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Introduction to World Geography


Course Description

This is an introductory course for students who wish to increase their geographic literacy. This course considers the population, cultures, environment, and economies of world regions, and examines problems of development, ecological change, demographic change, urbanization, migration, and international conflict.


Athena Title

INTRO WRLD GEOG


Semester Course Offered

Offered fall and spring


Grading System

A - F (Traditional)


Course Objectives

The course will focus on the ways in which environment, culture, politics, history, and economics interact to create unique geographical regions. This course will teach the importance of how social and environmental forces together shape the contemporary world. The objectives and expected learning outcomes of GEOG 1130 are that students: • gain an understanding of the discipline of Geography and be familiar with its basic principles and concepts models and theories; • gain an appreciation of the value of looking at and understanding the world from a spatial perspective; • gain familiarity with the regions of the world, their human and physical geographies, their histories, and the challenges they face; • gain an understanding of the processes and consequences of economic development and underdevelopment; • gain the ability to find, assess the reliability of, and interpret geographic data and information using a variety of print and online sources; • gain a better understanding of what is going on in the world by studying current events in their geographic context.


Topical Outline

As the course will use current events to build geographic literacy and will thus shift between semesters with current events, this is a representative example outline. Introduction: Basics of World Regional Geography Region: Africa South of the Sahara Example: The Spread of Islam in Africa South of the Sahara Region: Northern Africa and Southwest Asia Example: United States as assisting or occupying Afghanistan and Iraq? Region: Latin America Example: The environmental costs of economic development in Brazil and South America Region: East Asia Example: Geopolitics and China’s growing military might Region: South Asia Example: Struggles around changes in agricultural land use and irrigation in India Region: Southern Asia Example: Southeast Asian coral reefs as a lens into a warming planet Region: Oceania Example: Cultural politics of respect and distrust across Oceania Region: Western Europe Example: The future role of the Euro in the world economy Region: Eastern Europe Example: Post-Soviet Democracy and the re(re)-election of Vladimir Putin Region: North America Example: What does the Keystone XL pipeline represent for North American energy futures?


General Education Core

CORE IV: World Languages and Global Culture
CORE V: Social Sciences

Syllabus