5 Themes of geography

Learning about places is an important part of history

and geographythe study of Earths surface and the
way people use it. Geographers often think about five
main themes, or topics, when they study Earth and it
geography. Keeping these themes in mind as you
read will help you think like a geographer.
 What are the five themes?
Tools geographers use to study
features on earth.
Location
Place
Movement
Region
Human Environment Interaction
 Location
Everything on Earth has its own location-the
place where it can be found.
2 Types of Location:
ABSOLUTE: exact location on earth (fixed)
RELATIVE: compared to other places
(variable)
 Absolute Location
ABSOLUTE: exact location on earth (fixed)
Doesnt change
Latitude/Longitude
Hemispheres
Grid System
Address
Examples:
Rome is located at 41 N, 12 E
Ecuador is located in Tropic of Cancer.
 Relative Location
RELATIVE: compared to other places (variable)
Changes dependent upon where youre
comparing it to.
Miles
Distance
Direction
Examples:
Rome is located near the Mediterranean Sea.
Ecuador is south of Mexico.
 Place
A place is defined by its unique
characteristics.
Two types of characteristics:
1. Physical
2. Cultural
 Physical Characteristics
Specific to THAT place, not generic.
The way a place looks.
Created by nature.
Mountains
Rivers, Lakes, Seas
Climate
Vegetation
Examples:
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers flow through Iran.
Greece contains tall, rugged mountains including the world-
famous Mount Olympus.
 Human Characteristics
Specific to THAT place, not generic.
Peoples activities change the way a place looks or is
represented.
Man-made or invented.
Language
Unique buildings
Religious Practices
Celebrations/traditions/holidays
Examples:
Italian is the official language of Italy.
Egypt contains many pyramids.
 Movement
Places do not exist in isolation.
Interconnectedness of the world changes the way
places look.
globalization
People, goods & ideas move from place to place.
Examples
Immigration from Latin America to US.
War in Iraq (troops, supplies, ideas, people)
Facebook, instagram, twitter (ideas)
 Region
The world is divided into different regions
based upon similarities & differences.
Climate
Location
Beliefs
Languages
Ethnicity/Race

Examples: New England region, Tri-state area, Midwest

 Human Environment
Interaction
The environment & people are
interconnected.
Consequences to those actions depend
upon how people choose to interact with
the world and use their resources.
 HEI
Current Enviromental Issues:
Climate Change (global warming)
Energy Resources
Water Conservation
Deforestation