Defining Geography and

the 5 Themes of
Geography

Social Studies
Define Geography
Geography
Is the science that deals with the earths
surface and its divisions into continents
and countries, as well as the climate,
animals and plant life, peoples,
resources, industries and products of
these divisions.
Geographers use 5 Organizing
Principles
to help gather, organize and analyze
their information
5 principles:
1. Places have location
2. physical & cultural characteristics
3. Human/Environmental Interaction
4. movement of ppl, ideas & objects
5. are in regions
1. Location, Location,
Location: Where is it?

A. ABSOLUTE

B. RELATIVE
ABSOLUTE LOCATION
Absolute Location is the
exact location of a place.
Kamloops = 51 degrees
N and 120 degrees W
On a global level latitude
and longitude is used,
while on a more local
level, street addresses
are used.

What is the absolute

location of Sa-Hali?
Relative Location
Relative Location is
where a place is
located in relation to
other places.
What is Sa-Halis
relative location?
2. PLACE - What is it like?

A. Physical Characteristics
B. Cultural Characteristics
Place - Physical
Characteristics
When you describe a
place in physical
characteristics youll
include such things as:
climate, topography,
vegetation and water.
Anything that nature
produces!
How would you
describe the physical
place of Kamloops?
Place - Cultural
Characteristics
Cultural
Characteristics of a
place would include
population, building
style, languages
spoken,
transportation
systems and more.
3.Human Environment
Interaction
How humans have
interacted with their
environment in order
to survive.

A. Rely
B. Modification
C. Adaptation
HEI - Modification
If an environment is
unable to meet our
needs we change it
to live there.

For example
Kamloops has
blown up mountains
to put new shopping
malls in.
HEI - Adaptation
Adaptation: is when
humans change, rather
than when the
environment is
changed.

For example: houses

near rivers are built on
stilts or roofs in areas
with a lot of snow have
a steep pitch.

How do you adapt to the

environment of
Kamloops?
4. Movement: How two
places are connected via
people, goods and ideas.
People goods and ideas
are connected in
three possible
systems:
A. Transportation
B. Communication
C. Physical
Give an example of the
first two systems.
5. REGION: How two or more
places are united with a
common characteristic.
The uniting
characteristic can be
either:
physical or
cultural
For example BC, Alberta,
and Saskatchewan are
all part of the western
provinces.
What region is Kamloops
a part of?