caHRW World History wh06as_c01map006aaCalifornia: Physical wh06as_c01map006caCalifornia: Climates 14 CHAPTER 1 APPROVEDCalifornia: Physical 11/19/04 APPROVEDCalifornia: Climates10/19/04 Legend Legend APPROVED 11/19/04 APPROVED 10/19/04

6-8_SNLAESE485805_C01S2.indd 14 5/8/10 11:04:22 AM AZVgc^c\VWdjiGZ\^dch Primary Source DEFINE: Learning about regions is another key part What is a of studying geography. A gZ\^dc is an area BOOK region? with one or more features that make it What Geography Means different from surrounding areas. These Some people think of geography as the ability to read maps features may be physical, such as forests or or name state capitals. But as geographer Kenneth C. Davis grasslands. There may also be differences explains, geography is much more. It is related to almost every in climate. For example, a desert area is a branch of human knowledge. DESCRIBE: type of region. Physical barriers such as @^h`kZiar]h^lgÍmlbfier[^`bgZg]^g]pbma What are mountains and rivers often form a region’s fZillahpbg`ma^eh\Zmbhgh_Zeema^\hngmkb^lh_ma^Ê some boundaries. phke]'Bg_Z\m%ln\afZil]hgÍmg^\^llZkberm^eenl human fn\a'GhÉ`^h`kZiarihl^l_Zl\bgZmbg`jn^lmbhgl features Human features can also defi ne regions. Z[hnmpahp^Zk^Zg]ahpp^`hmmh[^maZmpZr% that can An area with many cities is one type of Zg]ma^gikhob]^l\en^lmhma^Zglp^kl'Bmblbfihl& define a region. An area with only farms is another region? lb[e^mhng]^klmZg]ablmhkr%bgm^kgZmbhgZeihebmb\l%ma^ type. Some regions are identifi ed by the phke]^\hghfr%k^eb`bhgl%iabehlhiar%hkÌiZmm^kglh_ language that people there speak. Other \nemnk^ÍpbmahnmmZdbg``^h`kZiarbgmhZ\\hngm'Ë regions are identifi ed by the religion their ÈD^gg^ma<'=Zobl%_khf=hgÍmDghpFn\a:[hnm@^h`kZiar people practice.

  Å Categorizing What are   Å  Å Å some types of features that can identify a region? Why does the writer think that geography is important?

DRAW INFERENCES: What are some regions within the United States? California: Population California: Roads

OR OR One dot represents Interstate highways 25,000 people 5 Other highways State capital Eureka State capital 075150 Miles 075150 Miles 0 75 150 Kilometers 0 75 150 Kilometers

5 80 Sacramento NV Oakland NV 80 Sacramento San Francisco San Francisco San Jose

5

15

5 40

Los Angeles Los Angeles AZ 10 AZ PACIFIC 5 Long Beach PACIFIC 15 OCEAN San Diego OCEAN San Diego 8 MEXICO MEXICO

(Where are California’s two main population centers? )How are California’s roads related to its physical features? What kind of climate is found in these areas? How are they related to its population centers?

EVALUATE: Would all people define a region the same way? Why or why not? UNCOVERING THE PAST 15 One way you can see how geography has shaped history is by studying the locations of cities. Certain locations have strategic advantages over oth- ers, and as a result, people choose to create cities there. For example, the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has easy access to the ocean and breathtak- ing scenery.

River. that were rich in gZhdjgXZh, materials found Geography also played a role in the in the earth that people need and value. All growth of civilizations. The world’s fi rst through history, people have used a variety societies formed along rivers. Crops grown of resources to meet their basic needs. on the fertile land along these rivers fed In early times, essential resources large populations. included water, animals, fertile land, and Some geographic features could also stones for tools. Over time, people learned protect areas from invasion. A region sur- to use other resources, including metals rounded by mountains or deserts, for such as copper, gold, and iron. example, was hard for attackers to reach.

16 CHAPTER 1

RECALL:

6-8_SNLAESE485805_C01S2.indd 16 What are three 5/8/10 11:07:49 AM aspects of human life that geography affects? environments in positive and negative ways. People have planted millions of trees. They have created new lakes in the middle of deserts. But people have also created wastelands where forests once grew and built dams that fl ooded ancient RECALL: cities. This interaction between humans What are three aspects of human and their environment has been a major life that geography factor in history. It continues today. affects?

 Å Summarizing In what ways DRAW CONCLUSIONS: has geography shaped human history? Why can present-day people live in places that lack resources valued by early  L NFF:KR :G= IK>OB>P The fi eld of humans? geography includes physical geography and human geography. Geography has had a major infl uence on history. In the next chapter you will learn how geogra- phy affected the fi rst people. SUMMARIZE : How were cÄjZcXZh=^hidgn Section 2 Assessment some Geography has helped shape history and ONLINE QUIZ societies made richer has affected the growth of societies. People Reviewing Ideas, Terms, and People by the in areas with many natural resources could 1. a. Defi ne What is geography? geographic use their resources to get rich. They could b. Summarize What are some of the topics included in makeup of build glorious cities and powerful armies. human geography? their region? Features such as rivers also made trade 2. a. Describe Identify a region near where you live, and easier. Many societies became rich by explain what sets it apart as a region. b. Predict How might a map of a city’s landforms help trading goods with other peoples. an offi cial who is planning a new city park? On the other hand, geography has also 3. a. Recall Where did early peoples tend to settle? RECALL: caused problems. Floods, for example, have b. Compare and Contrast How could a river be both a How did a killed millions of people. Lack of rainfall has valuable resource and a problem for a region? weather brought deadly food shortages. Storms have event affect Critical Thinking Similarities wrecked ships, and with them, the hopes Japan’s 4. Comparing and Contrasting history in of conquerors. In the 1200s, for example, Using your note-taking chart, Physical Human the 1200s? Geography Geography a people known as the Mongols tried to compare and contrast physical invade Japan. However, most of the Mongol and human geography. ships were destroyed by a powerful storm. Japanese history may have been very differ- FOCUS ON WRITING ent if the storm had not occurred. 5. Understanding What Geographers Do In this section The relationship between geography you learned how geographers contribute to the study and people has not been one-sided. For of history. What is the difference between a physical centuries, people have infl uenced their geographer and a human geographer?

EVALUATE: How do you think physical geography has affected your community? your state? UNCOVERING THE PAST 17