INTRODUCTION TO REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY
(Why Study Geography?)
• “To write about the earth”
• The study of place and space
• Studies the location and distribution of features on the earth’s surface
• Studies human activity, the natural environment, and the relationship between the two
• Answers where? and why?
What is Geography?
Geography Matters
• Humans modify the Earth
• Places are interdependent
• This interdependence crosses scales
• “Everything is related to everything else, but near things are more related than distant things.”
Humans as Modifiers of the Earth
• Physical features• Cultural attitudes• Individual action
• Interdependence
Physical Features Includes natural and built environments
Cultural AttitudesReflect many aspects of a society’s relationship to their environment (gender, class, religion). These attitudes change over time and can be contradictory.
Individual actions and choices
Places are interdependent
• What is a “place”?
location+meaning
• Places are nodes• Places combine with
other places to become ‘regions’
Place+Location = Meaning
Place interdependence crosses scales
Glocalization
“Everything is related to everything else, but near things are more
related than distant things.”
• Whether discussing landscapes or regions, ordinary or symbolic places, bodies or states, globalization touches every aspect of our lives. Geographers track the networks and webs of political, social and economic globalization.
Friction of Distance andConnectivity
• More than just absolute distance
• Erasure of distance by technology
Individual Activity Space (where and when we interact)
These are effected by:• Territoriality Mental Maps• Activity space Stage in Life• Mobility Opportunities
Interaction Creates Diffusion
Section Summary
• We live in places.
• Those places (and the people in them) are related in minor and major ways to every other spot on the globe.
• Geographers study how those relationships formed and what they might mean for the future.
The Tools of Geography
1. Our brains and senses
2. The library
3. The ‘Region’
4. Maps
Taxonomy: kingdom, phylum,class, order, family, genus, species
Biologists
Geologists Three major groups, subsidiarygroups, geological time
Historians Eras, ages, periods
GeographersGeographic realms and/or regions based on sets of spatial criteria
Classification Systems
World Geographic Realms
• Realms are– based on spatial criteria
– the largest geographic units into which the world can be divided
– based on both physical (natural) and human (cultural) features
• Where geographic realms meet, transition zones, not sharp boundaries, mark their contact
• These zones are areas of spatial change where peripheries of two adjacent realms or regions join
• Zones are marked by a gradual shift (rather than a sharp break) in the characteristics that distinguish neighboring realms e.g.
Transition Zones
Geographical Classification
The World
RealmsRegions
• Areas of the earth’s surface marked by certain properties
• Based on criteria we establish
• Criteria can be:– Human (cultural) properties
– Physical (natural) characteristics
– or both
• Regions are smaller and more detailed than realms
Regions
Geographers study different kinds of regions to see the patterns and processes of Globalization
• Functional regions
• Formal regions
• Vernacular regions
A region based on its dynamic internal structure
Functional Regions
Example: Los Angeles Metropolitan Area
• A spatial system focused on a central core
• A region formed by a set of places and their functional integration
• Also called a nodal region
Other Examples of Functional Regions
• Marked by a certain degree of homogeneity in one or more phenomena
• Also called uniform regions or homogeneous regions
Formal Regions
Examples:
- Corn Belt
- Megalopolis
Formal culture regions
Formal Culture Regions
• Formal culture regions
Vernacular regions
Another Vernacular region
Maps are a Tool
• Maps are representations of reality, NOT reality
• All maps have an author, patron, and audience
• All maps have bias, omissions, and distortions
Some obvious…
• Some are
Some less obvious…
• Some hidden behind regular use
The most common maps: projections
• World projections are not free from propaganda
Other kinds of maps: Thematic
GIS
• Insert ANY mapquest map here….
Section Summary
• We are our best tool for understanding our world
• Geographers look for patterns in our environment and then try and map them
• The analysis that we do and the maps that we make are necessarily partial. They are representations of the real world they are NOT reality.
The 4 Traditions of Geography
1. Earth Science Tradition
2. Culture-environment Tradition
3. Locational Tradition
4. Area Analysis Tradition
Top Related