Geography Basics
What are the two basic questions geographers try to answer?
Where are things located and why are they there?
What causes day and night on Earth?
Earth’s rotation
What is the main difference between climate and weather?
climate is the average weather over many years, weather is temporary
What is the main difference between renewable and nonrenewable resources?
renewable can be replaced, nonrenewable take millions of years to replenish
What is the term for shared customs, practices, and beliefs of a group?
culture
What is the term for the imaginary lines that geographers draw to locate objects on Earth?
latitude and longitude
How long does it take for Earth to complete one revolution around the Sun? (Be exact!)
365 ¼ days
What are the three main climate regions?
Warm, Temperate, and Cold/Dry
What is the term for cutting down forests, often causing biodiversity loss?
deforestation
What is cultural diffusion?
the spread of cultural traits between regions
Name the five themes of geography.
Location, Place, Region, Movement, and Human-Environment Interaction
What is the difference between an equinox and a solstice?
equinox has nearly equal day and night, solstice has the longest or shortest day
How does latitude affect climate?
polar zones are cold, tropics are hot, temperate zones vary
What environmental event caused the Dust Bowl in the 1930s?
drought and strong winds stripping soil
How can migration affect cultural diffusion?
migrants bring their beliefs and practices to new areas
What is the difference between absolute and relative location?
absolute is exact coordinates; relative is based on other places
How do time zones relate to Earth’s rotation?
Earth rotates eastward, so time starts earlier in the east
What is the term for the movement of water through the atmosphere and back to Earth’s surface?
the water cycle
Name two ways people have impacted the environment negatively.
pollution and deforestation
Name one major global language family.
Indo-European
Which tools do geographers use to represent Earth’s surface? (Name at least 3)
Globes, photographs, GIS, GPS, digital maps, and map projections
What is the imaginary line between the North and South poles called?
Earth’s axis
Name the three main types of ecosystems.
Forest, Grassland, and Cold Climate
What is the term for the variety of life in a region or ecosystem?
biodiversity
What is the relationship between technology and standard of living?
technology improves access to goods, services, and healthcare