GP 105 - World Regional Geography- Current Issues

Credit Hours: 3

This course gives an introduction to basic geographical concepts and an overview of the geography of the world. It organizes the world into twelve realms (North America, Eastern Europe, Northern Africa, etc) and examines elements of physical, cultural, historical, economic, and political geography within each realm. It examines international relationships within realms and between realms, and how these relationships affect, and are affected by, aspects of cultural, economic, and political geography. The main objectives are to learn to recognize connections between elements of geography in a place, connections between places, and how geographical factors shape the world we see today. A parallel objective is to gain a basic awareness of world geography.

Course Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

define world regions based on such environmental and cultural criteria as climate, location, topography, language, religion, ethnicity, politics, economics, and natural resources;
identify and visualize countries and regions of the world - we all have “mental maps” of the locations we study;
discuss the sustainability of countries based on their physical geography and economics;
explain the evolution of globalization and the interconnectedness of regions;
describe the environmental changes and human impacts associated with increasing industrialization, globalization, and global warming;
think critically about the information, current events, and ideas students read, hear, and see in newspapers, on television, and on the Internet; and
analyze maps showing cultural and other related phenomena and develop skills in reading and interpreting the patterns shown.

F/S (C, N, S)