Regions and Culture, Core Characteristics

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Regions and Culture, Core Characteristics

• J.M. Jeandell
• Seaford Senior HS

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DE Geography Standard 4

• GEOGRAPHY Standard Four Students will develop an
  understanding of the character and use of regions
  and the connections between and among them.
• 6-8 Students will explain how conflict and
  cooperation among people contributes to the
  division of the Earth's surface into distinctive
  cultural regions and political territories.  
• 9-12 Students will apply knowledge of the types
  of regions and methods of drawing boundaries to
  interpret the Earth's changing complexity.

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Defining Region

• A large, usually continuous segment of a surface
  or space area.
• A large, indefinite portion of the earth's
  surface.
• A specified district or territory.
• An area of interest or activity a sphere.
• Soa region is a portion of area that is given
  some kind of name based upon a unified/shared
  characteristic that is perceived

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Characteristics that Define Regions
Physical Regions (landform, directional, climate)
Political Regions (Government type, Affiliation)
Social Regions (Culture, Religion, Language)
Economic Regions (Land Use, common product,
Wealth)
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Ex. Regions based on Direction/Location
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Ex. Regions based on Physical features
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Ex. Regions based on Religion
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Ex. Two interpretations of World Regions
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Regions and Structure
Formal Region An area of near uniformity
(homogeneity) in one or several characteristics.
Sometimes defined properly!
Functional Region A region created by the
interactions between a central node and
surrounding locations.
Perceptual RegionAn area defined by subjective
perceptions that reflect the feelings and images
about key place characteristics. When these
perceptions come from the local, ordinary folk, a
perceptual region can be called a vernacular
region.
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Regions and Structure
Core The zone of greatest concentration or
homogeneity of the culture traits that
characterize a region.
Domain The area outside of the core of a culture
region in which the culture is still dominant but
less intense.
Sphere (a.k.a Periphery) The zone of outer
influence for a culture region. Also an area of
inter-mixing.
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Yemen (Middle East) A core?
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West Bank, Israel (Middle East) A domain?
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Istanbul, Turkey (Middle East) A Sphere?