Human Geography Study: People, Cultures, and Environments

1. Chapter 3 The Study of Human Geography: Languages, religions, customs and economic and political systems

2. Where People Live • Population Density • Some areas, average number of people in a square mile or a kilometer, is very high. Other areas have few or no inhabitants. • Natural Obstacles can restrict living locations. • 2/3 of earth covered in water. • Half of land area is uninhabitable. • Almost everyone lives where soil is fertile, water is plentiful and climate is mild enough to grow crops.

3. People and Environment • People adapt. • How? • Human activity has altered physical landscape. • How?

4. Population Density • Calculated by dividing the total population of a region by the region’s land area. • Some geographers prefer to figure a country’s population density in terms of its arable land. • Results can be misleading, ex. Egypt. • Pop. Density in 2000 was 177 people per sq. mile. • Arable land density was 8,839 people per sq. mi.

5. Population Growth • Dramatic increase in recent centuries. • Factors that have contributed: • Modern technology • Improved medical care *** Poses a problem for poorer countries

6. The Effects of Growth • Predictions of increases in: BAD • Famine • Disease • Natural resource depletion GOOD • Levels of technology • creativity.

7. Comparing Growth Rates • Growth is uneven throughout the world. • Different birthrate and death rate cause countries to balance individually. • A country’s total population is also affected by differences in immigrants and emigrants. • When combined birthrate and immigration rate equals the combined death rate and emigration rate, a country is said to have reached “zero population growth.” ex. China • Developing countries – birthrates = high, death rates falling due to increase health.

9. Patterns of Settlement • Densest areas: East Asia, South Asia, Europe and eastern North America… Live in metropolitan areas. • Most Europeans and North Americans live in cities, and urbanization is going on throughout the world. • In many countries, urban populations are growing twice as fast as rural.

11. The Nature of Culture • Cultures change slowly over time. • It is reflected in: • Objects • Ideas

12. Is this a material or nonmaterial custom?

13. Cultural Hearths • Ex. Southwest Asia, people first learned to tame and herd animals and grow crops. Writing and Math also originated in this cultural hearth. • Another EX. of a cultural hearth would be China. • Olmecs, Mayas and Toltecs formed culture hearths in Mexico and Central America.

14. Language • Without language, people would not be able to communicate. • All cultures have language. • Reflects a culture’s identity. • Many societies include large groups of people who speak different languages. Ex. India

15. Religion • Religion helps people answer basic questions about the meaning and purpose of life. • Religions and practices vary around the world. • Worship of one god is called monotheism. • Worship of more than one god is called polytheism. • Struggles over religious differences are a problem in many countries.

16. Cultural Landscapes • Technology is an important part of culture. • Human beings produce unique cultural landscapes as they use natural resources or alter the surface of the earth. • Ex. Great Plains US vs rural landscapes of China.

18. Social Organization • Every culture creates a social structure. • Meant to help people of a culture work together to meet their basic needs. • Family is the most important unit of social organization. • Most cultures have social classes. • May be based on money, occupation, education, ancestry, or other highly valued factors.

19. Women and Minorities • In many cultures, social mobility is restricted. • Limits are often imposed on women, ethnic minorities, and religious minorities. • Ex. Some cultures discourage women from assuming leading roles in govt. They believe that a woman’s role should be that of wife and mother.

20. Women and Minorities continued… • Some societies encourage women to disfigure their bodies. • Centuries ago, Chinese women were expected to have their feet tightly bound with cloth in order to stunt the growth of their feet.

21. Women and Minorities continued… • Long history of discrimination and violence against ethnic and religious minorities. • At various times and in various places, Jews, Christians, Muslims, and other religious groups have all suffered as minorities. • Denied high paying jobs, or best lands, property seized or forced to live within a restricted area.

22. Cultural Change • Cultures change by internal and external influences. • New discoveries and ideas can bring change. • Technology plays a role. • Changes come from inventions or new ways of doing things. • Ex. Use of Fire = significant advance • Ex. Tools and language

23. Cultural Convergence • Transportation and communication intensifies the speed and frequency of cultural change. • Ex. • Popularity of Mexican food in US is also a convergence.

24. Cultural Convergence Continued… • Diffusion often occurs through the migration of people who take their cultural traits with them to new locations. • Ex. When Europeans came to the Americas and introduced new religions. • Process of adapting some traits from other cultures is called acculturation. • Cultural traits and practices can diffuse when different groups come in contact with one another and exchange goods and ideas. • Europeans/Native Americans exchanging potatoes, corn and beans.

25. Cultural Divergence • In order to limit cultural contact, repressive governments seek to control transportation and communication. • Restrict free movement, limit access to newspapers, internet, radio and Tv. • Ex. Romania and Eastern Europe’s Fall of communism.