Five Themes of Geography
Economic Systems
Political Systems
Levels of Economic Activity
Formal, Functional, or Perceptual
100
There are two types: absolute, which gives exact coordinates, and relative, which tells where something is in relation to another thing.
What is location?
100
The US and Canada both have this economic system in which private individuals/businesses control the means of production.
What is capitalism (free-market/enterprise)?
100
Vatican City is the least populous country in the world and an example of this political system because the pope has absolute power.
What is a theocracy?
100
Exxon-Mobil transforms oil into gasoline.
What is secondary?
100
North America
What is formal?
200
A collection of places with at least one unifying characteristic (religion, language, landforms, etc.).
What is a region?
200
In this economic system, the government controls key industries, but there is private property as well.
What is socialism?
200
Unlike direct democracies, in this political system minority rights are protected and people vote for representatives who make decisions on their behalf
What is a republic?
200
A miner extracts coal from a mine in West Virginia.
What is primary?
200
DFW Metroplex
What is functional?
300
An oil spill, putting on a jacket when it gets cold, and the Hoover Dam are all examples.
What is human-environmental interaction?
300
In this economic system, the government is the only employer, produces everything, and determines who gets what.
What is communism (command)?
300
Usually maintained through force and suppression, it's a government headed by an individual or group in which the people have no power.
What is a dictatorship?
300
A teacher teaches students calculus.
What is tertiary?
300
The South (US)
What is perceptual?
400
Oranges and bananas are not native to the Americas. They were brought over by European explorers in this historian-coined process, which shows the movement theme.
What is the Columbian Exchange?
400
A French term roughly translating to "let it be," it's an economic system in which there is no government intervention at all.
What is laissez-faire?
400
The UK has a king and queen, but they have no political power. The real power lies with this body of elected legislators who select the prime minister.
What is parliament?
400
Biologists discover a new species of insect
What is quarternary?
400
Amazon Rain Forest
What is formal?
500
Reunion Tower is an example of this theme of geography, which makes a specific location (Dallas in this case) unlike any other.
What is place?
500
In a free-market economy, consumers decide what is made through these.
What are purchases (what they decide to buy)?
500
Big Brother is watching you! North Korea is an example of this political system where the government controls all aspects of civilian life.
What is totalitarianism?
500
A real estate agent sells mansions.
What is tertiary?
500
Tornado Alley
What is perceptual?
M
e
n
u