Praxis (Geography: Maps, Major Places/Regions)

Place

Physical and human characteristics of a location EXAMPLE: An arid climate in the Southwest provided few possibilities for growing crops. Therefore, early Native Americans developed irrigation devices to grow corn, using the resources of the desert (constructed adobe homes and used plants for food and medicine) to survive.

Conformal map

Presents land masses and the retention of proper shapes, but these maps are often distorted.

Region

An area with similar characteristics, that include folklore, foods, and language: EXAMPLE: Appalachia is considered are region since the people have preserved traditions of culture.

Mental map or sketch map

Conjures a sketch in a person's mind and is constructed mentally without any particular references; demonstrates what a person knows about locations and characteristics of places.

Perceptual Region

Constructed around human feelings and attitudes of the area, these regions are defined by peoples' subjective images of an area and can be based on biases and stereotypes that may be incorrect or inappropriate. For example, the Appalachian region of the United States is perceived as an isolated rural area, and entertain strong religious beliefs.

Maps

*A map is a visual representation of a particular area. A map can depict visible surface features sic as rivers, coasts, roads, and towns, or underground features such as tunnels, subways, and geographical formations. *Maps also show how information about physical and human features are located, arranged, and distributed in relation to one another.

The World in Spatial Terms

*This topic covers one of the national geography standards and suggests that students should learn how to use maps and other representations to acquire and use information about the world, as well as learn how to analyze the organization of people, places, and environments in the world. *Geographers suggest that the combination of the aspects of the Earth's surface and the activities that occur on Earth are considered "phenomena." *These phenomena may be physical or human related or they may occur together. Understanding and using the proper geographic terminology becomes essential for students.

Formal Region

Defined in two ways through either common human features such as language, religion, nationality, or culture (for example, the cattle ranches of Texas and the Four ornery region) or common physical features such as climate, landform, or vegetation (for example, the Mediterranean climate and the wine country of California).

Southern states

-Alabama (AL) -Arkansas (AR) -Florida (FL) -Georgia (GA) -Kentucky (KY) -Louisiana (LA) -Mississippi (MS) -North Carolina (NC) -South Carolina (SC) -Tennessee (TN) -Virginia (VA) -West Virginia (WV)

Western states

-Alaska (AK) -Colorado (CO) -California (CA) -Hawaii (HI) -Idaho (ID) -Montana (MT) -Nevada (NV) -Oregon (OR) -Utah (UT) -Washington (WA) -Wyoming (WY)

Major Seas

-Arabian Sea -Black Sea -Coral Sea -Red Sea -Sea of Japan -Tasman Sea

South-western states

-Arizona (AZ) -New Mexico (NM) -Oklahoma (OK) -Texas (TX)

Major Canyons

-Bryce Canyon (Utah) -Grand Canyon (Arizona) -Waimea Canyon (Kauai) -Chaco Canyon (New Mexico) -Zion Canyon (Utah) -Copper Canyon (Idaho) -Canyon de Chelley (Arizona) -Yarlung Tsangpo (China) -Cotahuasi (Africa) -Black Canyon (Colorado) -Cheddar Gorge (England)

Major Capes

-Cape of Good Hope (Africa) -Cape Horn (S. America) -Cape Cod (U.S.) -Cape Morris-Jesup (Greenland)

States that comprise New England

-Connecticut (CT) -Maine (ME) -Massachusetts (MA) -New Hampshire (NH) -Rhode Island (RI) -Vermont (VT)

Mid-Atlantic states

-Delaware (DE) -Maryland (MD) -New Jersey (NJ) -New York (NY) -Pennsylvania (PA)

Major Peninsulas

-Florida -Italy -Panama -Baja (U.S.-Mexico)

Major Lakes

-Great Salt Lake (Utah) -The Great Lakes (U.S.) -Caspian Sea (Iran) -Tangan Yika (Africa) -Victoria Lake (Africa)

Major Islands

-Greenland -Great Britain -New Zealand -Aleutian Islands, Alaska -Hawaiian Islands -Philippine Islands (7,100 islands) -Venice, Italy (built on 118 islands) -Caribbean Islands -Galapagos Islands -Falkland Islands -British Isles -Japan -Azores

Mid-west states

-Illinois (IL) -Indiana (IN) -Iowa (IA) -Kansas (KS) -Michigan (MI) -Minnesota (MN) -Missouri (MO) -Nebraska (NE) -North Dakota (ND) -Ohio (OH) -South Dakota (SD) -Wisconsin (WI)

Major Mountain Ranges

-Kangchenjunga (India-Nepal) -Rockies (U.S.) -Alps (Europe) -Mount Everest (Nepal-China [Tibet]) -Sierra Nevada (U.S.) -Appalachian (U.S.) -K-2 (Pakistan-China) -Mount McKinley/Denali (U.S.) -Matterhorn (Switzerland-Italy) -Mount Cook (New Zealand) -Kilimanjaro (Tanzania) -Cascades-Mount Rainier (U.S.)

Why are maps useful?

-Maps can be a mixture of objective knowledge and subjective perceptions. -They can portray such abstract features as population density, lines of longitude and latitude, political boundaries, and agricultural products. Maps may be used to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environment on the Earth's surface.

Major Waterfalls

-Niagara Falls (U.S., Canada) -Angel Falls (Venezuela) -Barron Falls (Australia) -Victoria Falls (Africa) -Yosemite Falls (U.S.)

Major Canals

-Panama Canal (Central America) -Grand Canal of China -Suez Canal (Egypt)

Major Gulfs

-Persian Gulf or Arabian Gulf (Saudi Arabia and Iran) -Gulf of California (U.S.) -Gulf of Mexico (U.S. and Mexico) -Gulf of Aden (between Red Sea and Arabian Sea.)

Major Bays

-San Francisco Bay (U.S.) -Bay of Pigs (Cuba) -Hudson Bay (Canada) -Bay of Banderas (Mexico) -Chesapeake Bay (U.S.) -Bay of Bengal (India)

Major deserts

1. Arabian 2. Atacama 3. Australian 4. Iranian 5. Kalahari 6. Namid 7. North American 8. Patagonian 9. Saharan 10. Sonoran 11. Takla Makan-Gobi 12. Thar 13. Turkestand *Deserts are land areas that are very dry and barren, mostly covered with sand and having specific plants and animals known only to that area. some provide little possibility for human living conditions.

Seven major continents (In order from largest to smallest)

1. Asia 2. Africa 3. North America 4. South America 5. Antarctica 6. Europe 7. Australia *About 30% of the world is comprised of land mass, which is divided into separate continents, each unique to its area and its people. *These continents are large and continuous plots of land usually separated by water.

Five Themes of Geographical Study

1. Location 2. Place 3. Interaction of people and environment 4. Movement 5. Region

6 regions of the United States

1. New England 2. Mid-Atlantic 3. The South 4. The Midwest 5. The Southwest 6. The West *According to the United States Embassy, there are six regions of the United States. Several States comprise each region with special landforms, people, climates, and resources.

Five major oceans (in order of size from largest to smallest)

1. Pacific 2. Atlantic 3. Arctic 4. Indian 5. Southern Oceans *Oceans cover 70% of the earth's surface and provide 97% of the world's water supply.

Four main components of Geography

1. Physical Characteristics (for example, lands and vegetation) 2. Geopolitical information (such as boundaries and capital cities) 3. Demographics (for example, size, density, and population) 4. Economic information (that is, agricultural and manufacturing)

Three major seas

1. South China Sea 2. Caribbean Sea 3. Mediterranean Sea *Seas are defined as large areas of water that are partly enclosed by land.

Political map

Demonstrates government boundaries and territorial borders for major countries, states, territories, and provinces.

Thematic map

Demonstrates the location of specific ideas or distributions such as populations of children, languages of the world, and time zones.

Direction

A concept of space and location (right-left, up-down, north-south) to aid in reading map information.

Topographer

Designs, describes, and develops maps.

Climate map

Displays weather and typical climatic conditions of a region.

Grid

A system on a more detailed map that shows the exact locations of places or landforms.

Compass

A tool used for determining specific directions on the earth's surface.

Movement

How people, goods, cultures, and ideas move around the globe. EXAMPLE: Tribes dependent on water sources may seek relocation

Physical map

Reveals features of actual geographical surfaces, such as mountains or rivers, and the underlying geological structures, such as rocks or fault lines.

Equal-area map

Shows land areas with relatively proper sizes; however, distortion can occur.

Outline map

Shows some geographical features but does not include others.

Latitude

The horizontal lines that run parallel to the equator and measure the distance in degrees north and south from the equator, based on 90° in each direction.

Symbols

The pictures or icons representing some item on a map (land masses, population), but the same icons and pictures are not consistently used the same on all maps.

Compass rose

The precise directions on a map or globe (north, south, east, west, northeast, northwest, southeast, southwest).

Longitude

The vertical lines that run parallel to the prime meridian and measure the distance in degrees east and west from the meridian; based on a 360° system, but written as 180° in each direction

Limitations to using maps

They cannot accurately represent a sphere on a flat surface without distortion of the distance, direction, size and shape of water and landforms. Globs are one way to meat this problem, as they can illustrate the most precise representation of the Earth in size, shape, distance, area, and directions.

Location

Where something happened; relative location (compared to another place) or absolute location (longitude, latitude) EXAMPLE: The Rocky Mountain region of the NW; latitude 55° to 70° north.

Human Characteristics

values, religious beliefs, language systems, political structures, economic methods, socioeconomic status.

Physical Characteristics

water systems, animal life, plant life, landforms, climate.

Region

A geographical unit of measure, defined as a specific area consisting of unifying characteristics. -Each region exudes unique and distinct attributes related to both the human and physical characteristics of the area. -Boundaries between regions can often be vague, ambiguous, and generalized. Regions can also vary greatly in size; they can be as large as a continent or as small as a neighborhood or classroom. *Regions are cultural groupings, not dependent on government or political rule. They are formed by a common history and geography as well as shaped by economics, literature, and folklore. Within each region, there are unique demographics, dialects, languages, and attitudes based on heritage and geography.

Fact-book maps

Examines the actual facts of events or activities in certain regions or specific places such as life expectancy rates and energy consumption.

Relief map or topographical map

Exhibits a three-dimensional variation in the topography of land and water areas.

Historical map

Illustrates the people of an area and the population such as trade routes and religion.

Spatial Organization

Knowing major areas and locations of the world and the specific terms that define examples of spatial organization. *The world is divided into sections and areas according to commonalities. these include continents, oceans, and regional areas.

Topographer

Maps are designed by Topographers who use points, lines, symbols, and colors to define and describe areas.

Interaction of people and environment

People adapt, modify, and depend on the environment, which can cause changes in the environment. EXAMPLE: People in the Northwest created dams to maintain a water source to survive, redirecting the natural flow of the rivers.

Coordinates

Numbers or letters used on a map as a system to focus on finding specific locations.

Functional Region

Organized around a central hub with the surrounding areas connected to the center by transportation systems, communication systems, manufacturing, or trading. The most common functional region is a metropolitan area. For example, Sydny, Australia, is linked by an established harbor area with commuting patterns, trade flows, TV and radio broadcasting, newspapers, travel, and goods commencing in this one region.

Meteorologist

Studies climates and the affects upon the Earth

Geographer

Studies land formations and the Earth's composition

Sociologists

Studies the behaviors of people and how they impact the world

Anthropologist

Studies the history of people such as their culture and language

Cartographer

Studies the science or practice of map drawing

Scale

The measurement used to describe the size of real objects represented on a map (miles, structures, and land masses).