GGH1501 Semester 1 NOTES
UNIT 1: Explain the following definitions:
*Geography – Study of interactions of the physical and human phenomena.
- Involves the exploration and description of the world we live in.
- It’s also about the interactions among places that forms patterns and organize space.
* Physical Geography – the study of characteristics of a physical environment.
- Such as climate, soil and vegetation
*Human Geography – the study of human groups and their activities
- study as language and buildings
* Cultural Geography – the subfield of human geography
- Focus on the role of human activities and cultures
* Regional / Special Geography – analyse places in terms of local population, customs and political regions.
Geographical Phenomenon: (What is a geographical Phenomenon)
Temporal component – the phenomena are not static and it changes over time.
Spatial component – can be linked to a specific location
Thematic component – measurable characteristics or properties like what is its name? How big is it?
There are Geographical phenomena:
Such as a crime scene in a city over 5 years
Place exhibiting art
Explain the distribution of a phenomenon:
Describing where individual element are located can be random or scattered.
Contemporary geographers employ 3 analytical methods:
1. Area analysis – it integrates the geographic features of an area or place.
- it shows that each place occupies a unique location
- possesses a unique combination of human behaviour and environmental processes (Site, situation
and region)
2. Spatial analysis – called location analysis
- emphasizes the interactions among places
- look for patterns in the distribution of human activities
- Characteristics like distribution, density, pattern, movement , distance and diffusion.
3. Geographic systems – understanding of the physical and human systems and the interactions amongst them.
(Atmosphere the hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere)
Basic definitions of concepts:
Absolute location – the location of a place as pinpointed in terms of the global geographic grid.
Relative location – the location reference to another place
- Describes the accessibility such as (nearer or further)
- It is constantly changing
- Also change if the territorial site of an activity’s organization change.
- Affects the interaction between places and the accessibility of a specific place.
- Example Cape Town is located 2km north of the CBD area.
Situation - location of a place relative to other places
- Knowledge of the place’s situation that helps us understand how it interacts with rest of the
world.
1
,GGH1501 Semester 1 NOTES
Space – refers to the distribution of features
- 3 main properties of distribution across space namely density, concentration and pattern.
Scale – a quantitative statement of the relative sizes of an object on a map and in reality. (Map scale, written scale
and graphical scale. Can be expressed in one of 3 ways.
Connectedness – connections between places results in spatial interaction
- Places are connected through a network
Characteristics of Map projections:
Projections – second fundamental characteristic of maps
- Governs the way we show information and shows locations on a flat map
- Process of projecting the globe onto the map introduces distortion.
Projections must distort either – size as distance or shape orientation or both.
Conformal Maps – maps that distort size but preserve shape
- Mercator projection showing the latitude and longitude
Equal- area Maps – preserve size but distort shape.
Geographic grid used to describe the absolute location. Done with reference where the Greenwich Meridian and the
Equator intersect.
Purpose of geographic grid
The geographic grid is a system designed to pinpoint any location on Earth by laying a vertical and horizontal
grid over the Earth's layout.
Different characteristics of latitude and longitude
Latitude: run east-west, run parallel, numbered from equator (0 degrees)
Longitude: runs north-south, not parallel, all lines meet at North and South pole, separated by distances
Concept of a region:
- Areas defined by 1 or more distinctive characteristics or a unique combination of features.
- Such as climate and soil type
- Language or economic activity
Geographers define regions and describe as well as analyse the similarities and the differences.
They also study the patterns and how people organize their societies.
Criteria to define a region: Physical or cultural
Types of regions:
1. Formal – also called uniform region or homogeneous region
- an area within which everyone share in common one or more distinctive characteristics
- shared future such as cultural values (common language)
- Economic activity (production)
-Environmental property (climate)
Geographers identify formal regions – explain broad global or national patterns and variations or economic
development. E.g. Chicago (government covers the legal cost and limits and collects the taxes)
2
, GGH1501 Semester 1 NOTES
2. Functional region – also called the nodal region
- an area organized around a node or focal point.
- defined by the interactions among places such as trade / communication.
Geographers use this region to display info about economic areas.
- Boundaries of the region marks the limit of the trading area.
E.g reception areas of a tv station (broadcast to different places)
3. Vernacular region – perceptual region
- place that people believe exists as part of their cultural identity.
- defined by the wide spread popular perception by people within or outside them
- emerge from people’s formal sense
-region does not have formal defined boundaries or agree upon boundaries
- it’s in the minds of people E. g Karoo/ Bosveld
Region is a concept an abstract idea
Region is defined – cultural phenomena that merge or overlap. (People who live between 2 cities might listen to
radio stations located in both.)
Countries of the world are grouped into regions according to Wealthier vs Impoverished geographically described as
Global North vs Global South.
Concept of distribution: -(Falls under spatial analysis/ distribution)
- Of a phenomenon it means it’s * position * placement * arrangement throughout space
- Also describe where individual elements of the phenomenon are located.
Properties of distribution:
1. Density – the frequency of occurrence of a phenomenon in relation to geographic area.
- feature being measured could be * people * houses *cars *volcanoes
- expressed as a number per square km or square mile
- large population does not lead to high density.
- E.g Russia has larger population in relation to the Netherlands, but Netherlands has a much higher density
because of the land area that is smaller.
2. Concentration – extent of a feature spread over space.
- concentrated or clustered objects in an area are close together (Farmers in a village)
- Dispersed if they are scattered or relatively far apart from each other (Farmers live on the farm North
America)
- Two areas must have the same number of objects and same size in area.
3. Pattern – geometrical arrangement of objects within an area.
- some features are organized in a geometric pattern others are distributed irregularly
- Modern cities street lights are arranged in rectangular grid patterns and older cities is irregular.
Human Environmental interaction: a 2 way relationship between humans and the environment and it has been
associated with innovation and disaster.
- It also shows how the environment enable and inhibits the activities of humans
- Geographic study of human- environment relationship is called cultural ecology.
- Human societies must adapt to local climate, vegetation and water resources
- Interaction between the environment and humankind is reciprocal
- The environment affects the human life and cultures.
Geographers are interested in 2 types of human- environment interactions:
3
UNIT 1: Explain the following definitions:
*Geography – Study of interactions of the physical and human phenomena.
- Involves the exploration and description of the world we live in.
- It’s also about the interactions among places that forms patterns and organize space.
* Physical Geography – the study of characteristics of a physical environment.
- Such as climate, soil and vegetation
*Human Geography – the study of human groups and their activities
- study as language and buildings
* Cultural Geography – the subfield of human geography
- Focus on the role of human activities and cultures
* Regional / Special Geography – analyse places in terms of local population, customs and political regions.
Geographical Phenomenon: (What is a geographical Phenomenon)
Temporal component – the phenomena are not static and it changes over time.
Spatial component – can be linked to a specific location
Thematic component – measurable characteristics or properties like what is its name? How big is it?
There are Geographical phenomena:
Such as a crime scene in a city over 5 years
Place exhibiting art
Explain the distribution of a phenomenon:
Describing where individual element are located can be random or scattered.
Contemporary geographers employ 3 analytical methods:
1. Area analysis – it integrates the geographic features of an area or place.
- it shows that each place occupies a unique location
- possesses a unique combination of human behaviour and environmental processes (Site, situation
and region)
2. Spatial analysis – called location analysis
- emphasizes the interactions among places
- look for patterns in the distribution of human activities
- Characteristics like distribution, density, pattern, movement , distance and diffusion.
3. Geographic systems – understanding of the physical and human systems and the interactions amongst them.
(Atmosphere the hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere)
Basic definitions of concepts:
Absolute location – the location of a place as pinpointed in terms of the global geographic grid.
Relative location – the location reference to another place
- Describes the accessibility such as (nearer or further)
- It is constantly changing
- Also change if the territorial site of an activity’s organization change.
- Affects the interaction between places and the accessibility of a specific place.
- Example Cape Town is located 2km north of the CBD area.
Situation - location of a place relative to other places
- Knowledge of the place’s situation that helps us understand how it interacts with rest of the
world.
1
,GGH1501 Semester 1 NOTES
Space – refers to the distribution of features
- 3 main properties of distribution across space namely density, concentration and pattern.
Scale – a quantitative statement of the relative sizes of an object on a map and in reality. (Map scale, written scale
and graphical scale. Can be expressed in one of 3 ways.
Connectedness – connections between places results in spatial interaction
- Places are connected through a network
Characteristics of Map projections:
Projections – second fundamental characteristic of maps
- Governs the way we show information and shows locations on a flat map
- Process of projecting the globe onto the map introduces distortion.
Projections must distort either – size as distance or shape orientation or both.
Conformal Maps – maps that distort size but preserve shape
- Mercator projection showing the latitude and longitude
Equal- area Maps – preserve size but distort shape.
Geographic grid used to describe the absolute location. Done with reference where the Greenwich Meridian and the
Equator intersect.
Purpose of geographic grid
The geographic grid is a system designed to pinpoint any location on Earth by laying a vertical and horizontal
grid over the Earth's layout.
Different characteristics of latitude and longitude
Latitude: run east-west, run parallel, numbered from equator (0 degrees)
Longitude: runs north-south, not parallel, all lines meet at North and South pole, separated by distances
Concept of a region:
- Areas defined by 1 or more distinctive characteristics or a unique combination of features.
- Such as climate and soil type
- Language or economic activity
Geographers define regions and describe as well as analyse the similarities and the differences.
They also study the patterns and how people organize their societies.
Criteria to define a region: Physical or cultural
Types of regions:
1. Formal – also called uniform region or homogeneous region
- an area within which everyone share in common one or more distinctive characteristics
- shared future such as cultural values (common language)
- Economic activity (production)
-Environmental property (climate)
Geographers identify formal regions – explain broad global or national patterns and variations or economic
development. E.g. Chicago (government covers the legal cost and limits and collects the taxes)
2
, GGH1501 Semester 1 NOTES
2. Functional region – also called the nodal region
- an area organized around a node or focal point.
- defined by the interactions among places such as trade / communication.
Geographers use this region to display info about economic areas.
- Boundaries of the region marks the limit of the trading area.
E.g reception areas of a tv station (broadcast to different places)
3. Vernacular region – perceptual region
- place that people believe exists as part of their cultural identity.
- defined by the wide spread popular perception by people within or outside them
- emerge from people’s formal sense
-region does not have formal defined boundaries or agree upon boundaries
- it’s in the minds of people E. g Karoo/ Bosveld
Region is a concept an abstract idea
Region is defined – cultural phenomena that merge or overlap. (People who live between 2 cities might listen to
radio stations located in both.)
Countries of the world are grouped into regions according to Wealthier vs Impoverished geographically described as
Global North vs Global South.
Concept of distribution: -(Falls under spatial analysis/ distribution)
- Of a phenomenon it means it’s * position * placement * arrangement throughout space
- Also describe where individual elements of the phenomenon are located.
Properties of distribution:
1. Density – the frequency of occurrence of a phenomenon in relation to geographic area.
- feature being measured could be * people * houses *cars *volcanoes
- expressed as a number per square km or square mile
- large population does not lead to high density.
- E.g Russia has larger population in relation to the Netherlands, but Netherlands has a much higher density
because of the land area that is smaller.
2. Concentration – extent of a feature spread over space.
- concentrated or clustered objects in an area are close together (Farmers in a village)
- Dispersed if they are scattered or relatively far apart from each other (Farmers live on the farm North
America)
- Two areas must have the same number of objects and same size in area.
3. Pattern – geometrical arrangement of objects within an area.
- some features are organized in a geometric pattern others are distributed irregularly
- Modern cities street lights are arranged in rectangular grid patterns and older cities is irregular.
Human Environmental interaction: a 2 way relationship between humans and the environment and it has been
associated with innovation and disaster.
- It also shows how the environment enable and inhibits the activities of humans
- Geographic study of human- environment relationship is called cultural ecology.
- Human societies must adapt to local climate, vegetation and water resources
- Interaction between the environment and humankind is reciprocal
- The environment affects the human life and cultures.
Geographers are interested in 2 types of human- environment interactions:
3
