Mental Maps
A map we carry in our heads of places we know.
What is a mental map?
The exact position of a place using latitude and longitude.
What is absolute location?
An area defined by official boundaries (like states or countries).
What is a formal region?
A: The physical features of a place.
What is “site”?
Which type of location uses latitude and longitude?
A: Absolute location.
If you draw your route from home to school, what kind of map is that?
A: A mental map.
Where a place is in relation to other places.
What is relative location?
An area organized around a central point (like a city and its suburbs).
What is a functional region?
A place’s location relative to other places
What is “situation”?
What type of region is your school district?
A: A functional region.
Why are mental maps different for everyone?
A: Because each person has different experiences and knowledge of places.
Give an example of an absolute location.
A: Answers may vary (Ex: 40°N, 75°W).
An area based on people’s feelings or opinions (like “the South”).
What is a perceptual region?
A city is near a river and has rich soil. Is this site or situation?
A: Site.
Q: Drawing a map of your neighborhood from memory is an example of what?
A: A mental map
How can mental maps be useful in geography?
A: They help us understand how people see and navigate the world.
Give an example of a relative location.
A: Answers may vary (Ex: My house is near the park).
Which type of region is Delaware?
A: A formal region.
Q: A city is located along a trade route between two countries. Is this site or situation?
A: Situation.
Is “next to the library” absolute or relative location?
A: Relative location.
Which would likely have a more detailed mental map of your school: the principal or a new student? Why?
A: The principal, because they have more experience and knowledge of the school.
Which is more useful when giving directions to a friend—absolute or relative location? Why?
A: Relative location, because it connects to familiar landmarks.
Which type of region is the area covered by your local TV station?
A: A functional region.
Why might a city’s situation be more important than its site?
A: Because connections to other places can influence trade, culture, and power.
Why do geographers study mental maps, locations, regions, sites, and situations?
A: To understand how people view, use, and connect to places.