What is a Region?What is a Region?

A region is an area with A region is an area with one or more common one or more common features that make it features that make it

different from different from surrounding areas.surrounding areas.

People within the region may have a People within the region may have a distinct “sense of place” or an distinct “sense of place” or an identity with certain cultural identity with certain cultural

elementselements

CULTURAL LANDSCAPECULTURAL LANDSCAPE

• a combination of cultural, economic and physical a combination of cultural, economic and physical featuresfeatures

• Defined by Carl Sauer as an area fashioned from Defined by Carl Sauer as an area fashioned from nature by a cultural groupnature by a cultural group

• ““regional studies” approach initiated by Paul regional studies” approach initiated by Paul Vidal de la Bloche and Jean Brunhes around the Vidal de la Bloche and Jean Brunhes around the turn of the 20turn of the 20thth century century

• Later adopted by American geographers including Later adopted by American geographers including Robert PlattRobert Platt

• Region’s uniqueness comes from a combination Region’s uniqueness comes from a combination of human and environmental factorsof human and environmental factors

• People are the most important agent of People are the most important agent of change on the earth’s surfacechange on the earth’s surface

Cultural LandscapeCultural LandscapeThe visible human imprint on the The visible human imprint on the

landscape. landscape.

Religion and cremation practices diffuse with Hindu migrants from India to Kenya.

2 main classifications of 2 main classifications of regionsregions

•Countries that share Countries that share common featurescommon features

•Or localities in a country Or localities in a country that share common that share common featuresfeatures

VERNACULAR or PERCEPTUAL VERNACULAR or PERCEPTUAL REGIONREGION

• PLACE THAT PEOPLE BELIEVE EXIST PLACE THAT PEOPLE BELIEVE EXIST AS PART OF CULTURAL IDENTITYAS PART OF CULTURAL IDENTITY

• MENTAL MAPS—PERSONAL MENTAL MAPS—PERSONAL PERSPECTIVEPERSPECTIVE

How are regions defined?How are regions defined?

They are defined by their They are defined by their physical & human physical & human characteristicscharacteristics

Formal:Formal: same as a uniform same as a uniform region—has some region—has some characteristic in common characteristic in common that is measurable —such that is measurable —such as language, crop, climate. as language, crop, climate. Ex. State, country, wheat Ex. State, country, wheat belt, etc. belt, etc. They can be generalizations They can be generalizations and not always precise.and not always precise.

Functional RegionFunctional Region

• Nodal region—centered around a focal Nodal region—centered around a focal pointpoint

• Characteristic diminishes away from Characteristic diminishes away from focal pointfocal point

• Linked by communication or Linked by communication or transportationtransportation

• Usually economicUsually economic• Newspaper circulation, tv stations, etc.Newspaper circulation, tv stations, etc.

VERNACULAR or PERCEPTUAL VERNACULAR or PERCEPTUAL REGIONREGION

• PLACE THAT PEOPLE BELIEVE EXIST PLACE THAT PEOPLE BELIEVE EXIST AS PART OF CULTURAL IDENTITYAS PART OF CULTURAL IDENTITY

• MENTAL MAPS—PERSONAL MENTAL MAPS—PERSONAL PERSPECTIVEPERSPECTIVE

• US map assignmentUS map assignment

Other names for regions:Other names for regions:

• Formal: uniform or homogenousFormal: uniform or homogenous

• Functional: nodalFunctional: nodal

• Vernacular: perceptualVernacular: perceptual

What are Geographic What are Geographic Concepts, and How are Concepts, and How are they used in Answering they used in Answering Geographic Questions?Geographic Questions?

Key Question:

Geographic ConceptsGeographic Concepts

Ways of seeing the world spatially that Ways of seeing the world spatially that are used by geographers in are used by geographers in

answering research questions.answering research questions.

Geographic inquiry Geographic inquiry focuses on the spatial:focuses on the spatial:

- the spatial arrangement of - the spatial arrangement of places and phenomena places and phenomena

(human (human and physical).and physical).

- - how are things organized on how are things organized on Earth?Earth?

- - how do they appear on the how do they appear on the landscape?landscape?- - why? where? so what?why? where? so what?

Regional Integration of Regional Integration of CultureCulture

Culture is an all-encompassing term Culture is an all-encompassing term that identifies not only the whole that identifies not only the whole tangible lifestyle of peoples, but also tangible lifestyle of peoples, but also their prevailing values and beliefs.their prevailing values and beliefs.

- cultural trait- cultural trait

- cultural complex- cultural complex

- cultural hearth- cultural hearth

Culture—cultus (to care for)Culture—cultus (to care for)

• Two very different meaningsTwo very different meanings

* to care about (cult)* to care about (cult)

(ideas, beliefs, values, customs)(ideas, beliefs, values, customs)

* to care for (cultivate)* to care for (cultivate)

(ways of earning a living, (ways of earning a living, obtaining obtaining food, clothing and food, clothing and shelter)shelter)

• Geography examines both conceptsGeography examines both concepts

• Human-environment relationshipsHuman-environment relationships• Alexander von Humboldt and Carl Alexander von Humboldt and Carl

Ritter encouraged geographers to Ritter encouraged geographers to use scientific data to determine use scientific data to determine natural lawsnatural laws

• They emphasized how the physical They emphasized how the physical environment caused social environment caused social development—this approach is called development—this approach is called “environmental determinism”.“environmental determinism”.

• POSSIBILISM POSSIBILISM says that the physical says that the physical environment may limit human actions but environment may limit human actions but people have the ability to adjustpeople have the ability to adjust

• Crop choices vary by climateCrop choices vary by climate• Some human impacts are casual and some Some human impacts are casual and some

reflect deep-seated cultural valuesreflect deep-seated cultural values• Level of wealth can influence attitude Level of wealth can influence attitude

toward environmenttoward environment• Modern technology has greatly influenced Modern technology has greatly influenced

this relationshipthis relationship

World Climate RegionsWorld Climate Regions

Fig. 1-14: The modified Köppen system divides the world into five main climate regions.RAINFALL AND TEMPERATURE ARE MAJOR DETERMINANTS OF HUMAN ACTIVITY

• VEGETATIONVEGETATION– 4 MAIN BIOMES: FOREST, SAVANNA, 4 MAIN BIOMES: FOREST, SAVANNA,

GRASSLAND AND DESERTGRASSLAND AND DESERT

• SOILSOIL– 10 ORDERS OF SOIL10 ORDERS OF SOIL– DESTRUCTION OF SOILDESTRUCTION OF SOIL– NUTRIENT DEPLETIONNUTRIENT DEPLETION– SALINIZATIONSALINIZATION

• LANDFORMSLANDFORMS– GEOMORPHOLOGY—STUDY OF EARTH’S GEOMORPHOLOGY—STUDY OF EARTH’S

SURFACESURFACE– PEOPLE PREFER FLATTER LANDPEOPLE PREFER FLATTER LAND– TOPOGRAPHIC MAPSTOPOGRAPHIC MAPS

GlobalizationGlobalization

A set of processes that A set of processes that are:are:

- increasing interactionsincreasing interactions

- deepening deepening relationshipsrelationships

- heightening heightening interdependenceinterdependence

without regard to without regard to

country borders. country borders.

A set of outcomes that A set of outcomes that are:are:

- unevenly distributedunevenly distributed

- varying across scalesvarying across scales

- differently manifesteddifferently manifested

throughout the world.throughout the world.

Globalization of the Globalization of the EconomyEconomy

Fig. 1-17: The Denso corporation is headquartered in Japan, but it has regional headquarters and other facilities in

North America and Western Europe.