chapter 1 assesment

Chapter 1, Section 1

1. What are at least two of the concerns cartographers have when they select a map projection? Explain your reasoning. When cartographers are trying to select a map projection they have to make sure that the map isn't distorted. Another concern that cartographers face is that the distance from one point on a map to another point is the shortest route. If the map is too distorted in the areas that the cartographers are studying it could lead to false information. Also, when the map is flattened out the shortest route between two points change measurements. Those two problems are what cartographers have to be concerned about when they choose a map projection.

2. Identify two physical features, two human-made features, and two political features that could be shown on a typical urban-area map. Two physical features that can be shown on a typical urban-area map is the certain elevation in an area, also the landforms that are in a specific are would be shown. The human made features that could be shown on a urban area map would possibly be boundaries, capitols,cities, roads, highways, and railroads. Finally two political features that could be shown on a map are human-made cities and roads. Yet there is also physical features such as, rivers and mountains that would be considered as physical features.

Creative Writing: Imagine that you are a city planner in a fast-growing urban area, and you are using GIS to create a map to help choose locations for new elementary schools. What types of information would be useful? Write a paragraph about the features to be shown on the map. In order to create new elementary schools in the new growing urban area, I would need my GIS to tell me where there are already homes and where new construction of homes are going to be constructed. With that information I would be able to find places around the new homes so that I could build a elementary school, so the new families could have an easy accessible school. Also I think that the GIS should show where the biggest population is, so more people could go to these new schools. This is the information that I think that would help me build new elementary schools.

Chapter 1 Section 2

1. What are the major branches of geography, and what topics does each branch study? The major branches of geography are location, place, regions, movement, and human interaction. Location can be considered in two parts; absolute location and relative location. Absolute location is the exact longitude and latitude of a spot, while relative location is the terms that describe where the spot is located. Place is a particular space with physical and human meaning. Which means that every place on earth has its own special characteristics. Regions are areas that have similar characteristics. The determining factors may be climate, landforms, or animal life. Movement is studied by how people ideas, or goods move in and out of the area. Its basically trade routes, traffic, and other routes. Human interaction is the study of how people interact with the environment around them.

2. How is geography used? Geography is used to study the earth and all the qualities about it. For example, to study the unique landforms of North America, or how the climate is different from Antarctica to Mexico. Geography helps us learn what goes on in the world and also how the world is evolving.

Creative Writing: Consider the place where you live. Write a paragraph describing its site, situation, and a type of region in which it belongs. Include examples of how the movement of people has affected its culture and how human-environment interaction has changed the environment. I live in Huntington Beach, it is on the coast of California. On the west side is the Pacific Ocean, on the east side is Fountain Valley and the rest of the U.S.A. The situation of H.B. is that its a coastal city on the Pacific coast. The region H.B. belongs to on and off warm and cool weather, it is a mostly flat city with some hills, we get some wildlife due to the wetlands along our beaches. Many people have moved to H.B. because of the beautiful weather and great climate, this big movement of people has not changed the laid back culture that H.B. still has. Since the environment that Huntington Beach has is coastal you can normally see a group of people on the beach enjoying their surroundings. Most people who live here do visit the beach often, which makes a normal human-environment interaction.