Introduction to World Geography PDF

By: Rian R. Tolomia, LPT Geography - is the spatial study of the Earth’s surface. Geo (greek word) which means “Earth” Graphein (greek word) which means “To write” Geographers - study the earth’s physical characteristics, its inhabitants and cultures, phenomenon such...

By: Rian R. Tolomia, LPT Geography - is the spatial study of the Earth’s surface. Geo (greek word) which means “Earth” Graphein (greek word) which means “To write” Geographers - study the earth’s physical characteristics, its inhabitants and cultures, phenomenon such as climate, and the earth’s place within the universe. Geographers - study the “why of where” which can be simplified to “why there” or “why here”? Where did early settlements like Jamestown tend to spring up and plant roots? It was generally around water sources. Geogpraher would then ask and seek to explain “why there?” Eratosthenes of Cyrene - who first known use the word “Geography” or they called as “Father of Geography” He devised one of the first systems of Longitude and Latitude and calculated the earth’s circumference He created one of the first maps of the world based on the available knowledge of the time Main focus of Geography 1. Physical Geography 2. Human Geography 3. Regional Geography 4. Geospatial Technologies 5. Environmental Geography Why study Geography? 1. Understand people around you Why does Michigan generally have colder temperatures in the winter than Florida? Why is a home on the beach so expensive? Have humans had an effect on the climate of the earth? When studying geography you can learn the answers to questions such as these which help you make sense of the world around you. 2. Becoming a global citizen Back in the early 1900s it could take a person coming from Europe to America over a week to make it from one port to the next. Now, flights leave major airports and have people at their destination within hours. When a natural disaster happens in one part of the world, it can affect daily life on another. A tsunami in Japan back in March of 2011 ended up affecting more countries than just Japan. 2. Becoming a global citizen We are citizens of the United Stated of America, but no matter where we live, we are also residents of this ball of rock floating in space. What does that mean? 3. Learning about people and societies If you slurp your soup in America, folks might call you rude. Burp at the table and it’s possible your parents might send you to your room without any dessert. In Japan however, holding a bowl of soup and noodles up to your mouth to eat it is considered a sign to the chef that the food is delicious. Slurping and all! 3. Learning about people and societies In parts of China, burping after a meal is considered a sign of appreciation. Studying geography allows you to learn more than just where a country is located on a map, but what the people and society are like as well. 4. Learning about locations This may be the piece of geography that sticks in almost everyone’s mind, but geography is the study of locations. We do this by studying maps, pictures, Geographic Information Systems data, visiting and exploring these places, among others. 5. Connections All of these things together help us explore the idea of how the world around us affects every day life, as well as the connections between how we relate to all of that  is a representation or drawing of the earth's surface or a part of its area drawn on a flat surface. A map is always made according to a scale.  TYPES OF MAPS: 1. Physical Maps 2. Political Maps 3.Thematic Maps  Maps showing natural features of the earth such as mountains, plateaus, plains, rivers, oceans etc. are called physical or relief maps.  Maps showing cities, towns and villages and different countries and states of the world with their boundaries.  Some maps focus on specific information such as maps, rainfall maps, maps showing distribution of forests, industries etc. Suitable titles are given on the basis of information provided in these maps.  Mercator Projection and the parallels of latitude are parallel horizontal straight Used for a navigator on a ship lines that are spaced farther but does not project the world and farther apart as their as it is due to the distorted distance from the Equator size of certain areas. increases. The meridians are equally spaced parallel vertical lines,  Gal - Peters a helpful corrective to the Projection distortions of traditional maps for countries to fit on a flat is a cylindrical projection of surface. the world. It offers a representation of the nations in their true proportion to one another, which provides  Goode Robinson Homolosine Projection Projection is an attempt to compromise more commonly as Interrupted and show the landmasses as Projection. close to their natural size and In this type there is very little shape as possible on a two distortion in terms of size of dimensional representation. continents, however it is very difficult to calculate distances on a map such as this.  A globe is a spherical model of Earth. It gives us a three-dimensional view of the whole Earth by showing directions, distances, areas, etc. A model globe of Earth is known as a terrestrial globe. A model globe of the celestial sphere is called a celestial globe. are horizontal lines that measure distance north or south of the equator. are vertical lines that measure east or west of the meridian in Greenwich, England. known as remotely sensed images, permit accurate mapping of land cover and make landscape features understandable on regional, continental, and even global scales.  is a space-based radio-navigation system consisting of a constellation of satellites broadcasting navigation signals and a network of ground stations and satellite control stations used for monitoring and control. is a computer system for capturing, storing, checking, and displaying data related to positions on Earth's surface. GIS can show many different kinds of data on one map, such as streets, buildings, and vegetation.  Ask a Geographic Question Answer Geographic Acquire Geographic Question Information Analyze Geographic Organize Geographic Information Information