GD4103 Environmental Geography
REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata, ST., MSi
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
OUTLINE
Geography: The
discipline
Geographic Realms
Transition Zones
Regions
Cultural Geography
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
GEOGRAPHY
From the Greek “Geo” (the world) and
“Graphos” (to write about or to describe)
GEOGRAPHY
Studies the location and
distribution of features
on the Earth’s surface.
Answers where and why
Divided into: Physical &
Human
Studies human activity,
the natural environment,
and the relationship
between the two
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
GEOGRAPHIC REALM
The largest geographic units into which the
inhabited world can be divided
Geographic Realm
Realm
A community or territory
over which a sovereign
rules; a kingdom
A field, sphere, or province
Geographic Realm
Defined in terms of a
composite of its leading
cultural, economic, historical,
political, and appropriate
environmental features
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
World Geographic Realm
Geographic
realms change
over time
Transition
Zones are
where
geographic
realms meet,
It is not a
sharp
boundaries
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
Transition Zone
An area of spatial
change where
peripheries of two
adjacent realms or
regions join
Marked by a gradual
shift (rather than a
sharp break) in the
characteristics that
distinguish neighboring
realms
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
GEOGRAPHICAL CLASSIFICATION
The World Region
Realm
Concept of Scale!
REGIONS
areas of similar characteristics
REGION
Marked by a certain
degree of
homogeneity
(sameness) in one or
more phenomena
Also called a uniform
region or
homogeneous region
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
REGION
Scientific devices that
enable us to make
spatial generalizations
Based on criteria we
establish, which can be:
Spatial
Physical
Cultural
Economic
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
REGION
All regions have
Area
Boundaries
Location
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
REGION
Formal regions
areas in which a certain
characteristic is found
throughout them.
Functional regions
consist of a central place
and the surrounding places
affected by it.
Perceptual regions
defined by people’s
attitudes and feelings
about areas.
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
FORMAL REGION : POLITICAL
Areas in which a certain
characteristic is found
throughout them.
Political units: where all
people are subject to
same laws and
government.
Examples are:
Countries
Provinces/States
Cities
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
FORMAL REGION: RELIGIOUS
The Islamic World
(Southwest Asia, North
Africa, Central Asia,
Pakistan, Bangladesh,
Indonesia.
Buddhism (Southeast
Asia: Thailand, Vietnam,
Cambodia, Laos,
Myanmar, Malaysia,
parts of China, Korea,
and Japan)
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
FORMAL REGION: ETHNIC TOWN
Many large cities
around the world have
neighborhoods
composed of different
ethnic groups because
people want to live near
people who are similar.
Chinatowns are an
example of a region
based on culture.
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
FUNCTIONAL REGION
consist of a central
place and the
surrounding places
affected by it.
often linked by the
flow or movement of
something
i.e. Jakarta
Metropolitan Area =
linked by highways
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
BROMO-SEMERU HIGHLAND
The Bromo-Semeru
Mountains and
surrounding highlands
are a functional region
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
AMAZON RIVER DRAINAGE BASIN
“Basin” - Bowl or dish-
shaped geographic
feature. Water runs to
and settles in the
middle
Amazon River Basin
> 2000 mm rain/yr.,
> 27 ºC constant
temperatures
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
PERCEPTUAL REGION
are defined by
people’s attitudes and
feelings about areas.
Sometimes called
“vernacular” regions
May vary by
individual perceptions
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
WORLD CITIES
Paris, City of Lights
Jerusalem, the Holy City
Sydney, the Harbour
City
Cairo, City of a
Thousand Minarets
Tibet, the Roof Top of
the World
Bandung, City of Flower
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
PERCEPTUAL REGION
What is your perception about:
Mecca
Texas
Singapore
Jakarta
Papua
Fisherman Villages in Indonesia
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY
A wide-ranging and comprehensive field that
studies spatial aspects of human cultures
CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY
Culture
Shared patterns of
learned behavior
Components
Beliefs
Institutions
Technology
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY
Major Components
Cultural Landscapes
Culture Hearths
Cultural Diffusion
Cultural Environments
Cultural Regions
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
CULTURAL LANDSCAPES
The composite of human
imprints on the earth’s
surface.
Carl Sauer’s definition:
“the forms superimposed
on the physical
landscape by the
activities of man”
Take many shapes both
in tangible and
intangible form
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
CULTURAL LANDSCAPES
Tangible Forms
Agricultural Tenure
Buildings
Signs
Roads
Artworks
Places of Worship
Architecture
Statues
Food
Etc.
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
CULTURAL LANDSCAPES
Intangible Form
Language
Sounds
Music
Smells
Safety and
Comfortable Feeling
Etc.
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
CULTURAL HEARTS
The source
areas from
which
radiated
ideas,
innovations,
and
ideologies
that changed
the world
beyond
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
CULTURAL DIFFUSION
Process during
which a
culture/
religion
spread to new
areas
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
CULTURAL ENVIRONMENTS
The cultural and social
aspect of a given
society from its very
nature
It is the people who
surround us, their
norms and beliefs that
make the cultural
environment
e.g. Kampung Naga
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
CULTURAL REGIONS
An area that has
common cultural
customs and beliefs
Cultural regions can
be based on many
things such as religion,
language, architecture,
food, and much more
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
CULTURAL REGIONS
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY
The study of the interaction of
geographical area and political
process
POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY
A subfield within the
human branch of
geography
The study of the
interaction of
geographical area
and political process
The spatial analysis of
political phenomena
and processes
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY
Must a nation be a
place?
Some examples of
stateless nations:
the Cherokee Nation
the Kurds
the Palestinians
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
Dr. rer. nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Hydrographic Science and Engineering Research Division
Faculty of Earth Science and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY
State
A politically organized
territory
Administered by a
sovereign government
Recognized by a
significant portion of
the international
community.
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY
A state must also
contain:
a permanent resident
population
an organized economy
a functioning internal
circulation
system
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY
A country whose
population possesses a
substantial degree of
cultural homogeneity and
unity
Classic Example of a
Nation-State: Japan
Dr.rer.nat. Wiwin Windupranata
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology
Bandung Institute of Technology
THE END
Thank You!
