Geography and Sustainability Overview

Continents and Regions

• Seven continents: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, Antarctica.
• Understanding regional distinctions aids in geographical analysis and cultural studies.

Resource Types

• Nonrenewable resources deplete faster than they can be replenished.
• Renewable resources regenerate rapidly, allowing for sustainable consumption.

Sustainability Models

• California is considered unsustainable due to low water availability.
• The Netherlands exemplifies sustainability, effectively managing excessive water.

Three Pillars of Sustainability

• Environmental: Resource management for future needs; emphasizes conservation and preservation.
• Society: Focus on basic needs (shelter, food, clothing); advocates for using renewable resources.
• Economy: Explores the market dynamics of natural resources based on supply and demand.

Earth Science Spheres

• Hydrosphere: Contains all water forms and influences climate and agriculture.
• Lithosphere: Comprises Earth's crust and upper mantle; resources like coal are found here.
• Atmosphere: The thin gas layer affecting climate and plant growth.
• Biosphere: Encompasses all living organisms; reliant on the resources from the other spheres.

Climate Zones

• Key climate zones to know: Humid low-latitude, Dry, Warm mid-latitude, Cold mid-latitude, Polar.

Countries Per Region

• Examples of countries in various world regions provided for geographical knowledge: USA, Canada, Brazil, China, India, South Africa, etc.

Environmental Theories

• Environmental Determinism: Geographical factors influence human behavior; criticized for over-simplifying complex cultural dynamics.
• Possibilism: Human ingenuity can overcome environmental limitations, enabling adaptation to diverse environments.

Density vs. Concentration

• Density: Measures the quantity of a substance in a defined area.
• Concentration: Assesses how closely substances are packed together.

Spatial Approach in Geography

• Remote sensing is a method for collecting data about the Earth's surface via satellite technology.

Cultural Landscape

• Represents the interaction between cultural, economic, and physical features that define a region.

Acculturation, Assimilation, Syncretism

• Acculturation: Adaptation of language when moving between cultures.
• Assimilation: The decline of minority languages.
• Syncretism: Cultural blending exemplified by international businesses like McDonald's.

Map Projections and Distortion

• Mercator: Accurate direction but distorts size, particularly at the poles.
• Robinson: Balances distortion and is well-suited for educational purposes.
• Galls-Peters: Correctly represents sizes but distorts shapes.

Geographic Concepts

• Hearth: Origin region of an idea.
• Ethnocentrism: Evaluating other cultures based on one's own, which can obscure understanding.
• Geo-Economic Aspects: Unequal access to resources influenced by geography and economic conditions.

Geographic Thought and Perspectives

• Post-Structuralist Geography: Founded by Jacques Derrida, analyzing spaces with an emphasis on social groups.
• Humanistic Geography: Studies perceptions and symbolic meanings attached to places.

Space-Time Compression

• Refers to the reduction in time taken to diffuse elements globally due to advancements in communication and transportation.

Distance Decay

• As distance increases, interaction between places tends to decrease.

Transnational Corporations and Globalization

• Transnational corporations operate and influence multiple countries, affecting cultural dynamics and job markets.

Location Concepts

• Latitude: Measures north/south distance from the equator.
• Longitude: Measures east/west distance from the prime meridian.

Types of Maps

• Thematic Map: Focuses on a specific theme or issue.
• Physical Map: Highlights natural landscapes and features.
• Political Map: Illustrates political boundaries and significant locations.

Data Types in Geography

• Qualitative data: Describes qualities; cannot be quantified.
• Quantitative data: Numerical information that can be measured.

GIS and Remote Sensing

• Geographic Information Science (GIS) produces detailed maps using layered data analysis.
• Remote sensing collects data about the Earth's surface from satellites.

Scale Concepts

• Local Scale: Focused on community-level.
• National Scale: Examines national characteristics and issues.
• Global Scale: Looks at worldwide geographical phenomena.

Diffusion Types

• Types include Relocation, Expansion, Contagious, Hierarchical, and Stimulus diffusion, each describing the various ways features spread geographically.

Key Geographic Terms

• Absolute Location: Uses fixed coordinates for identifying a place.
• Relative Location: Describes a location in relation to other landmarks.
• Pattern: Spatial arrangement of objects.
• Sense of Place: Unique characteristics and identity of a location.