Download Basics of Geography

Basics of Geography
Chapter 1 Section 1: Exploring Geography
The word Geography comes from the Greek word _______________which means “to describe
the earth.” ___________________ is the study of the distribution and interaction of physical and
human features on the earth.
The Five Themes
1. Location - Answers the question “Where is it?”
______________________is the exact place on earth where a geographic feature, such
as a city, is located. ________________ describes a place in comparison to other places
around it.
2. ___________ - Answers the question “What is it like?”
Place includes physical features (climate, landforms, & vegetation) and human features
(dams, highways, or houses).
3. ___________ - Answers the question “How are places similar or different?”
A region is an area of the earth’s surface with similar characteristics. Regions usually
have more than one characteristic that unifies them.
4. ____________ - Answers the questions “How do people, ideas, and products move from one
location to another?”
5. ________________________________________ looks at the different ways people use, alter,
and respond to aspects of their environment.
Chapter 1 Section 2: The Geographers Craft
The Two Branches of Geography
_________________ focuses on the study of Earth’s physical features. __________________, or
cultural geography, studies human activities and their relationship to the environment
Geographers at Work
The first step in making a map is to complete a field survey. Surveyors observe, measure, and
record what they see in a specific area. ___________________(map makers) then use this
information and computers to construct maps.
Among the satellites that geographers use to provide geographic data, the best known are
____________ and GOES (Geostationary Operational Environment Satellite, a weather satellite)
Another tool of geographers, the ______________
__System (GPS), was developed to help
military forces know exactly where they are on the earth’s surface. The geographer’s newest tool
is the __________________________System (GIS). This system uses digital map information to
create a databank.