The history of a nation is shaped as much by geography as by people and events.
Paying attention to the following themes of geography can help you recognize when
geographic forces are at work in the story of the United States.
Themes in Geography
xxx T
HEMES IN GEOGRAPHY
LOCATION
Geographers speak of absolute location—the latitude and
longitude of an area—and of relative location—where
one area is in relation to another. In absolute terms, the
city of San Francisco lies at 37°45' North latitude and
122°26' West longitude. This information allows you to
pinpoint San Francisco on a map. In relative terms, San
Francisco lies at the western edge of North America and
looks out across the vast Pacific Ocean. This information
helps explain San Francisco’s history as a port city where
people and ideas have come together.
Locate your city or town on both a political and
a physical map. How has location influenced the
history of your city or town?
REGION
Geographers use the idea of region to show what places
in close proximity to one another have in common. As
a part of the Pacific Coast region, San Francisco shares
with Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, a mild,
rainy climate and an economic interest in international
shipping. As a part of California, San Francisco shares
economic and environmental concerns of the state as
a whole.
To what region or regions does your area belong?
How have the characteristics and concerns of
your region changed over the last generation?
HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION
Wherever people live, they affect the envi-
ronment in the way they modify their nat-
ural surroundings. They build shelters and
clear trees. They turn the earth inside out
to extract its resources. People in the San
Francisco Bay area have built bridges in
order to move around more easily. People
have also modified the bay itself, reducing
its area by about one-third as they filled in
tidelands for development.
How have people in your area
modified their surroundings?
What consquences might these
modifications have?
PLACE
Place, in geography, refers to what an area looks like in
physical and human terms. An area’s landforms, soil,
climate, and resources are aspects of place. So are the
numbers and cultures of the population. San Francisco’s
natural harbor has made the city an international port.
It is connected to the American River—where gold was
discovered in 1848. Its position along a major fault
line has subjected it to periodic earthquakes, the most
disastrous in 1906. During its history, San Francisco has
attracted people from North America, Europe, Asia, and
various Pacific islands, making its population one of the
most diverse in the United States.
What is unique about the place where you live
and the people who live there? What past events
contributed to its uniqueness?
MOVEMENT
One place or region can influence another through the
movement of people, materials, and even ideas. San
Francisco has been the site of many important move-
ments of people and cultures. It has been a port of entry
for immigrants, many of them Asian. It also lies along
the path that Spanish missionaries trod in their quest to
convert native peoples.
When and by what groups was your area settled?
What trends in movement today may shape the
future of your area?
a08aspe-FMThem 10/16/02 3:39 PM Page xxx
