Lecture Notes Jan 29 Human World Intro Ch

1/29/10 Human World Intro Chapter -Definition: Shared patterns of learned behavior -Components: Beliefs, institutions, technology Cultural Geography -A wide ranging and comprehensive field that studies spatial aspects of human cultures -Major components: cultural landscapes, culture hearths, culture regions -Not mutually exclusive- constantly interacting with each other Cultural Landscapes -Human imprints on the earths surface -Carl Sauers definition: The forms superimposed on the physical landscape by the activities of man. Culture Hearth -Early source areas where new ideas, innovations, and ideologies formed and radiated outward. Political Geography -Subfield within the human branch of geography -Interaction of geographical area and political process Nation -A group of people with shared cultural traits and customs State -Politically organized -Sovereign government -Internationally recognized -Must also contain: Permanent resident population, Organized economy, Internal circulation Nation- State -A country whose population posses a substantial degree of cultural homogeneity and unity Stateless Nation -A nation of people with no politically defined state Population Distribution -4 major clusters: East Asia, South Asia, Europe, Northeastern U.S. -90 percent of population lives north of equator -80 percent of land mass in Northern Hemisphere -2/3 live In mid-latitudes, between 20 degrees and 60 degrees -Almost 90 percent live on 20 percent of the Earths land surface Economic Development -Core areas of development -Peripheries of poverty and underdevelopment -Categorized by political boundary, but many countries are a combination of categories. -Cores and peripheries can have strong regional disparities -Average standard of living masks the wealthy core and very poor