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Teaching the Five Fundamental Themes of GeographyBy Brooks Green

Introduction

This is a presentation that can be used to teach the Five Fundamental Themes of Geography. The presentation begins with a brief explanation of each theme then uses the characteristics of the former Yugoslavia to illustrate each theme. Fifteen maps are included. Each map can be copied or overhead transparencies can be made from them. They can also be scanned and put into a PowerPoint slide presentation.

The Five Themes

Location: There are two types of location – absolute and relative. Absolute location enables us to pinpoint, with precision, the location of something on Earth’s surface. Three common examples are house addresses, latitude and longitude, or seating charts. For example, a house address may be 205 East Maple Avenue; an latitude and longitude may be 35° North, 92° West; and a seating chart might show that a student is sitting in row 2, column 4. Two other less common and perhaps less understood examples are the UTM (UniversalTransverse Mercator) and the State Plane Coordinate Systems. Relative location is when we speak of some location as it is related to another location. For example, Conway is located just north of Little Rock in Central Arkansas adjacent to the Arkansas River and just south of Greenbrier. Relative location is always referred to in relation to some other location. Another useful example is the Strait of Hormuz. It is an important body of water because of its location at the entrance to the Persian Gulf and because it is near the Middle East oil fields.

Place: In the context of the Five Themes, place refers to the nature of or character of the physical or natural and the human or cultural features of a portion of Earth’s surface. Physical or natural features include landforms, climate, soils, water features, vegetation, and animal life. It is common to identify then explain why these features are not the same everywhere and the processes that created that variability. Human or cultural featuresinclude anything that is on Earth’s surface that was placed there by people or are part of a people’s culture. This includes such things as cities, fields, tree plantations, orchards, canals, reservoirs, roads, fences, sidewalks, buildings, etc. In this context it is important to understand why these features are located where they are, why they are not the same in every location, and what human needs caused them to be needed. Additionally, religion, language, and ethnicity are cultural features that can be examined geographically because they are not the same everywhere.

Human/Environment Interaction: This theme focuses on the interaction between physical or natural features and human or cultural features and the impact that each may have on the other. For example, vast areas of natural vegetation have been destroyed to plant crops

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for human consumption. Vast forests have been cut to provide lumber to build houses. These changes demonstrate how people modify Earth’s surface as they interact with it. Conversely, physical or natural phenomena have an impact on people. For example, floods force people to relocate and damage cropland. Earthquakes can destroy cities, cause tsunamis which may destroy humans and their features. The location of a mountain range may force transportation to go around rather than through. Or, wheat can be grown in the Great Plains, but rice cannot because of the impact of the Rocky Mountains on precipitation.

Movement: Geographers are interested in anything that moves on Earth’s surface. Movement means that something had to start at some location, moved from that location, and ended up in another location. Thus, the three elements of movement – the point of beginning, the path of movement, and the place of ending – are inherently geographic. For example, water flows from one place to another. Where did it start flowing? What was the path of the flow? Where did it stop flowing? Tectonic plates move; soil moves; glaciers move; pressure systems move; and wind moves. Also, people move. They immigrate or emigrate to or from countries or they just move from one location in a city, state, or country. Goods also move. They are produced in one location, moved to other locations where they are sold and consumed. Geographers are interested in all types of movement –people, natural features, or human-created features.

Regions: Regions are portions of Earth’s surface that can be identified by their physical or natural or human or cultural features. For example, a natural feature such as the Great Plains region is identified as such because it exhibits distinctive climate and vegetation types. Also, the Great Basin region is identified by its vegetation and water characteristics. In the context of human or cultural regions, for example, Amish Country is identifiable because of the unique cultural traits of the Amish and Mennonites such as horses and buggies, horse-drawn machinery, and hex symbols on buildings. Cajun Country is identifiable by its French language signs, French dialect, Roman Catholic churches, and distinctive cemeteries. The type of region described here is known officially as formal or uniform regions. There are also function or nodal regions and vernacular regions.

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Figure 1. Location – absolute and relative

The absolute location of the former Yugoslavia, shown in Figure 1, is located at 45° North latitude and 20° East longitude.

The former Yugoslavia’s relative location is that it is located northwest of Turkey, north east of Tunisia, southeast of Germany, east of France, southeast of Ireland, east of the Prime Meridian, and north of the Equator.

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Figure 2. Place – Physical – Landforms

The former Yugoslavia consists of two mountain systems and one large plain. The coastal mountain system consists of a series of mountain ranges that belong to the larger Dinaric Range. This system begins in southern Austria and trends southeast to Albania and Greece. The plains region consists of the Morava-Vardar Valley and the plains of Macedonia, both of which are part of the larger Hungarian Basin – a grassland. Along the border with Bulgaria, are the Eastern Mountains. The northern portion of these mountains is the Transylvanian Alps whereas the southern portion is the Rhodope Massif, covered with a coniferous forest.

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Figure 3. Place – Physical - Climate types

The former Yugoslavia contains five different climate regions. A very small portion of northern Yugoslavia is part of the Austrian Alps and has a Highland climate. Highland climates are variable depending on elevation. The coastal region has a Mediterraneanclimate. This climate has wet winters and dry summers – the same type of climate found in Los Angeles and San Diego. Vegetation consists of trees and bushes. The interior has a Humid Subtropical climate. This climate is characterized with warm, humid summers and cool, damp winters. This is the same climate as found in Arkansas and the southeastern United States. The eastern portion of the former Yugoslavia has a Humid Continental, warm summer climate. This climate is cool in the winter with snow, but warm and humid in the summer, much like the climate in Iowa in the United States. A small portion of the country, near Hungary, has a Humid Continental, cool summer climate. This climate is cool in the winter with snow and cool in the summer, much like Minnesota in the United States.

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Figure 4. Place – Physical – Rivers

The major rivers in the former Yugoslavia consist of the Danube, which flows south from Hungary, then eastward. Tributaries of the Danube include the Sava in the northwest, the Bosna in the center, the Drina in the south, and the Morava in the southeast. The Drin flows into the Adriatic Sea and the Vardar flows through Macedonia into Greece.

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Figure 5. Place – Human – Cities

The capital of the former Yugoslavia is Belgrade, located on the Danube River in northeastern Yugoslavia. Other well-known cities include Sarajevo (famous for the Winter Olympics) in western mountain region, Dubrovnik (a famous tourist city) on the Adriatic Coast, and Skopje in Macedonia. Other cities include Ljubljana and Zagreb in the north, Spit and Mostar west of Sarajevo, and Titograd east of Dubrovnik.

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Figure 6. Place – Human – Languages

The former Yugoslavia is dominated by the Serbo-Croatian language. Other languages are Slovenian, spoken in Slovenia; Hungarian, spoken along the border with Hungary; Romanian, spoken along the border with Romania; Albanian, spoken in Kosovo adjacent to Albania, and Macedonian, spoken in Macedonia. German, Bulgarian, Hellenic (Greek) are languages that are spoken in nearby countries.

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Figure 7. Place – Human – Religions

Three religions tend to dominate the area of the former Yugoslavia, Christianity, Muslim, and Judaism. The largest Christian denominations are Orthodox with 41.4%, Roman Catholic with 31.8%, and various Protestant groups with 1.3%. The Muslim population is 12.3% and 12.3% of the population are secular or claim no religion. Roman Catholic tend to dominate in Croatia and Slovenia where as Orthodox dominate in Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, and Bosnia. It is notable that Islam dominates Albania, except for northern Albania, which is strongly Roman Catholic. The small Protestant numbers exist in the north near Romania and Hungary.

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Figure 8. Human/Environment Interaction – Rural Settlement Types

The natural or physical environment can have a dramatic impact on human activity on Earth’s surface. Rural settlements around the globe can be classified into a variety of types. A factor which influences the type of rural settlement is the nature of the physical geography of the area. In the former Yugoslavia, four separate types of rural settlements have been identified: 1) street village, 2) scattered farmsteads, 3) irregular clustered villages, and 4) loose irregular village. Interaction with the natural environment and cultural traditions work together to form the variety of rural settlements found in Yugoslavia and elsewhere.

Street Villages are long, linear villages where each structure faces the street or road that passes through the village. These are found primarily in north central Yugoslavia, in the Hungarian Basin. This type of village is also common in other locations around the globe. An example relatively close to Arkansas is the village of Westphalia, Missouri – a village settled by Germans who brought the notion of the street village from Germany.

Scattered Farmsteads are individual farms and their associated buildings. Rather than being clustered, this type of rural settlement pattern is dispersed. The nature of the land may have an influence on the dispersal. In the former Yugoslavia, this type of pattern exists in the eastern portion of the Dinaric Mountain range. In the United States, the scattered farmstead is one of the main settlement types in the Great Plains – a result of the Public Land Survey System.

Irregular Clustered Villages are found along the Adriatic Coast and the west portion of the Dinaric Mountain range in the former Yugoslavia, and in two small areas near Bulgaria. These villages are clustered, but the street pattern is irregular rather than ordered.

Loose Irregular Villages are located in the eastern half of the former Yugoslavia. These villages have irregular street patterns and the buildings are slightly more dispersed than those found in Irregular Clustered Villages.

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Figure 9. Human/Environment Interaction - Agriculture

The former Yugoslavia has three distinctive agricultural regions. The agricultural activities in these regions are greatly impacted by the landforms, soils, and climate, as well as the cultural characteristics of the people who settled there. In eastern Yugoslavia, where there are vast areas of grassland, livestock fattening, plus sheep for wool, are the main activities. The livestock would include beef and hogs. In the central portion of the country, the type of agriculture is classified as diversified mixed farming. This essentially means that livestock and grains are the main products. A small region along the Adriatic Coast is a market gardening and orchards. Market gardening is an activity where fruits and vegetables are grown by local farmers and sold locally or shipped to other places in the country. This small area has a mild climate and is capable of producing large quantities of vegetables and fruits.

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Figure 10. Movement – Migration

The former Yugoslavia became the home to numerous groups of people. Understanding this migration history enables us to better understand the centuries-old conflict that has been occurring in this part of the world. The following is a brief outline of the migration history. The associated map shows the general locations where these various groups settled.

600 AD – Romans, Romanized Celts, Greeks, Illyrians, Romanized Greeks, Celts, Slavs, various Germanic tribes moved into the area. Avars and some Slavic groups came from the Carpathians and Pannonia. These groups were identified as Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes.

900 to 1000 AD - Bulgars settled in Macedonia and Serbia. Because of their location, the Slovenes were germanicized.

11th Century – Pechenegs and Kumans moved into Serbia and western Bulgaria.

14th Century – Christianized Turks settled along the Vardar River. Muslim Turks settled in Serbia and Bosnia.

15th to 17th Centuries – Yuruks (seminomadic Turks) settled along the Vardar River. Some Jews, Greeks, and Armenians arrived. Slavs settled in Macedonia, Bosnia, and Serbia and accepted Islam.

18th Century – Magyars from Hungary settled in Vojvodina.

1840s – a Slav association was considered

1908 – Austria/Hungary annexed Bosnia and Herzegovina

1914 – A Bosnian youth with Serbian arms killed Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo starting World War I

1918 – Following World War I, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes was created. The province of Montenegro joined.

January 1929 – King Alexander declared a dictatorship and changed the name of the country to Yugoslavia, which means “southern slavia.”

1939 – Croats secede from Yugoslavia

1941 – Yugoslavia was overrun by Germany and dismembered

1945 – The provinces of Yugoslavia were reunited following World War II

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1946 – The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was created with a constitution that included six republics: 1) Serbia, which included the provinces of Vojvodina north of the Danube and Kosovo in the south; 2) Croatia, which included Slavonia and Dalmatia; 3) Slovenia; 4) Bosnia-Herzegovina; 5) Macedonia; and 6) Montenegro.

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Figure 11. Movement – Multicultural Collision

The migration of numerous groups of people with numerous ethnic and cultural traditions merged in the former Yugoslavia. From the north and west the country was greatly impacted by Slavic culture, Germanic culture, Roman and Italian cultures, and the spread of Christianity. From the south and east the country was greatly impacted by Bulgarian intrusions, Greek intrusions, and the spread of Islam. The former Yugoslavia was the meeting place of Europe and Asia. Different cultures and ethnic groups were not able to mix, but clashed.

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Figure 12. Movement – Roots of Balkanization

Migration, ethnic diversity, ethnocentrism, and religious diversity clashed in central Yugoslavia. This clash had been erupting over centuries of time and led to what has become known as Balkanization – the fragmentation of the Balkan Peninsula. Various attempts had been made to unify the Balkans, but tensions between groups could never be overcome. It was more or less successful from 1945 until the early 1990s, but then the clash resumed, which ultimately led to the collapse of Yugoslavia. The associated map illustrates the collision point of the 1990s clash. It shows that the class was between Islam and Christianity, Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy, and the West and East.

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Figure 13. Regions – Roman Provinces

The associated map shows provinces that had been formed by the Roman Empire. These provinces existed in about 117 AD. These provinces were political regions, but not carefully defined. These regions do, however, suggest the long standing difference between ethnic and religious groups. These Roman regions were merely forerunners of later attempts to divide the region into ethnic and religious groups.

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Figure 14. Regions – 1991 Divisions

Just prior to the collapse of Yugoslavia in 1991, the country had well defined areas divided as best they could by ethnic groups. Each region within Yugoslavia was designated so that the ethnic group with the majority was confined to that region. For example, Slovenia contained the majority of Slovenes; Croatia contained the majority of Croats; Montenegro contained the majority of Montenegrins; Macedonia contained the majority of Macedonians; and Serbia contained the majority of Serbs. Two trouble spots soon developed: 1) in Bosnia-Herzegovina, 2) Kosovo.

The distribution of Serbs and Muslims was so complex that a simple separation was impossible. Thus, Serbs, who are Christians, and Muslims, were grouped together in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The majority group, the Serbs, began to “cleanse” the Muslim population (ethnic cleansing). The United Nations and NATO became involved in this conflict.

Kosovo is inhabited by Kosovar Albanians who are Muslims. The Kosovar Albanians were being “cleansed” by the Serbian government when the United Nations and NATO stepped in to try to stop the slaughter. NATO troops are still there.

The associated map shows the situation in Yugoslavia just prior to its collapse in 1991. Regions were based on ethnicity.

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Figure 15. Regions – Alignment as of Early 2008

In 1991, the country of Yugoslavia ceased to exist. It broke up into the following countries, each essentially a former region of Yugoslavia. The regions of Yugoslavia became new states or countries, each with its own ethnic majority. Initially, the former Yugoslavia was divided into the following countries: 1) Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, and Macedonia. Later, Montenegro declared independence and is now a separate country. And, in the spring of 2008, Kosovo declared its independence. The country of Serbia now consists of Serbia proper and the province of Vojvodina.

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