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Geographic Themes
Location: Position on Earth's surface
Place: Physical and cultural characteristics
Movement: Humans interacting on Earth
Human-Environment Interactions: Changing the face of Earth
Region: How unifying characteristics form and change
Location
A way of orienting an issue spatially on Earth's surface. An absolute location is a precise point on Earth's surface determined by using a mathematical grid system, such as latitude and longitude. A relative location is a point on Earth's surface determined in relationship with other known points.
Place
The physical and cultural characteristics of any given location. Physical characteristics include topography, climate, soil, and vegetation. Cultural characteristics include factors such as population composition, economic activity, religious beliefs, languages, and political organizations.
Human-Environment Interactions
The ways in which people interact with their environment by modifying it and by adapting to it.
Movement
The interaction of people by traveling from place to place, communicating with each other, and depending upon other people in distant places for products, ideas, and information.
Region
An area defined by certain simple or complex unifying characteristics.
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