1. Texas History
Chapter 1.1:
The Six Essential Elements of Geography

2. How might your life be
different if you lived in the
desert?
Sahara Desert

3. How does the geography of Afghanistan
affect our soldiers fighting the War on
Terror?

4. Why are we studying this?
People have lived in Texas and
influenced it’s environment for
thousands of years. The
geography of Texas influences
how people live.

5. Six Essential Elements of
Geography
• The world in spatial terms
• Places and regions
• Physical systems
• Human systems
• Environment & Society
• Uses of Geography

6. The World in Spatial Terms
• Geography—the study of the
special physical and human
characteristics of a place or
region
• Environment—physical
surroundings

7. The World in Spatial Terms
•Culture—a learned
system of shared
beliefs, traits,
settlement patterns

8. What are some cultural traits of
Pearland/Houston?

9. The World in Spatial Terms
• Geographers look at where
things are located
• Geographers use many tools
—Geographic Information
Systems (GIS)

10. The World in Spatial Terms
• GIS—
computer
databases
that gather,
store, and
organize
geographic
information Example of a GIS created map

11. Google Earth

12. Places & Regions
Physical
Characteristics
Human
Characteristics

13. Places & Regions
• Regions
–Formal
–Functional
–Perceptual The Regions of Texas

14. Physical Systems
• Geographers study the physical
processes and interactions
among four physical systems
– Atmosphere
– Land
– Water
– Life

15. Physical Systems
• Ecosystem—all
of an area’s
plants and
animals
together with
their non-
living
environment
This flowing East Texas stream is
an important part of a bottomland
hardwood ecosystem.

16. Human Systems
• Involves the study of population
distribution, growth, and movement
• Migration—Movement of people
• Urbanization—an increase in people
living or working in cities

17. Environment & Society
• Concerns how
people interact
with the
environment
• Roy Bedichek—
Texas naturalist
who warned about
the dangers of
pollution Roy Bedichek

18. Geography & Society
• Humans affect the environment
for better and worse—pollution,
restore deforested areas
• The environment affects
humans—where they live

19. Uses of Geography
• Geographers—
locate natural
resources
• Historians—use
geography to
understand
history
• Conservation
programs

20. List the six essential elements of Geography. Then
describe each element
Element Purpose