World Geography

World Geography

Chapter 1: How Geographers look at the World

How would yo describe the world?

How would you describe the world around you? Would it be in terms of people, places, things, or all of these? Geography is the study of the earth's physical features and the living things--humans, animals, and plants--that inhabit the planet. Geography looks at where all of these elements are located and how they relate to one another. In this section you will gain an understanding of what geography is and why it is important to study it.

Journal Time!

Write a journal entry describing the part of the world in which you live--it's physical features, plant and animal life, and people.

What you must have in this journal entry:

1. Describe where you live, what does it look like?

2. What types of plants and animals live there?

3. What type of people live there?

The Elements of Geography

The root of the word geography is an ancient Greek word meaning "earth description." Geographers are specialists who describe the earth's physical and human features and the interactions of people, places, and environments.They not only describe but also search for patterns in these features and interactions, seeking to explain how and why they exist or occur. For example, geographers may study volcanoes and why they erupt, or may analyze a city's location in relation to climate, landscape, and available transportation. in their work geographers consider:

1. the world in spacial terms (location)

2. places and regions

3. physical systems

4. human systems

5. environment and society

6. the use of geography

The World in Spatial Terms

Spatial relations refer to the links that places and people have to one another because of their location. For geographers, location, or a specific place on the earth,is a reference point in the same way that dates are reference points for historians.

Absolute Location

One way of locating a place is by describing its absolute location--the exact spot at which the place is found on the globe. To determine absolute location, geographers use a network of imaginary lines around the earth. The Equator, the line circling the earth midway between the North and South Poles, divides the earth into hemispheres, or two halves (Northern and Southern). The Prime Meridian, the 0 degree north-south line that runs through Greenwich, England, and the 180 degree north-south line running through the mid-Pacific Ocean also divide the earth into hemispheres (Eastern and Western)

The Equator, the Prime Meridian and other lines of latitude and longitude cross one another to form apattern called a grid system. Using the grid, you can name the absolute, or precise, location of any place on Earth. This location is generally stated in terms of latitude, degrees north or south of the Equator, and longitude, degrees east or west of the Prime Meridian. For example, Dallas Texas, is located at latitude 32 degrees north and longitude 96 degrees west.