World Geography

An Introduction

Different Perspectives

Scientists are concerned with process. The focus is on causes and effects that occur regardless of time or place. Key questions often begin with “how.”

Historians are concerned with time. The focus is on time of events and what happens before and after them. Key questions often begin with “when.”

Geographers are concerned with space. The focus is on the locations of things, conditions in a particular place, and connections among places. Key questions usually begin with “where.” This is the geographic perspective.

Geographic Perspective

Three Simple Ideas: 1) There are reasons for things

being where they are. 2) There are advantages for

things being in appropriate places.

3) There are penalties for things being in the wrong places.

Transportation Map

Are bus stations in convenient places?

Are there enoughBus routes in Kuwait?

Where should new stations and routesbe placed?

Definition

Geography is the discipline that helps us understand why something we know here, in this location, may be better in another location.

Where?

We make decisions about where to put or do things every day. These decisions have consequences that depend on where you are.

Think about where the bathroom is located in your house. If it’s in the center of the house, people can get to it easily. However, if it’s located at one end of the home, it might take a few seconds more.

A few seconds doesn’t seem like much, but in a city of 1 million, those few seconds can make a difference.

“Spatial Knowledge”

Imagine you are alone and injured in a strange city where you can not speak the language.

Imagine you are about to take a long train ride. What should you carry with you?

It all depends on where you are going, and where you are right now.

These simple scenarios can become more complex: For example, a decision about where to deploy a United Nations peace-keeping envoy can mean the difference between war and peace.

This kind of thinking is called “Spatial Knowledge.”

Benefits of Spatial Knowledge

efficiency, safety, fairness, and beauty.

Just like the location of rooms in a house, the locations of things in a city are important decisions.

Every decision is made based on where someone is.

Types of Geography

Regional Geography Looks at spatial patterns in one area

(narrow perspective)

Topical Geography Looks at spatial patterns from a broad

perspective

Regional Geography

The study of many geographical items in one area Climate, soil, population, economy,

politics, religious beliefs, historical events…

Focuses on what makes a place special or unique

Regional Geography uses reference maps.

Reference Maps

Uses different colors and symbols to show the locations of things in a specific area.

Reference maps allow geographers to know what resources are available in a place, and how people use their land.

Reference Map: What does it tell me?

Reference Map: What does it tell me?

Topical Geography

The study of spatial patterns from a broad perspective

Thematic Maps

Topical geography uses thematic maps.

Thematic maps show where a specific thing occurs within a large area.

Thematic Maps: What does it tell me?

Thematic Map: What does it tell me?

Geographical Scissors

Geographers use both regional and topical geography together.

They also use both reference and thematic maps at the same time.

Why? To answer questions about spatial patterns.

Geographical Scissors

More specifically, geographic scissors allow us to see how global forces are influenced by local decisions.

Examples: What happens when Kuwait produces

less oil? What if nuclear power plants are

damaged in Japan?