GEOGRAPHY deals with spatial perspectives
� The study of place and space
� Studies the location and distribution of features on the earths surface
� Studies human activity, the natural environment, and the relationship between the two
� Answers where and why
HUMAN(cultural) AND PHYSICAL(natural)
GEOGRAPHIC REALMS
� May change over time
� Based on sets of spatial criteria
� Largest geographic units into which the inhabited world can be divided
� Based on both physical and human yardsticks
� Where geographical realms meet, transition zones, not sharp boundaries, mar
TRANSITION ZONES
an area of spatial change where the edges of two realms or regions meet
� An artificial boundary must be considered transitional
� When these transition zones between realms are large or lengthy, they are considered zones of regional change
REGIONS
� Areas of the earth's surface marked by certain properties
� Based on criteria we establish
� Criteria can be based on Human (cultural) properties, Physical (natural) properties, or both
� All regions have:
o Area
o Location
Absolute: defined by a coordi
Formal Region
Marked by a degree of homogeneity or dominance in one or more phenomena (also called a uniform region or homogeneous region) example is the corn belt
Functional Region
A region not marked sameness or homogeneity but by its dynamic and inter-related internal structure that functions as a region -Examples are Disneyland, baseball parks (also called a nodal region)
Hinterland
means country behind: applies to a surrounding area served by or serving an urban center (urban center=focus of goods and services produced in the hinterland)
Physiographic
refers to the physical setting of the land, providing general info about landforms, climate, natural hazards, vegetation types, animal types, etc.
primate city
A city which is greater than two times the next largest city in a nation (or contains over one-third of a nation's population). The primate city is usually very expressive of the national culture and often the capital city
European Union
12 original members
Established 1992 and effective 1993
Aimed to coordinate policy among the members in three fields (economics, defense, justice and home affairs)
Problems:
o Loss of autonomy, disparities in levels of economic development, technical and
Culture
shared behavior of learned behavior beliefs, institutions, technology. People of the same background can be divided along cultural lines
Ethnicity
nationality, nation, race)
Different ethnic groups can achieve a common cultural landscape
4 Great Population Clusters
East Asia, South Asia, Europe, Eastern North America
Ural Mountain Resources
used for timber and minerals
Devolutionary forces
The process whereby regions within a state demand and gain political strength and growing autonomy at the expense of the central government (northern Ireland)
Shatter Belt
a zone of chronic political splintering and fracturing (Eastern Europe ethnic composition)
Balkanization
Means to break up into smaller and often hostile units
Originates from a mountain range in Bulgaria
Applied to the southern half of eastern Europe (The Balkan countries of the Balkan Peninsula)
weather vs climate
Climate is what you would expect and weather is what you get.
Irredentism
a policy of cultural extension and political expansion aimed at a national group living in a neighboring country
Cultural Landscapes
the composite of human imprints on the earth's surface, the forms super imposed on the physical landscape by the activities of humans
State
A politically organized territory
Administered by a sovereign government
Recognized by a significant portion of the international community
Permanent resident population
Organized economy
Functioning internal circulation system
Nation
Must a nation be a place? No. The Cherokee nation, Ho Chunk, etc., a politically organized body of people under a single government
Nation-State
A country whose population possesses a substantial degree of cultural homogeneity and unity. An example is Japan, Sweden, Poland, Hungary
Geographic Advantage
navigable waterways, moderate distances=maximum contact with the rest of the world
Europe
Western extremity of Eurasia
Lingering world influence
High degrees of specialization
Manufacturing dominance
Numerous states
Urbanized population
High standards of living
Russia
Immense territorial state
Northernmost country in the world
Former world colonial power
Comparatively small (less than 145 million) and concentrated population
Concentrated industrial and agricultural development
Multicultural state
Minimal ports
Relative Location
At the heart of the land hemisphere
Maximum efficiency for contact with the rest of the world
Every part of Europe is near the sea
Navigable waterways
Moderate distances
3 Revolutions in Europe
political, agrarian, industrial
Centrifugal forces
things that divide a country, eg different political ideologies, poor treatment of minority groups
Centripetal forces
things uniting a country, satisfaction with the system of government and administration
EUROPE'S CHANGING POPULATION
Falling share of the worlds population
Fertility rate at an all time low
Few young people
Smaller working age population
Boom and age bust population
Supranationalism
a venture involving 3 or more national states political economic or cultural cooperation to promote shared objectives
EASTERN EUROPE
Europe's largest region
Adjoins 3 of 4 other European Regions
Contains the most countries
Includes Europe's Largest State
Incorporates Europe's poorest country
In 1990, none of its states could meet the criteria for membership in the EU
Reaches into the R
Russian Vegetation
Steppe-grassland, used for grazing and some agriculture.
Taiga- conifer forest, very large
Tundra- treeless plains, very delicate
Permafrost- Soil at or below freezing point for two or more years.
CLIMATE AS A RESTRICTIVE ELEMENT
Agriculture- short growing seasons, drought prone, erosion (accelerated by snow melt)
Settlement patterns and transportation- political and economic attitudes "changing"
Industry- High energy consumption, specialized equipment and facilities, expensive
Russian Plain
-Eastward continuation of north European lowland
-Most densely populated area of Russia
-Agricultural and Industrial core areas
-Volga river, canals, and tributaries
West Siberian Plain
-The world's largest wetlands plain in the world
-Worlds largest unbroken lowland
-Drained by Ob, and Irtysh Rivers to the Arctic Ocean
-Harsh long winters
-Too wet for agriculture
-Settlement in the South (omsk and Novibirsk)
-Huge oil and natural gas re
Central Siberian Plateau
-sparsely settled
-"Inaccessible"
-Restrictive climate
-Permafrost
-Natural resources
-Yenisei and Lena rivers
-most extensive protected wilderness in Russia
Yakustsk Basin
-Mountains, high relief
-sparsely populated, life is tough
-40F not uncommon, coldest city in the word
-90s summer (short)
-Permafrost research institute
Eastern Highlands
-Volcanoes, mountain ranges, deep valleys, ridges
-Inside the Kamchatka peninsula
-Irkutsk, Khabarovsk, Vladivostok
-Lake Baykal
Central Asian Ranges
-Altai mountains
-Snow packed, glaciated mountains, important water sources
-Denisova Cave, Neanderthals, Usesco world heritage site
The Caucasus
-Mount Elbrus (Europe's highest point, inactive volcano)
-Political, military, religious, and cultural rivalries and expansion for centuries
-Region of war among the Ottoman Empire, Iran, and Russia
-Continuing territorial disputes since the collapse of t
Colonialism
the governing influence of a nation over a dependent country, territory, or people
Imperialism
extending the rule over to foreign countries by diplomacy or military force
COMMAND ECONOMY
an economy in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state and in which central planning of the structure and output prevails
COLLAPSE OF THE SOVIET UNION
-A sharp decline in agricultural and industrial production
-Intensification of Ethno-cultural Nationalism and separatism
Some governing geographic concepts in Russia
Population is declining at 1 million per year. Increasing distances between places tend to reduce interaction between them.
RUSSIA'S PROSPECTS
ECONOMIC - INDUSTRIAL RESOURCES
TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE
MANUFACTURING CAPACITY
POLITICAL
INTERNAL FRICTION (still faces problems with diversity of ethnic groups and religious differences, e.g. Chechnya)
EXTERNAL CHALLENGES
Relations with EU & NATO
Ownership of oil and gas reserves around Caspian Sea
Russian conflicts with Kazakhstan & former domains
Chechnya's resistance to be included in Russian Federation
Uncertain Russian power and influence in world affairs
Russia's Manufacturing Regions
Far Detached from Moscow. The major city was Vladivostok. Frontier with Japan and China. Steel, chemicals, and furniture were shipped west for food from the east.
Political Framework
Soviet Legacy. Bolsheviks vs Mensheviks. USSR.
Russification.
Russification
Moving minority population eastwards and replacing them with Russian population.
Federation
the idea of recognition of smaller political subdivisions and sharing power between central government with local government (some local autonomy). But in reality, Russia's central government is still in control.
Economic Framework
Centrally Planned. Major objectives were to speed industrialization and collectivize agriculture.
Gosplan
(a national planning commission), idea is to confiscate small farms to make them collectively into large farms for efficiency.
Collectivization
The idea of engaging collectivization was to free enough farm workers to build up an industrialization labor force. It did not increase farm productivity.
Soviet Leaders
Czarism, Lenin, Stalin, Kruschev, Breshnev, Gorbachev
Russia's Central Industrial Core
Sub-region 1: Dominated by Moscow and St. Petersburg. Automobile Industry. Economic Hub.
Forward Capital
Capital city positioned in actually or potentially contested territory, usually near an international border, confirms the state's determination to maintain its presence in the region