This document provides an introduction to geography, outlining key concepts. It defines geography as the study of Earth, its land, water, plant and animal life, and human populations. Some important places that will be studied include Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Mesoamerica, and South America. Landforms like mountains, hills, steppes and plateaus shape human environments and cultures. Climate and bodies of water such as oceans, rivers and lakes also significantly impact how people live.

1. You will need your
1-C CLOZE Notes
Introduction to Geography
1

2. 2

3. 1. What is Geography?
a. Geography is the study of Earth in all
its variety
b. Geography concerns Earth’s land,
water, and plant & animal life.
3

4. 1. What is Geography?
c. Geography gives information about
1) the very diverse groups of people
who live on Earth
4
http://www.photostaud.com/img/fotogal
erie/samburu-people-
destination/kenya-samburu-013.3.jpg
http://outsiderjapan.pbworks.com/f/1241104812/geisha.jpg
http://www.chinapictures.org/images/chinese-new-year/1/chinese-new-
year-40202160257314.jpg
http://www.visittnt.com/india-travel-themes/gifs/india-culture-heritage.jpg
http://www.fanar.gov.qa/Uploads/Activity/vodafone.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NfsdvUxYGkI/TFLwR_f5uyI/AAAAAAAAXYw/tCLQnTD7V
O4/s640/holy_sepulchre.jpghttp://minisites.com/images/jewishreligion.jpg
http://drpinna.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/American-People-
Flag.jpg
http://bridge-outsourcing.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Global-people.jpg

5. 1. What is Geography?
c. Geography gives information about
1) the very diverse groups of people
who live on Earth
2) places the people have created
5http://library.thinkquest.org/C002739/AfricaSite/djenne.JPGhttp://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/645/cache/snow-great-wall-of-
china_64511_990x742.jpg
http://www.islamic-architecture.info/WA-IQ/MFD05-02.jpg
http://cdn.c.photoshelter.com/img-
get/I00007Z0xA3obfDY/s/750/750/Barcelona-Sagrada-Familia-
http://ergodic.ugr.es/granada12/images/gallery/big/01.patio_leones.jpg

6. 1. What is Geography?
c. Geography gives information about
1) the very diverse groups of people
who live on Earth
2) places the people have created
3) how those places differ
6

7. 1. What is Geography?
d. Geography has a major effect on the
way people live.
2. Some of the important places we will be
studying this year
7

8. 8
http://www.pustakalaya.org/images/maps/africa_topo.jpg
a. Africa Europe
African Trading Kingdoms
Ghana, Mali, Songhai
Africa
Nile
River
Middle
East
Asia
Sahara Desert
Indian
Ocean
Atlantic Ocean

9. 9
http://dglnotes.com/media/ME-satellite.jpg
Europe
Fertile Crescent
Africa
Mediterranean Sea
Arabian Peninsula
Persian
Gulf
Indian
Ocean
Asia
Nile
River
Tigris
River
Euphrates
River
Mesopotamia
b. Middle East

10. c. Asia
10http://www.solarnavigator.net/geography/geography_images/Asia_satelite_photograph.jpg
Indian
Ocean
Asia
Africa
Europe
Middle
East
Pacific
Ocean
Russia
India
China
Japan
Indus
River
Huang
River
Mediterranean
Sea

11. 11
http://www.cosmovisions.com/cartes/qEurope.jpg
Africa
Atlantic
Ocean
d. Europe
Middle
East
Asia
Russia
England
Europe
Portugal Spain
France
Italy
Greece

12. e. Mesoamerica
12
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Mesoamerica_topographic_map-blank.svg
Mesoamerica
Atlantic
Ocean
Pacific
Ocean
South
America
Olmec
Aztec Maya
North
America

13. 13
South America
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Topographic_map_of_South_America.jpg
f. South America
Pacific
Ocean
Atlantic
Ocean
Mesoamerica
Inca
Andes
Mountains

14. 2. People have adapted to many different land
forms including the four major ones.
a. mountain
b. hill
c. steppe
d. plateau
14

15. 3. Mountain: a high, steep, rugged land that
rises above the surrounding land elevation;
at least 2,000 ft. high.
15

16. 3. Mountains:
a. Mountains effect the culture of the people
who inhabit them.
1. rich in mineral resources mining jobs
16

17. 2. heavily forested jobs in the
lumber industry
3. Mountains:
a. Mountains effect the culture of the people
who inhabit them.
17

18. 3. Mountains:
a. Mountains effect the culture of the people
who inhabit them.
water power
(hydroelectricity)
3. swift flowing streams 
18

19. 3. Mountains:
a. Mountains effect the culture of the people
who inhabit them.
often in valleys4. affects where people live 
Glacial Valley, Stalheim, Norway,
Scandinavia, Europe
by James Hager
https://www.allposters.co.uk/-sp/Glacial-Valley-Stalheim-
Norway-Scandinavia-Europe-Posters_i3054112_.htm
19
the Punakha Dzong (Fortress)
http://bhutan-360.com/punakha
Terraces of Pisaq, Sacred Valley.
Photo: Mylene d'Auriol Stoessel.
Luxury Machu Picchu Travel.

20. 5. barriers to transportation, travel, trade
3. Mountains:
a. Mountains effect the culture of the people
who inhabit them.
20
http://www.acus.org/content/kyber-pass
Khyber Pass, Hindu Kush, West India
in the Italian Alps,
near Bormio and
Sulden
http://www.flickr.com/photos/avi
_abrams/1015242026/sizes/o/
Inca Bridges, Andes Mts ,
Peru
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2277/1516126107_409c3fdebc.jpg
The Inca Bridge of Q’eswachaka –
52 ft above river
http://www.dosmanosperu.com/dosmanos/newsletter/img_news/2006/i
Repaired
The Keshwa chaca
http://www.pbase.com/manco/image/35215875/large
Silk Road from
China to Middle East

21. 6. can isolate people
3. Mountains:
a. Mountains effect the culture of the people
who inhabit them.
21http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/China_satellite.png
China

22. 7. Can form a natural fort for protection
3. Mountains:
a. Mountains effect the culture of the people
who inhabit them.
22

23. b. The Himalayas -- highest and oldest mountain
range in the world.
formation of
Himalayas
3. Mountain:
23

24. 24
3. Mountain:
b. The Himalayas
1) 1,500 miles long, the Himalayas create a
natural order between China & India
http://www.solarnavigator.net/geography/geography_images/Asia_satelite_photograph.jpg
China
India

25. 3. Mountain:
b. The Himalayas
2. Mount Everest -- highest mountain in
the world is at 29,035 ft
Click small image to access http://www.panoramas.dk/fullscreen2/full22.htmla
25

26. 26
3. Mountain:
c. Tien Shan– mountains located in northwest China.
http://www.solarnavigator.net/geography/geography_images/Asia_satelite_photograph.jpg
China
India

27. 27
3. Mountain:
c. Tien Shan– mountains located in northwest China.
1) The combination of the Tien Shan, Himalayas
and other features, geographically isolates
China. This directly impacts the culture of China
and leads to a very limited cultural diffusion, or
the spread of ideas, customs, and
technologies from one people to another.

28. 3. Mountains:
d. Hindu Kush – located in the northwestern
corner of the Indian subcontinent or large
landmass that juts out from a continent.
28
http://bhoffert.faculty.noctrl.edu/REL315/Map.AryanMigration.gif

29. 3. Mountains:
d. Hindu Kush – located in the northwestern
corner of the Indian subcontinent or large
landmass that juts out from a continent.
29
The combination of the Himalayas and the
Hindu Kush protected India from a lot of
invaders.

30. 3. Mountains:
d. Hindu Kush –
30
Two groups did enter: the Aryans and the
Mongols, 3000 years later. As a result, India
had cultural diffusion via land routes (mostly
internal) and sea routes (external).

31. 3. Mountains:
e. The Andes – these mountains along the
western sea coast of South America were
the home of the Inca.
31
An extensive system of
roads were constructed
to transport the
emperor’s messengers
and armies across his
empire.

32. 32
http://bellaremyphotography.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/20120514-img_1878-2.jpg
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02354/MachuPicchu_2354046b.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_NLgCNBWt34A/Rl6eY1b7yII/AAAAAAAAAxg/t9S43ke9SHg/s400/1%2
520(8)23.jpg

33. 33
3. Mountains:
f. The Alps - this mountain range at the
northern border of the Italian peninsula
hindered neither the Roman armies nor
medieval trade from the Muslim world to
Italy and across the Alps to Europe.

34. 34
3. Mountains:
g. The Urals - the oldest and lowest mountains on
Earth are located in Russia and act as the natural
boundary between Asia and Europe.

35. 35
3. Mountains:
h. The mountains and valleys of Greece – resulted
in the formation or individual city-states such as
Athens and Sparta.

36. 36
3. Mountains:
h. The mountains and valleys of Greece – resulted
in the formation or individual city-states such as
Athens and Sparta.
Athens Sparta

37. 4. Hill:
a. areas of raised land lower than and not as steep
as mountains.
b. transportation and travel easier
c. In ancient times used for its defensive capability
37http://www.danheller.com/images/Europe/Croatia/Motovun/Town/motovun-on-hill-pano.jpg

38. 38

39. 4. Hill:
a. areas of raised land lower than and not as steep
as mountains.
b. transportation and travel easier
c. In ancient times used for its defensive capability
d. The city of Rome was built on seven hills
39http://www.mariamilani.com/rome_maps/rome_hills_map_lrg.jpg

40. 5. Plateau:
a. Large areas of high, flat land
b. Elevation- a few hundred to several
thousand feet high
c. Tibetan Plateau - China
40
http://www.asiapacificmemo.ca/wp-
content/uploads/2011/10/TibetanPlateauPicture2.png

41. 5. Plateau:
a. Large areas of high, flat land
b. Elevation- a few hundred to several
thousand feet high
c. Tibetan Plateau - China
CHINA
INDIA
41
Texas
Texas
Texas
Texas

42. 5. Plateau:
a. Large areas of high, flat land
b. Elevation- a few hundred to several
thousand feet high
c. Tibetan Plateau - China
CHINA
42
http://images.spaceref.com/news/2012/oo7260588922.jpg

43. 5. Plateau:
c. Tibetan Plateau – China
d. Deccan Plateau - India
43
http://www.featurepics.com/FI/Thumb300/20080321/Shaded-Relief-Map-India-
659813.jpg

44. 6. Steppe:
a. sparse, dry grassland; vast treeless plain
44
http://astanatopia.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/astana-steppe-7748.jpg
http://www.exploringnature.org/graphics/biomes/map_grasslands_steppes.jpg

45. 6. Steppe:
a. sparse, dry grassland; vast treeless plain
b.most of the world’s food is grown here
45
http://astanatopia.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/astana-steppe-7748.jpg
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EZMGVwURo3M/Sp_YMfEoQ-I/AAAAAAAABrg/GNwUGywNJ9o/s400/Steppe-753498.jpg

46. 6. Steppe:
a. sparse, dry grassland; vast treeless plain
b.most of the world’s food is grown here
c. transportation easy
46
http://astanatopia.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/astana-steppe-7748.jpg

47. 6. Steppe:
a. sparse, dry grassland; vast treeless plain
b.most of the world’s food is grown here
c. transportation easy
47
http://astanatopia.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/astana-steppe-7748.jpghttp://www.turkey-visit.com/map/continents/Asia/asia_satellite_image.jpg

48. 7. Oceans, rivers, and lakes effect culture.
a. The first major civilizations began in
river valleys.
48
http://www.tcmyellowpage.com/Natural_Therapies/UploadPic/2012-7/2012728171045996.jpg

49. 7. Oceans, rivers, and lakes effect culture.
b. freshwater for drinking and irrigation
http://pro.corbis.com/images/42-
18580545.jpg?size=572&uid={E9581110-3A1F-43E9-AD4E-
66A5978E61DD}
http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:Ohd43ueoXd75vM:http://www.mead.k12.wa.us/SHILOH/G
riffith/MrGsWebPage2/Ancient%20Egypt/ancient_egypt_images/nile_irrigation.jpg 49

50. 7. Oceans, rivers, and lakes effect culture.
b. freshwater for drinking and irrigation
c. source of food
http://tgcministry.org/images/White-Tailed%20Deer%20Drinking.jpg
http://www.funnyphotos.net.au/userimages/alaskan-crab-fishing-2.jpg
50

51. 7. Oceans, rivers, and lakes effect culture.
b. freshwater for drinking and irrigation
d. large cities grow
c. source of food
51

52. 7. Oceans, rivers, and lakes effect culture.
b. freshwater for drinking and irrigation
d. large cities grow
c. source of food
e. Important for transportation
http://www.celticholidays.ltd.uk/egyptpics/Nile%20River%202.jpg
52

53. 7. Oceans, rivers, and lakes effect culture.
b. freshwater for drinking and irrigation
d. large cities grow
c. source of food
e. important for transportation
f. Important for trade
http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch1en/conc1en/img/silkroad.gif
53

54. 7. Oceans, rivers, and lakes effect culture.
b. freshwater for drinking and irrigation
d. large cities grow
c. source of food
e. important transportation route
f. important trade routes
g. today: hydroelectricity
54

55. 8. Climate is measurement of the temperature
55

56. 8. Climate is measurement of the temperature
56
and precipitation.

57. a. Climate can affect culture.
1) Climate affects the agriculture of a
society.
a) Climate determines what crops will
grow.
8. Climate is measurement of the temperature &
precipitation.
57http://www.newsecuritybeat.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Women-in-Agriculture-Pic1.jpg

58. Sugar
cane
Pineapples
58

59. Coffee 
Tea
59

60. a. Climate can affect culture.
1) Climate affects the agriculture of a
society.
a) Climate determines what crops will
grow.
b) Climate determines when crops will
grow.
8. Climate is measurement of the temperature &
precipitation.
60
Seasons of the Indus River

61. a. Climate can affect culture.
1) Climate affects the agriculture of a society.
a) Climate determines what crops will
grow.
b) Climate determines when crops will
grow.
c) Example: monsoons or seasonal winds
of India and China.
8. Climate is measurement of the temperature &
precipitation.
61

62. 62
http://nimg.sulekha.com/others/original700/india-monsoons-2009-7-15-9-41-50.jpg

63. 63
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01431/field_1431962c.jpg
http://nimg.sulekha.com/others/original700/india-monsoons-2009-7-15-9-41-50.jpg

64. a. Climate can affect culture.
3) It determines how people dress
8. Climate is measurement of the temperature &
precipitation.
64

65. a. Climate can affect culture.
4) It determines what recreational
activities people choose.
8. Climate is measurement of the temperature &
precipitation.
65

66. a. Climate can affect culture.
4) It determines what recreational
activities people choose.
8. Climate is measurement of the temperature &
precipitation.
66

67. 9. Natural Resources–anything from the natural
environment people use to meet their needs.
a. fertile soil
http://www.oursoil.org/fossaalterna.php
http://fotobank.ru/image/JW01-3958.html67

68. 9. Natural Resources–anything from the natural
environment people use to meet their needs.
b. clean water
http://feelgoodstyle.com/files/2008/04/cleanwaterislife.jpg
http://www.adem.state.al.us/OtherInfo/30YrsCW/Hold%20the%20Date.htm
68

69. 8. Natural Resources–anything from the natural
environment people use to meet their needs.
c. trees
http://www.instablogsimages.com/images/2008/02/04/rain-forests-disappearing-fast_5965.jpg
http://nature.berkeley.edu/~hwood/New%20Zealand%202008.html
http://chinadigitaltimes.net/china/emissions/
69

70. 8. Natural Resources–anything from the natural
environment people use to meet their needs.
d. Minerals
http://www.allposters.co.uk/-sp/Minerals-Posters_i2115113_.htm
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v41
8/n6894/images/418129b-i1.0.jpg
http://www.treknature.com/gallery/photo36761.htm
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2024/2189556431_47c418c3
1b.jpg?v=0
70

71. 8. Natural Resources–anything from the natural
environment people use to meet their needs.
e. energy sources
http://www.suntricity4life.com/sites/mnedd/_files/Image/energy.jpg
http://sunenergyfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/sun_energy_fossil_fuels.jpg
71

72. 8. Natural Resources–anything from the natural
environment people use to meet their needs.
f. human skills & labor
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3019/2434155204_d562196851.jpg?v=0
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3382/3527925637_7bec412742.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3080/2805616353_02cdf9764f.jpg?v=0
72

73. http://www.solarnavigator.net/geography/geography_images/Egypt_Sphinx_Giza_Pyramid.jpg
http://english.people.com.cn/200506/23/images/hani.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Sp
ace_Shuttle_Columbia_launching_cropped_2.jpg.jpg
73

74. 1) Forests
2) plant & animal life
3) grasslands
4) rich soil
9. Two kinds of natural resources
a. Renewable Resources – can be replaced
as they are used up; replaced naturally
or grown fairly quickly
http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/extension/florida_fo
restry_information/images/LiveOakWorksh
op075.JPG
http://www.organicgardeninfo.com/soil.html
http://www.kidsgeo.com/images/grassland-biome.jpg
http://www.oursoil.org/fossaalterna.php
74

75. b. Nonrenewable Resources-- cannot be
replaced; formed over millions of years
by geological forces
1) fossil fuels – coals, oil, natural gas
9. Two kinds of natural resources
http://www.learner.org/courses/envsci/visual/img_med/coal_formation.jpg
75

76. b. Nonrenewable Resources-- cannot be
replaced; formed over millions of years
by geological forces
2) metals and minerals – iron, aluminum,
phosphates
9. Two kinds of natural resources
http://science.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGS/Shared/StaticFiles/Science/Images/Content/mineral-mining-
42-15731797-sw.jpghttp://www.amgueddfacymru.ac.uk/media/2/2/1/1/thumb_500/Parys_Mtn.jpg
76

77. 10. The Five Themes of Geography
--- Listen to the video and see if you can
find them.
** Clue = mr help
77

78. 78

79. 10. The Five Themes of Geography
a. m
b. r
c. he
d. l
e. p
79
movement
region
he–human environment interaction
location
place

80. 10. The Five Themes of Geography
a. movement – all things move
1) People move for different
purposes such as jobs, travel or
goof living environment
2) Sometimes people involuntarily
such as slaves or people under
political persecution
3) Goods are moving in a global
economy
4) Ideas are moving
80

81. 10. The Five Themes of Geography
b. region – large areas that share
unique features in one way or
another
1) Political regions such as
countries, the Middle East,
Southeast Asia
2) Economic regions such as Silicon
Valley or the Mississippi River
Delta
3) Cultural Regions such as the
Bible Belt or the Blue Grass
Region
81

82. 10. The Five Themes of Geography
c. human environment interaction --
what humans have done or is
done to humans by Mother Nature
1) Humans rely on nature
a) Water to drink, fields to grow our
crops, rivers for transportation
and fishing
82

83. 10. The Five Themes of Geography
c. human environment interaction --
what humans have done or is done to
humans by Mother Nature
2) Humans modify the natural
environment to meet our needs
a) Tunnels in mountains for
highways
b) Dams for irrigation or power
c) Levees to help keep floods away
from our living community
83

84. 10. The Five Themes of Geography
c. human environment interaction-- what
humans have done or is done to
humans by Mother Nature
3) Mother Nature can sometimes
cause damage to our lives or our
work
a) Floods
b) Forest fires
c) Hurricanes
d) Tornados
84

85. 10. The Five Themes of Geography
d. Location – where people or things
are
1) Absolute location which is described
by latitude and longitude or a
specific address (100 Longwood
Drive, Middle Island, NY 11953)
2) Relative location which is how we
usually describe where we are such
as the junior high is after the high
school
85

86. 10. The Five Themes of Geography
e. Place – described by physical and
cultural characteristics
1) Physical characteristics are natural
features like the Sahara Desert or
the Himalayas
2) Cultural characteristics can be
people, industry, trade,
transportation, parks, food and
other cultural resources such as
restaurants, theatres, museums, or
historic sites –the Pyramid at Giza,
the Great Wall of China
86

87. Works cited
Bilham, Roger . "Birth of the Himalaya." Earth, Wind, and Ice. Nova Online Adventure. 17 Aug 2007
<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/everest/earth/shock.html >.
"Energy and the environment ." GCSE Bitesize: Geography. bbc.co.uk. 17 Aug 2007
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/energy/energytypesrev2.shtml>.
"How Oil was formed." Kid’s Energy Page. EIA. 17 Aug 2007
<http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/non-renewable/oil.html >.
Nyberg , Hans . "Mount Everest -- 360 degree panorama." Panoramas dk. 17 Aug 2007
<http://www.panoramas.dk/fullscreen2/full22.html>.
"Pangaea Supercontinent." geology.com . 2008/2009. Geology.com. 14 Jun 2009
<http://geology.com/articles/supercontinent.shtml>.
Perman, Stacy. "World Class Sports Stadiums." Busniness Week 02 Feb 2006 6. Web.14 Jun 2009.
<http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/02/sports_stadiums/source/6.htm>.
87

88. Works cited continued
Map Europe: http://geology.com/world/europe.jpg
Map Medieval Trade Routes: http://global.brunelli.us/medievaltrade.JPG
Spartan ruins: http://cdn1.vtourist.com/15/5080220-Mystra_Sparta.jpg
Athens: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1a/Acropolis_Athens_Greece.jpg
88