Key Geographic Concepts and Models with Important Geographers

Name:

Important Geographer / Theory / Importance of Model and further notes
1. Walter Christaller / Central Place theory – Urban hierarchy, range, threshold, hexagon shape, market area / Spatial distribution of hamlets, villages, towns and cities; large cities are less numerous and farther apart
2. Ernest Burgess
(1923) / Concentric Zone- grows out from CBD in 5 rings: CBD, zone in transition (industry/poor housing), stable working class, middle class, commuter zone (suburbs) / Helps to determine use and value of land surrounding cities. Transportation has impacted the model. Urban models based on city of Chicago.

3. Chauncey Harris/ E.L. Ullman / Multiple Nuclei model – modern cities develop with many nodes. Cities within cities. /
4. Homer Hoyt
(1939) / Sector Model – sectors, not rings, certain areas more attractive – as cities grows, expands outward – best housing corridor from CBD out, industry and retail develop in sectors along transportation routes /
5. Thomas Malthus / Malthusian Theory – population growth relating to food supply
1) food grows arithmetically (1, 2, 3,4, 5)
2) Population grows exponentially (1, 2, 4, 8, 16)
3) Population checks / Neo-Malthusian such as R. Kaplan, T.F. Homer-Dixon look at Africa;
Critics such as E. Boserup, K. Kuznets, J. Simon, F. Englels argue more people more growth, science will find a way, distribution of wealth, etc.
- Accurately predicts population growth, but does not accurately predict the growth of food supplies. Food supplies have also grown dramatically through technology and the green revolution.
8. Abel Omran / Epidemiologic Transition focuses on distinctive causes of death in each stage of the demographic transition. 1) Pestilence and Famine ex: Black Plague 2) Receding Pandemics diseases occur over wide range of area and effects high portion of population. ex: cholera 3) Degenerative and human created diseases ex: heart attacks and cancer 4) delayed degenerative diseases ex: diseases from stage 3 linger, but medical/technological advances prolong life… possible stage 5) reemergence of infectious and parasitic diseases. ex: malaria/AIDS
9. E. G. Ravenstein / Law of Migration (11 of them) – 1) most people migrate for economic reasons. 2) most long distance migrants are single males. 3) long distance migrants head for major cities in other countries 4) most immigrants migrate short distances and remain in the same country 5) chain migration
10. Friedrich Ratzel / Organic Theory of Nations – nations act like living organisms – must grow and will eventually decline
11. Nicholas Spykman / Rimland Theory- Eurasian Rim, not the Heartland is/was the key to global power. Who controls the Rimland rules Eurasia. Who rules Eurasia controls the destinies of the world / “Geography of Place”
Heartland – Eastern Europe and Russia
Rimland – Western Europe, Middle East and Asia
12. Halford Mackinder / The Heartland Theory – geopolitical thought – explains why NATO and the WARSAW pact existed – control of Eastern Europe / 4) Who rules Eastern Europe commands the Heartland
5) Who rules the Heartland commands the world island
6) Who rule the world island commands the world
13. W. W. Rostow / Modernization Model – 5 Stages of Economic Development –
1) traditional society 2) Preconditions to take-off 3)Take-off 4)Maturity 5) Mass consumption
T.G. McGee / Urban/ Development / Land use in S.E. Asian cities. Old colonial port cities surrounded by new commercial districts with no formal CBD / EX: Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur
17. Immanuel Wallerstien / Core-Periphery Model –
Core : MDCs ; high socio-economic level
Periphery: LDCs dependent on the core, supplier of raw materials and labor / EXAMPLE: Auto industry – clustered near Detroit- auto makers, labor, suppliers of car parts, transportation
Location depends on raw materials, markets, and labor

Boserup / Rural land use / Boserup Hypothesis- Stage 1 forest-fallow Stage 2 bush-fallow Stage 3 fallow shortens Stage 4 annual cropping Stage 5 multi-cropping from extensive to intensive / Formalized the transition from extensive subsistence forms of agriculture to more intensive cultivation- increased productivity counters loss of fertility
18. Paul Vidal de la Blache / Possibilism – Human/Environmental interation – humans have a wide range of potential actions within the environment – they respond based on their value systems, attitudes, and cultural attributes / “Principles of Human Geography”
- Culture determines a peoples responses to the environment; the environment may limit development, but humans can overcome/adjust to their surrounding; ex: air conditioning, irrigation systems, hybrid crops, limiting population growth… increased wealth leads to more modification of the environment
- ex: food preferences and clothing
- Jean Brunhes argued housing choices also reflect cultural landscape
19. Ritter and von Humboldt / Environmental determinism: argued that the physical environment caused social development / Ex: Climate is a major determiner of development... temperate climates in Europe produced greater efficiency and therefore wealth and better living conditions (MDCs)
20. Carl Sauer / Diffusion of Vegetative Agriculture: vegetative agriculture preceded seed ag; hearth = Southeast Asia.
Diffusion of Seed Agriculture: three hearts- western India, northern China and Ethiopia /
21. Johan Heinrich von Thunen / Von Thunen Agricultural Model (concentric circles – 1) center city. 2)market gardening. 3) forest. 4) Grains. 5) ranching, livestock) – Pre-central place theory / Distribution of agricultural activities around a city depends on bulk and perishability of products; cost of transportation is what matters!
22. Colin Renfrew / Anatolian Hearth Theory / Indo European Language started in Anatolia (Turkey) and diffused with agriculture
23. Marija Gimbutas / Kurgan Hearth Theory / Indo European Language started in Kurgan Hearth (Russia and Kazakhstan) and spread through military conquest
24. Alfred Weber / Location of Industry- Least Cost Theory
Agglomeration – people and activities concentrate in a location where they can share facilities and services