World Economic Geography, Study notes of Geography

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World Economic Geography

Chapter One:

The Conceptual Foundation

Instructor: Dr. Nguyen Thi Phuong Chau Course email: weghcmiu@gmail.com

01. Conceptual foundations

Aims:

▪ To understand the assumptions used by economists in

understanding the economy.

▪ To recognize the limitations of economic approaches to the

economy

▪ To appreciate key concepts in economic geography

https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd 40299423467b48e9ecf6 accessed on 17 March 2020

1. Where?: Where did/are the phenomenon, processes,

patterns happened/happening?

2. Why there?: Why did/are they happened/happening

there? (not at a different/another place?)

3. How?: How are they in relation to those in other

places, and affect or are affected by human life and

the natural environment?

➔ spatial/geographical thinking

Three fundamental questions

1. SPACE

2. LOCATION

3. DISTANCE

4. PLACE

5. SCALE

6. SIZE

7. SHAPE

Key words

2.1. Absolute Location

2.2. Relative Location

2. Location

2.1. Absolute Location

▪ being unique to each described place ▪ measuring the distance separating places ▪ finding directions between places on the earth’s surface. ▪ One of systems (also called mathematic location): a positioning system of precise and accepted identification of a place accurately described by reference to its degrees, minutes, and seconds of latitude and longitude.

• Ex: Vietnam is located at
  • latitude: 8 0 10’ to 23 0 24’ N
  • longitude: 0 09’ to 109 0 30’ E

2. Location

▪ Other precise and accepted system: survey system on a regional level.

▪ Depends on any other characteristics, it has:

• Legal description of the place,
• Measuring the distance separating places,
• Finding directions between places on the earth’s surface.

▪ Example:

• Vietnam National University: the 6 th site, Linh Trung ward, Thu Duc district, HCMC
• HCMC International University:
• University of Oxford: University Offices, Wellington Square, Oxford OX1 2JD UK

2. Location – Absolute location

▪ The position of a place in relation to that of other places or activities

▪ It explains spatial interconnection and interdependence

• Ex: location of the library, cafeteria … to your classroom

▪ In another sense, it tells us that people, things, and places exist in the

world of physical and cultural characteristics that differ from place to

place

• Ex: Vietnam is located in the southeastern extremity of the Indochinese Peninsula, nearby the maritime cross-road of the world

2. Location – Relative location

3.1. Absolute distance

▪ refers to the spatial separation between two points on the earth’s

surface

▪ measured by standard unit: miles or kilometers, feet or meters (for

more closely spaced points).

3.2. Relative distance

▪ Transforms measurements into other units, more meaningful for

the space relationship in the question.

• Miles, kilometers, meters → hours, minutes, monetary

system, or psychological transformation (unfamiliar,

dangerous/familiar, friendly, etc.)

3. Distance

▪ specificity

▪ uniqueness of places

▪ specific context

▪ different scale

▪ internal characteristics of a place

Ex: specific places within Niger

▪ Spatial interaction among places

in the comprehensive ways.

▪ Their processes and patterns are

described by words ‘connectivity ’

and ‘accessibility ’

4. Place

▪ Refers to distance

▪ A broader concept of accessibility

implying all tangible and intangible

ways in which places are connected

• Tangible: telephone lines, street and road systems, pipelines and sewers, etc.
• Intangible: radio and TV broadcasts, telecommunications, etc.

4. Place – Interaction among places: Connectivity

20 The Donghai Bridge, a cross-sea bridge in China, is one of the longest bridges in the world with a length of 20.2 miles. East Taihang District/Wechat

4. Place – Connectivity