Definition

What is geography? Geography is not just about landscapes, mountains, climate, rivers, people, socializing, economics, environment, plants, animals, and the study of the world around us. If you look deeper and define what geography really is, you can say that it's divided into groups.



Physical Geography
The study of earth science, which includes the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, pedosphere, plants, and animals.

Human Geography
Includes the studies of economics, culture, political perspectives, cities, communities, government, religion, languages, socializing, and human history.

Environment Geography
Basically the study of technological changes and political ecology.

Regional Geography
History, is what regional geography studies about.
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National Standards and Geographical Skills
There are 18 contents of “National Standards” that are divided into 6 essential elements...

1. The World in Spatial Terms
It involves using maps and other kinds of materials to understand the spatial dimensions of our world.

2. Places and Regions
This is a concept whenever we look at particular places. Combining them into regions, help us understand the complexity of Earth's surface.

3. Physical Systems
This is to understand how physical system work in the natural environment.

4. Human Systems
Population ~ who does people interact with one another.

5. Environment and Society
How society had adapted to different environments and the changes they made.

6. The Uses of Geography
To interpret the past and the plan to predict the future.
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"Geographical Skills"
Asking geographical questions. The current distribution of religion~
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THEME 1: Location

Where am I right now?? Today has been a tiring homework day and I would like to relax with my family. So, can you guess where I am right now? When you're about to reach this relaxing store, you'll often hear jazz music and the scent of "coffee beans" would swirl into your nose. That's where I am, writing this blog.... "STARBUCKS" is the answer. I've wrote a blog about this before on the location where it is. I'll just kinda summarize where this "STARBUCKS" store is.

(Click on the picture to get a better view)

My house is at Wen-Yi Street, Jubei (the little yellow house symbol). And STARBUCKS is at on Guangming 1st Road. Like about the 3rd block from my house~

You will be able to see constructions of houses, stores (Japanese Restaurant /Steak Houses/Coffee Shops/ Accessories Store / Banks / Parking lots), plants of different kinds, and gardens of weeds and vegetables.

Right at the corner, there would be a STARBUCKS. You could hear music (jazz) and smell the coffee beans. Most of the time, a lot of the people would come and relax. But as it grew darker, they began to leave. There was once when we went there from morning to night. LOL That was long~~
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THEME 2: Place

When describing a place, we my define it into 3 parts: human, physical, and cultural.

* HUMAN:
With the "human" part, it's often described, like, the political and the structures of somewhere.

* PHYSICAL:
When you describe a place using the "physical" part, you often observe the land and water around a certain place. Kind of like the "physical properties" of a place.

* CULTURAL:
By using the "cultural" way of describing a place, we'll relate to the...
"human & geography interaction and features in a spatial context." — Mr. C

It can also mean by using the maps in our brains to guide someone to the destination.
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THEME 3: Human-Environment Interactions
The question we are dealing with "human-environment interaction" is:
How do humans adapt to and / or change the environment?

Well, humans adapt to their environment by changing how things are really suppose to be.
We cut down rain forest, build roads & buildings & bridges, use earth's natural resources to make our livings better.

*Cutting down forest — deforestation
- Can destroy animal habitats, extinction may occur, cause land slides, and most importantly,will cause global warming.

* Building & Constructing
- Houses & Shops
∆ For shelter, food, products, and books (knowledge).
- Bridges & roads
∆ For us to travel faster and easier = shortcuts...


We depend on the environment for the resources they produce:
* Natural Resources
We use natural resources that includes: oils, and coal.
- We make daily products out of them.
- We need them to power up our cars and other inventions.
∆ They are starting to get rare...

*Ocean & Deserts & Valleys & Caves & Mountains & Waterfalls & Plains & Rain Forests & etc...

ARE WE HUMANS MAKING OUR WORLD WORSE OR BETTER?
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THEME 4: Movement

Movement affects your daily lives, but how? What items are being moved that you interact with on a regular basis?

Time travels from seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years, and century. Although you think, that's a lot of time and you don't even need to quicken your steps to make life more meaningful, you're wrong. Time doesn't wait for us, not even under the Kings' and Queens' commands. Use your time wisely and use the best of it!

As I said, they will run out quickly, we may take shortcuts to the destiny we are heading to. And take faster transportation like the High Speed Railroad (HSR). Transportation in technology helped us all a lot. Transportation made our life easier and faster.

SO, TIME TRAVELS REALLY FAST AND YOU WANTED TO TAKE A "TRANSPORTATION". AND YOU CHOSE "DRIVING A CAR" TO BE THAT TRANSPORTATION.

----When you are running out of battery (energy) for your computer or any other tools you use for daily life, you may get up and find the charger. Or, you'll go to stores to buy some batteries. Also, when your car has no fuel, what do you do? When there's a "almost-no-gas" signal, we will drive to the nearest gas station for some gasoline.

YEAH~ YOU SAW THE SIGNAL AND DECIDED TO GO TO THE NEAREST STATION. THEN YOU MET A PROBLEM...

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THEY ARE PAVING (CONSTRUCTING) THE ROAD YOU'VE ALWAYS PASS THROUGH. YOU DON'T KNOW ANY OTHER PATHS... WHAT DO YOU DO?

Constructions can block your original path. So then you'll have to change your movements.

- Building Constructions

- Road Constructions

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YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS ARGUED THAT MAYBE YOU SHOULD CHANGE ANOTHER DESTINATION. SOME SAID "YEAH! THAT'S A NICE IDEA", WHILE OTHERS INSISTED TO CONTINUE AND TRY OUT DIFFERENT PATHS OR LOOK AT A MAP.

Family members may effect the movement you will make. There may be arguements due to the places each of them wanted to go. There will be agreements and disagreements. They may effect your thinking too.

AS A RESULT, YOU DECIDED TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. BUT WHERE? IS THERE SOMETHING (SOMEWHERE) ENTERTAINING RIGHT NOW? YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE A CLUE...

Ideas and your decisions can change the way you'll go and the movement you'll take.

Your ideas may depend on your surroundings.

You could tell your ideas to someone. Then they may come up with a better one. On and on it'll pass... At last, you'll come up with the best / perfect idea ever.

POSSIBILITY 1: JUST THEN, THE WEATHER STARTED TO GO ALL DARK AND RAINY...

When the weather is "cold & dark", people won't want to go outside. They will rather stay at home. Be warm. Drink coffee / hot chocolate. Watch TV / movies. Sleep. Play board games. Play / work on computers. Have a feast. And do everything that people would be able to do indoors.

RESULT 1: YOU DECIDED TO GO HOME / GO TO SOMEWHERE INDOORS (MUSEUMS)...

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POSSIBILITY 2: JUST THEN, THE WEATHER STARTED TO GO BRIGHT AND HOT...

When the weather is "warm & sunny", people will want to go outside. They will be able to do lots of activities. Climb mountains, do some sports, go on vacations (have fun), take a job / walk / ride bikes, eat ice cream / cold drinks, and any other events that people think of while the weather is good and cozy.

RESULT 2: SINCE YOU ARE AT THE SEA SIDE, YOU PLAN TO HAVE FUN AT THE BEACH OR RIDE BICYCLES WITH YOUR FAMILY... ETC...

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LET'S SAY THAT YOU DIDN'T DO AS THE EXAMPLE ABOVE. IT'S RAINY AND COLD. YOU DECIDED TO GO TO THE "BEACH" TO HAVE FUN... (DOES THAT SOUND SMART?)

SOMEHOW, SOMEBODY GOT A COLD... A REALLY BAD COLD. HE/SHE/THEY STARTED A FEVER. YOU GET VERY NERVOUS AND DROVE TO THE NEAREST CLINIC/HOSPITAL/EMERGENCY ROOM.

Disease may come upon people. When they got sick they will go to the doctor / clinics / hospitals for some medicines. (Disease travel from people, places, and the things we touch).

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THE DOCTOR GAVE YOU MEDICINE AND TOLD YOU THAT HE/SHE/THEY NEEDS NOURISHMENT AS WELL. AND SO, NOW YOU'RE GOING TO A STORE THAT SELLS FRUITS.

Hunger often occur. When you walked to a shop, of the food you crave for, you may stop there and buy food. Sometimes what you feel aren't "real" hungers. When you see certain food, you may appear unable to stop thinking about it.

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AS YOU BOUGHT FRUITS/FOOD AND PAYED THE DOCTOR... MONEY FROM YOUR HANDS MY TRAVEL TO THE OTHERS.

What if you ran out of money??? Where would you go? You may either go to the bank or go home. The movement of money travel from buying products, fees, and other payments. From each person's hand, it traveled. It may also carry diseases...
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NOW, THERE'S NOTHING MUCH YOU CAN DO AND PLUS THE DAY IS ABOUT TO BE OVER. YOU RETURNED HOME AND REST / TAKE CARE OF THE SICK ONES.

**YEAH, I KNOW.... THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF "BAD LUCK DAY"** =P
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THEME 5: Region

What is the differences between a "formal"/ "functional" / "Perceptual" description of a region.

FORMAL REGION
In simple words : like a city or a town.
In more words: It's like a set of related numbers and uniform characteristics.
Involves: Human characteristics & Culture or a common land & Vegetation
(Political) Formal regions = countries, cities, and states or physical regions.

FUNCTIONAL REGION
In simple words: like a suburb or a city.
In more words: Functions and purposes usually with central point with its support.

PERCEPTUAL REGION
In simple words: a place without any boundaries that different people have different memories about and different perceptions.
In more words: Different views and perceptions of the characteristics a region may have.
Involves: Mental maps with different borders that depends on individual perceptions.
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THANKS~ TO MY PAST WORKS AND MR.C'S "5 THEMES OF GEOGRAPHY LEARNING PURSUIT". =]