Introduction to Geography

Branches of Geography

• Physical Geography: studies natural features of the Earth's surface, including climate, landforms, and ecosystems.
• Human Geography: focuses on human populations, cultures, economies, and their impact on the environment.

Key Concepts

• Latitude: an imaginary line that runs east-west, measuring distance from the equator.
• Longitude: an imaginary line that runs north-south, measuring distance from the prime meridian.
• Scale: the ratio of distance on a map to the corresponding distance in reality.
• Projection: a method of representing the curved Earth's surface on a 2D map.

Types of Maps

• Topographic Maps: show relief features, such as mountains and valleys.
• Thematic Maps: display specific data, such as climate, population, or economic information.
• Cartograms: visually represent data by distorting the shape and size of geographic areas.

Geographic Features

• Continents: 7 large landmasses: Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America.
• Oceans: 5 large bodies of saltwater: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and Southern.
• Mountains: major ranges include Himalayas, Andes, Rocky Mountains, and Appalachian Mountains.

Human-Environment Interaction

• Environmental Determinism: the idea that the environment shapes human culture and behavior.
• Possibilism: the idea that humans have the ability to modify the environment to suit their needs.
• Sustainable Development: meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Branches of Geography

• Physical Geography focuses on natural features of the Earth's surface, including climate, landforms, and ecosystems.
• Human Geography focuses on human populations, cultures, economies, and their impact on the environment.

Key Concepts

• Latitude measures distance from the equator using imaginary lines that run east-west.
• Longitude measures distance from the prime meridian using imaginary lines that run north-south.
• Scale is the ratio of distance on a map to the corresponding distance in reality.
• Projection is a method of representing the curved Earth's surface on a 2D map.

Types of Maps

• Topographic Maps display relief features, such as mountains and valleys.
• Thematic Maps display specific data, such as climate, population, or economic information.
• Cartograms visually represent data by distorting the shape and size of geographic areas.

Geographic Features

• There are 7 continents: Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America.
• There are 5 oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and Southern.
• Major mountain ranges include the Himalayas, Andes, Rocky Mountains, and Appalachian Mountains.

Human-Environment Interaction

• Environmental Determinism suggests that the environment shapes human culture and behavior.
• Possibilism suggests that humans have the ability to modify the environment to suit their needs.
• Sustainable Development involves meeting present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.