|
|
|
|
The hypothetical continent of Harperland is made up of five countries (see map). Use the following maps and data to logically divide the continent into different regions. (It is easiest to print the five maps and the data page so that you can look at them all at once.) On the map below shade in different colors your regions of Harperland. Explain the rationale you used in creating your regions. |
 |
Many students have been confused about this activity. In chapter 2 we have been studying "culture regions" and we looked at a variety of criteria that we may use to define the "American Southwest". We will do a similar thing with this assignment just like the Nine Nations of North America reading we had.
Often geographers use regions to simplify the world by uniting areas with similar characteristics. They use cultural, economic, historical, and physical criteria when creating regions. Try doing that for Harperland. Look at the maps and economic data provided and see if you can simplify the hypothetical continent of Harperland by uniting countries with similar cultural, economic and physical characteristics into regions. Which areas of Harperland have similar cultural, economic, and physical characteristics? Put them into one region. Maybe one area has the same religion, a related language, is economically poor compared to neighboring areas, and has a dry climate. this may be one region. Locate and color it on your map. You may even want to name it.
For further information about creating regions see: http://www.harpercollege.edu/mhealy/g101ilec/intro/reg/regfr.htm
|
Physical Geography |
Cultural Geography |
Economic Geography |
NEED MORE GUIDANCE? Read This::
Geographers create REGIONS to simplify an area of the world. They do this by grouping together areas that have similar cultural, economic, political, historical, and physical characteristics.
Studying regions of several countries that have similar characteristics is a lot easier than studying each country individually. For example, in my World Regional Geography class (GEG 101) the almost 200 countries of the world are divided into 12 regions (called realms). Having only 12 chapters is easier than having almost 200 chapters! REMEMBER - the purpose of regions is to SIMPLIFY an area of the world by uniting places (usually countries) that have similar characteristics.
In our Chapter 2 activities we are looking at the various characteristics that we may use to "define" or "create" the region of the American Southwest. We were studying CULTURE regions and although we looked at some physical characteristics, most students identify CULTURAL characteristics as being the most helpful.
Click here for more information on REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY.
In our assignment I asked you to: "Look at the maps (and data) provided and see if you can simplify the hypothetical continent of Harperland by dividing it into regions. Which areas of Harperland have similar cultural, economic, and physical characteristics? Put them into one region. Maybe one area has the same religion, a related language, is economically poor compared to neighboring areas, and has a dry climate. This may be one region. Locate and color it on your map. You may even want to name it."
I would recommend that you do not divide a country into different regions unless you have a good reason to do so. Usually (but not always) the POLITICAL characteristics of a country help unite it and it should therefore be kept intact when we create regions.
Finally, remember two thing:
(1) the purpose of regions is to SIMPLIFY an area. There are five countries in Harperland. Try to simply these five into fewer regions.
(2) we are creating CULTURE regions (see the title of chapter 2) so the cultural data (which includes the political and the economic) is the most important. Don't forget the ECONOMIC DATA!