2
The physical characteristics of a place make up its natural environment and are derived
from geological, hydrological, atmospheric, and biological processes. They include
land forms, bodies of water, climate, soils, natural vegetation, and animal life.
The human characteristics of a place come from human ideas and actions. They include
bridges houses, and parks. Human characteristics of place also include land use,
density of population, language patterns, religion, architecture, and political systems.
The theme of place helps flesh out information about location. Taken together, the
themes of location and place provide a basis for observation in geography. These
themes can be used to help answer the first two questions of geography: Where is
it? and Why is it there? With a sense of physical and human place, we can read the
landscape around us and make observations about what we see. we'll explore more
about physical and human places when we look at the theme of region.
Discuss answers to these questions about your place:
• How would you describe where you live physically? Is your place flat or
hilly, hot or cold, wet or dry? What natural resources are found there?
• What are some of the human characteristics that describe your place? For
example, what types of houses are there? Are patterns of land use
different from those in other parts of the country? What types of industry
are found, and how might they be different from industries in other parts of
the country?
III. Human/Environment Interaction: Shaping the Landscape
The physical and human characteristics of a place provide keys to understanding the
interrelationships between people and their environments. This geographic theme
addresses this question: What is the relationship between humans and the
environment? Three key concepts underlie human/environment relationships:
• Humans depend on the environment: The natural environment is
made up of living things and non living things. Humans depend on the
natural environment for their basic needs; food, shelter, and clothing.
• Humans modify the environment: People modify the natural
environment to meet their needs. For example, they build dams, plow and
irrigate fields, and dig mines. They build houses, schools, and shopping
centers on land.
• Humans adapt to the environment: Humans have settled in
virtually every corner of the world by successfully adapting to various
natural settings. For example, people who live in the northeastern United
States use heating units to keep their homes warm in winter People in
the southern part of the country use air conditioning much of the year to
stay cool in the heat. The ways people choose to adapt to their settings
reflect their economic and political circumstances and their technological
abilities. Studying geography furthers appreciation of our natural
environment and of our cultural differences.
Discuss answers to these questions about the human/environment interaction
where you live:
• What examples of human/environment interaction do you see in your
area?
• Do you see evidence of exploited resources?