World Geography and Tourism PDF

TH2304 WORLD GEOGRAPHY AND TOURISM Geography, according to the Royal Geographical Society, is the study of Earth’s landscape, people, place, and environment (Berglee, 2021). It is the ideal discipline for studying the global tourism industry. It is because tourism has...

TH2304 WORLD GEOGRAPHY AND TOURISM Geography, according to the Royal Geographical Society, is the study of Earth’s landscape, people, place, and environment (Berglee, 2021). It is the ideal discipline for studying the global tourism industry. It is because tourism has many fundamentally geographical aspects: it occurs in places, begins and sold in a place of origin and is consumed in destination places, transforms the environment of visited places in distinct manners from non-tourism processes, involves the movement of people, services, goods, ideas, and money over space, and presents a distinct way that people view, understand, and relate to the world (Che, 2023). Tourism is a geographical phenomenon regarding transferring people and services through space and time. Geography Essentials (Berglee, 2021) Maps A map is a representation of the world, and it contains pertinent information about a particular area (Berglee, 2021). These are various types of maps that one can use (Donesa and Aragon, 2023): Road map – It shows main roads and access to points of interest such as city landmarks and parks. Political map – It focuses on the boundary of a particular nation. Physical map – It generally shows terrain and bodies of water in a particular place. Climate map – It presents information about the climate of a particular area. Economic map – It shows economic resources available in the area, like corn, tobacco, copper, and iron. A tourist map is the most used map by travelers in exploring destinations and attractions. It shows a particular city or town's different points of interest and attractions. It can be acquired in the airport, tourist information counters, and accommodation places. Time Zones Universal Time (UT), Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), or Zulu Time (Z): all four (4) terms can be defined as the local time at 0 degrees longitude, which is the prime meridian (location of Greenwich, England). UTC is set in zero- to twenty-four-hour periods, as opposed to two (2) twelve-hour periods (a.m. and p.m.). The a.m. refers to ante meridiem or “before noon,” and the p.m. refers to post meridiem or “afternoon.” UT, UTC, GMT, and Z all refer to the same twenty-four-hour time system that assists in unifying a common time concerning global operations such as military operations, international radio broadcasts, and air traffic control systems. For example, all air flights use the twenty-four-hour time system so that pilots can coordinate flights across time zones worldwide. Land Divisions A continent is one of Earth's seven (7) land divisions. These land divisions are Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia, arranged from largest to smallest. These continents are discussed as follows (National Geographic, 2022): North America. It is the third-largest continent, extending from the Aleutian Islands in the northwest to the Isthmus of Panama in the south. It includes the enormous island of Greenland in the northeast. The continent stretches halfway around the world in the far north, from Greenland to the Aleutians. It contains varied natural wonders. All types of vegetation and landforms can be found within its boundaries, such as: o Copper Canyon. It is found in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, featuring deep canyons. 02 Handout 1 *Property of STI [email protected] Page 1 of 8  TH2304 o Yellowstone National Park. It is in Wyoming and features some of the world’s most active geysers. o Canada’s Bay of Fundy. It has the greatest variation of tide levels in the world. o The Great Lakes. It forms the planet’s largest area of freshwater. o Giant sequoias in California. These are the world’s most massive trees, growing more than 76 meters tall and nearly 31 meters around. Greenland, the world’s largest island, is off the east coast of Canada. Greenland is mostly covered with ice despite its name. Its ice is a remain of the great ice sheets that once covered much of the North American continent. Besides Antarctica, Greenland is the only place that still has an ice sheet. North America has more climate variation than any other continent, from the freezing Arctic to the tropical jungles of Central America. Nearly every type of ecosystem is represented someplace on the continent, from the Great Plains in the United States and Canada to Greenland’s ice sheet to the coral reefs in the Caribbean. The continent is home to the citizens of Canada, the United States, Greenland (an autonomous territory of Denmark), Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and the island countries and territories that mark the Caribbean Sea and the western North Atlantic. South America. It is connected to North America by the narrow Isthmus of Panama. It is the fourth- largest continent, extending from the beaches of the Caribbean Sea to the freezing waters near the Antarctic Circle. Its southernmost islands, Tierra del Fuego, are less than 1,120 kilometers from Antarctica. o The Andes, Earth’s longest terrestrial mountain range, stretch the entire length of South America. Numerous active volcanoes mark the range. o The central-southern area of the continent has pampas or plains that are perfect for agriculture. Wheat growing is a major industry in the Pampas. Grazing animals, such as cattle and sheep, are also raised in the pampas region. o The Amazon River and its streams flow through the world’s largest tropical rainforest in northern South America. In volume, the Amazon is the largest river in the world. o The continent is home to the world’s highest waterfall, Angel Falls, in Venezuela. Water flows over 979 meters—almost one mile. The falls are so tall that most of the water becomes mist or blown away by wind before reaching the ground. o The continent's rainforests have an enormous wealth of plant and animal life. Over 15,000 species of animals and plants are found only in the Amazon Basin. Many plant species are sources of food and medicine for the rest of the world. These countries comprise South America: Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay, Guyana, and Suriname. The territories of French Guiana, which France claims, and the Falkland Islands, which are administered by the United Kingdom but claimed by Argentina, are also part of South America. Europe. It is the sixth-largest continent, containing just seven (7) percent of the world’s land. This continent is only slightly larger than the country of Canada in total area. However, its population is more than twice that of South America. It has 46 countries and many major cities, including London, the United Kingdom, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Madrid, and Moscow. 02 Handout 1 *Property of STI [email protected] Page 2 of 8  TH2304 European countries, most of them, have access to the ocean. The Arctic Ocean continent borders the continent in the north, the Caspian Sea in the southeast, the Atlantic Ocean in the west, and the Mediterranean and Black Seas in the south. In the eastern part, the Ural Mountains divide Europe from Asia. Russia and Kazakhstan connect both continents. The Kjølen [choe-luhn] Mountains Range spreads along the northern part of the border between Norway and Sweden. In the southern part, the Alps curve from Albania to Austria, then across Switzerland and northern Italy into France. The Alps geographically bear a resemblance to the Rockies of North America. A large area of plains continues from northern France to the Urals. The warm summers, cold winters, and plenty of rain help make much of the area agriculturally productive. Western Europe’s climate, especially around the Mediterranean Sea, makes it one of the leading tourist destinations in the world. Africa. It is the second-largest continent, covering more than three (3) times that of the United States. Africa stretches about 8,000 kilometers from north to south. The Isthmus of Suez in Egypt connects it to Asia. o The Sahara covers much of North Africa and is the largest hot desert in the world. o The Nile, the world’s longest river, flows more than 6,560 kilometers from Lake Victoria to the Mediterranean Sea in the north. This river played a valuable role in Africa’s history. In early Egyptian civilization, it was a source of food, water, and transportation. o The top half of Africa is mostly a dry, hot desert. The middle area has savannas (transitional zones between a forest and a grassland) or grassy, flat plains. The region is home to animals like lions, giraffes, elephants, hyenas, cheetahs, and wildebeests. o Rainforests dominate central and southern areas of Africa. Many of these forests flourish around great rivers, the Congo, the Zambezi, and the Niger. But, trees are being cut down in Africa’s rainforests to develop agriculture, homes, and businesses. o Much of Africa is a high plateau bounded by strips of coastal lowlands. Glaciers on Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, covered with snow all year long, sit just kilometers from the tropical jungles. The continent is home to 54 countries but only 16 percent of the world’s population. Central-eastern Africa is important to scientists studying evolution and the earliest human origins. The area is thought to be the place where hominids began to develop. Asia. It is the largest continent, stretching from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Western Pacific Ocean. It accounts for almost a third of the world’s land. It is home to more than 40 countries. Some are among the most-populated nations in the world, including China, Indonesia, and India. Sixty percent of Earth’s population lives in Asia. The continent includes many islands, some of which are countries unto themselves. The Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Japan are major island nations in Asia. Most of Asia’s people live in cities or fertile farming areas near river valleys, plains, and coasts. Asia has many climate regions, from tropical in equatorial Indonesia to polar in the Siberian Arctic. The Gobi Desert in China and Mongolia, parts of Central Asia, is dry year-round. Southeast Asia, on the other hand, depends on the annual monsoons, which bring rain and make agriculture possible. Monsoon rains and snowmelt feed Asian rivers such as the Ganges, the Yellow, the Mekong, the Indus, and the Yangtze. The rich valley between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in western Asia is called the “Fertile Crescent” for its place in developing agriculture and human civilization. 02 Handout 1 *Property of STI [email protected] Page 3 of 8  TH2304 Asia is the most mountainous of all the continents. More than 50 of the highest peaks in the world are in Asia. Mount Everest, which reaches more than 8,700 meters high in the Himalaya range, is the highest point on Earth. These mountains have become major destination spots for adventurous travelers. It also contains the shores of the Dead Sea, the lowest place on land, found in Israel and Jordan. The land lies more than 390 meters below sea level. Australia. Aside from being the smallest continent, it is also the flattest. It is sometimes called Oceania to include the thousands of tiny islands of the Central and South Pacific, most notably Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. However, the continent includes only Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea (the eastern portion of the island of New Guinea). It covers less than 8.5 million square kilometers. Its population is about 31 million, the most sparsely populated continent after Antarctica. Most of the people of Australia live in cities along the eastern and southern coasts of the mainland. Major cities include Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide. o A plateau in mainland Australia makes up most of the continent’s total area. Rainfall is light on the plateau, and few people have settled. o The Great Dividing Range, a long mountain range, rises near the east coast and extends from the northern part of the territory of Queensland through the territories of New South Wales and Victoria. o Mainland Australia is known for the Outback, a desert area in the interior. It is so dry, hot, and barren that few people live in the area. o The continent also features tropical beaches, lavish equatorial rainforests on the island of New Guinea, and towering mountain peaks and glaciers in New Zealand, aside from the hot plateaus and deserts in mainland Australia. o Biologists who study animals consider Australia a living laboratory. Animals unique to Australia include the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus), the platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), and the Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii). o The Great Barrier Reef, off mainland Australia’s northeast coast, is the world’s largest coral reef ecosystem. It is home to thousands of species of fish, sponges, marine mammals, corals, and crustaceans. The reef is 1,920 kilometers of living coral communities and is the world’s largest living organism by some estimates. Antarctica. It is the windiest, driest, and iciest place on Earth. It is larger than Europe or Australia, but unlike those continents, it has no permanent human population. People who work there are scientific researchers and support staff, such as pilots and cooks. The climate of Antarctica makes it impossible to support agriculture or a permanent civilization. Temperatures in Antarctica, much lower than Arctic temperatures, plunge lower than -73 degrees Celsius. Antarctica is almost completely covered with ice, sometimes as thick as 3.2 kilometers. In winter, its surface area may double as pack ice builds up in the ocean around the continent. Like all other continents, Antarctica has volcanic activity. The most active volcano is Mount Erebus, which is less than 1,392 kilometers from the South Pole. Its frequent eruptions are evidenced by hot, molten rock beneath the continent’s icy surface. Antarctica has no countries, but scientific bases and laboratories have been established for geology, oceanography, and meteorology studies. Scientific groups from different countries inhabit the research stations. A multinational treaty negotiated in 1959 and reviewed in 1991 states that research 02 Handout 1 *Property of STI [email protected] Page 4 of 8  TH2304 in Antarctica can only be used for peaceful purposes. McMurdo Station, the largest community in Antarctica, is operated by the United States. Vostok Station, where the coldest temperature on Earth was recorded, is operated by Russia. Mutually, the continents add up to about 148 million square kilometers of land. They make up most but not all of Earth’s land surface. A small portion of the land comprises islands that are not considered physical parts of continents. The ocean covers almost three-fourths of Earth. The area of the ocean is more than double that of all the continents combined. All continents border at least one ocean. Climates Climate characterizes the average weather conditions for a particular location over time. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) actively coordinates the study of climate variations, extremes, and change over the past, present, and future. It also supports the study of climate impacts on various socio- economic and tourism sectors to support evidence-based decision-making on managing the risks of climate variability and adapting to a changing climate to ensure human safety and well-being (WMO, 2022). In the late 1800s and early 1900s, a German climate scientist named Wladimir Köppen divided the world's climates into classifications. It was based on the temperature, the amount of precipitation or rainfall, and the times of the year when rain occurs, referred to as the Köppen Classification System. Köppen classifies climate into the following different types (Berglee, 2021). Type A: Tropical Climate. Regions with this climate have warm temperatures year-round with high precipitation levels, typically rain. Some Type A climates produce dry and wet seasons (monsoon), while others receive consistent rainfall throughout the year. Tropical climates typically exist in Central America and Southeast Asia. Type B: Dry Climate. Areas with this type of climate have temperatures that can be extreme, with little precipitation. They experience low rainfall and high temperatures during the day and cooler night temperatures during the winter. Terrains can range from sand deserts to grasslands, such as deserts in Africa, Saudi Arabia, and Australia. Type C: Temperate Climate. This climate is often described as moderate in temperature and precipitation, typically with warm and humid summers with thunderstorms and mild winters. This climate is mainly found in the midlatitudes bordering the tropics, such as North America, South America, Africa, and Australia. Type D: Continental Climate. This type pertains to cold climates and is often found in the interiors of continents away from the moderating influence of large bodies of water. They are often farther north than Type C regions, resulting in colder winters. Precipitation is usually in the form of rain in summer and snow in winter. Some regions with this climate include the Great Lakes region of the United States, much of Canada, and a large portion of Russia. Type E: Polar Climate. This type pertains to extreme climates and is found in the polar regions near or north of the Arctic Circle and near or south of the Antarctic Circle. Regions with Type E climates are cold, with permanent ice or permafrost year-round; temperatures may warm slightly during the summer but rarely rise above 50 degrees. Climate is an essential commodity for tourism, especially for outdoor, nature-based, and weather-related tourism activities. It constitutes an important priority for many tourists when choosing which destination to visit. Environment and weather are critical considerations in the performance sustainability of tourism destinations, which is why tourism is remarkably adaptive and vulnerable to climate. All tourism destinations are climate-sensitive to a degree. They are positively or negatively affected by interannual climate variability that brings heatwaves, unseasonable cold, drought or storms, and heavy rain, impacting tourist comfort and 02 Handout 1 *Property of STI [email protected] Page 5 of 8  TH2304 safety and products that attract tourists (e.g., snow cover, coral reefs, and wildlife). Climate variability also influences various facets of tourism operations (e.g., water supply and quality, heating and cooling costs, snowmaking requirements, irrigation needs, and pest management). Languages Language is human culture’s mode of communication, representing the complete diversity of thought, literature, and the arts. A language consists of words and sounds used structurally and is communicated between people through speaking, writing, and gestures. The United Nations (UN) has six (6) official languages: Chinese, Arabic, English, French, Russian, and Spanish (Lane, 2023). These are the nine (9) dominant language families in the world: Indo-European, Sino-Tibetan, Niger-Congo, Afro-Asiatic, Austronesian, Dravidian, Altaic, Austro-Asiatic, and Japonic languages. Each of the languages within the family shares a common ancestry. An example of a language family is the Indo-European family, which has several branches of language groups from the same base: Proto-Indo-European, probably spoken about six thousand years ago (Berglee, 2021). As populations migrated from their ancestral homeland, their language developed and separated into many new languages. The three (3) biggest language groups of the Indo-European family used in Europe are the Romance, Germanic, and Slavic groups. Hindi (used in India) and Persian (used in Iran) are other Indo-European languages. Almost half of the world’s population claims one (1) of only 10 languages as their mother tongue. As published by Babbel Magazine in February 2023, the 10 most spoken languages in the world according to the number of native speakers are the following: Chinese, Spanish, English, Arabic, Hindi, Bengali, Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, and Lahnda (a Pakistani macro language that primarily includes Western Punjabi). Religions Religious geography studies the distribution of religions and their relationship to their place of origin. Religious geographers recognize these three (3) main types of religions (Berglee, 2021): Universal religions. These include Islam, Christianity, and numerous forms of Buddhism. These religions try to gain worldwide acceptance and appeal to all types of people. They actively look for members or converts. Ethnic religions. These appeal to a single ethnic group or culture. These religions do not actively seek converts. Broader ethnic religions include Shintoism, Judaism, Hinduism, and Chinese religions embracing Confucianism and Taoism. Traditional religions. These involve the belief in some form of supernatural power that people can use for help, including ancestral worship and the belief in spirits living in various aspects of nature, such as trees, mountaintops, and streams (often called animism). World’s Primary Religions Christianity and Islam – These originated from Judaism in the eastern Mediterranean and the Arabian Peninsula. Both monotheistic religions look to the Jewish patriarch Abraham as a founding personage. Christianity spread rapidly through the Roman Empire. It is based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, who lived in Palestine in the first century CE. Islam is based on the teachings of Muhammad, a seventh-century religious and political figure who lived on the Arabian Peninsula. It spread rapidly across North Africa, east across southern Asia, and north to Europe in the centuries after Muhammad’s death. Buddhism – It is a religion based on Siddhartha Gautama’s life and teachings, who lived in present- day India/Nepal around the fifth century Before Common Era (BCE). Buddhism has three (3) main 02 Handout 1 *Property of STI [email protected] Page 6 of 8  TH2304 branches: southern or Theravada Buddhism, northern or Vajrayana (Tibetan) Buddhism, and eastern or Mahayana Buddhism. Hinduism – This is a religious tradition that originated from the Indian subcontinent. It is one of the oldest major religions still practiced globally, dating back to 2000 BCE or earlier. Hinduism has no single founder; it is a mixture of diverse beliefs and traditions. It has a large body of scripture, including the Vedas (oldest sacred books), the Upanishads (philosophical-religious texts), and epic tales such as the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. Sikhism – This religion is founded in the Punjab region of southern Asia. It is a monotheistic religion centered on justice and faith. It values the principle of equality between all people. The former gurus’ writings are the religion’s basis. Judaism – It is the religion of the Jewish, whose ethics and traditions are expressed in the Tanakh and the Talmud, Jewish religious texts. According to Jewish traditions, Judaism commenced with the treaty between God and Abraham around 2000 BCE. Shintoism – This is a major ethnic religion of Japan focused on worshipping kami (Shinto gods), which are spirits of places, things, and processes. Confucianism and Taoism – These Chinese religions are based on the teachings of religious scholars such as Confucius and morality. Religion has, over the years, had great impacts on tourism. Many religious sites also double as key tourist attractions. One form of tourism is religious tourism, whereby people travel individually or in groups to visit different places for purposes such as missionary work or pilgrimage, among other religious activities. Countries with deep religious roots lead this form of tourism, like the case of Jerusalem, one of the largest religious cities globally. It is a perfect example of the remarkably great effects of religion on tourism. Political Systems (Pressbooks, n.d.) States and governments are present worldwide. In this case, the state means the political unit within which power and authority reside. A unit can be a whole nation or a subdivision within a nation. Government refers to people directing a nation's political affairs, but it can also mean the type of rule by which a state is run. Another term used is political system. The type of government under which people live has fundamental implications for their freedom, welfare, and lives. With the changes in conditions worldwide, the forms of government also changed. The following are the main forms: Democracy. In Greek, the term democracy means “rule of the people.” It is a political system where all citizens have the equal right to have their voices heard. In a direct or pure democracy, people make decisions about the policies and distribution of resources that directly affect them. However, such a form is impractical when the number of people exceeds a few hundred. Representative democracy is more common. In this type, people choose officials to represent them in legislative votes on affairs affecting the population. People in democracies have more freedom. Democracies exist in North America, Western Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Monarchy. It is a political system in which power resides in a single family that rules from generation to generation. In absolute monarchies, the royal family has a divine right to exercise considerable power and rule over their kingdom. In constitutional monarchies, the royal family plays a symbolic and ceremonial role and enjoys little real power. Instead, the executive and legislative branches of the government – the prime minister and parliament in several nations – run the government, and even 02 Handout 1 *Property of STI [email protected] Page 7 of 8  TH2304 the royal family continues to command admiration and respect. Constitutional monarchies exist in Denmark, Great Britain, Norway, Spain, and Sweden. Oligarchy. A small, elite group holds power in an oligarchy. Unlike monarchy, Oligarchy members do not necessarily achieve their statuses due to ties to noble ancestry. Instead, they may rise to positions of power because of economic power, military might, or similar circumstances. Oligarchies have lasted throughout history, and today, many count Russia as an example of an oligarchic political structure. Authoritarianism and Totalitarianism. Authoritarianism is a political system where a person or a group of persons holds power, restricts or forbids popular participation in governance, and suppresses opposition. Totalitarianism includes all the features of authoritarianism but is even more repressive as it tries to regulate and control all aspects of citizens’ fortunes and lives. People can be imprisoned for not following acceptable practices or even killed if they oppose in the mildest ways. These exist in North Korea, Libya, Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan. As a product and service-oriented industry, tourism could generate widespread benefits and impacts to the economy and society. It contributes to poverty alleviation, environmental conservation, and the generation of employment opportunities for women, indigenous communities, and young people. Additionally, tourism could be a source of revenue and provide opportunities for local economic development. Looking at its socio- economic benefits, communities must capitalize on opportunities from tourism. One of the major authorities that provide the key roles to this success is that of local government units (LGUs). LGUs could provide the ideal authority, infrastructure, policy, and planning procedures to maximize tourism benefits for its communities. LGUs play a primary role in the development of a community, provide the linkages between the people and government, address its community’s problems and concerns, enforce policies, and influence its communities (Javier & Elazigue, n.d.). References: Berglee, R. (2021). World regional geography: People, places, and globalization. University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing. Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2023). Iron Curtain. In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 25 May 2023, from https://www.britannica.com/event/Iron-Curtain on Che, D. (2023). Tourism geography. In Oxford Bibliographies. Retrieved 4 July 2023, from https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/display/document/obo-9780199874002/obo-9780199874002-0156.xml Donesa, L. and Aragon, L. (2023). Global culture and tourism geography. Rex Book Store. Evers, J., et. al (2022). Continent. National Geographic. Retrieved 18 September 2023, from https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/Continent/ Forms of Government. (n.d.). In StudySmarter. Retrieved 18 September 2023, from https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/explanations/social-studies/social-institutions/forms-of-government/ Javier, A. and Elazigue, D. (n.d.) Opportunities and challenges in tourism development roles of local government units in the Philippines. Retrieved 18 September 2023, from https://www2.gsid.nagoya-u.ac.jp/blog/anda/files/2011/08/5-rolesjaviere38080.pdf Lane, James (09 February 2023). The 10 most spoken languages in the world. Retrieved 24 April 2023, from https://www.babbel.com/en/magazine/the-10-most-spoken-languages-in-the-world National Geographic. (2023). Continents. In National Geographic Society. Retrieved on 14 September 2023, from https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/Continent/ Pellergrini, G. (n.d). Geography and tourism [PDF]. Retrieved 4 July 2023, from https://almatourism.unibo.it/article/download/1713/1083/3406 Types of Political Systems. (n.d.). In Pressbooks. Retrieved 18 September 2023, from https://pressbooks.howardcc.edu/soci101/chapter/14-2-types-of-political-systems/ World Meteorological Organization. (2022). Climate. Retrieved 18 September 2023, from https://public.wmo.int/en/our- mandate/climate 02 Handout 1 *Property of STI [email protected] Page 8 of 8