Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
with recent global warming; they have often been produced by
reckless and unthinking actions.
Geography is everywhere
Today, geography impinges upon our everyday lives in a multitude
of ways; the expression 'geography is everywhere' is intended
to refl ect that special quality. Everything has a location on the
surface of the Earth whether it is expressed in terms of latitude
and longitude, some form of spatial grid-referencing system, or
merely as distance from home or school or work. We move on the
Earth's surface from one geographical location to another. Some of
our journeys are short and frequent, such as the daily trip to work
or school, others are longer and infrequent, such as vacation travel
or visits to relatives who live some distance away.
Again, when we visit a supermarket or shopping centre, we
fi nd goods and commodities that have been brought from
many different environments and parts of the world. There are
bananas from the Caribbean, citrus fruits from Florida and South
Africa, and a range of wines from France, Spain, Chile, California,
Australia, and New Zealand. All of these provide
links with different parts of the world and their geographies.
There are other dimensions to these linkages. The large
supermarkets, for example, set standards for safety, quality, and
ethical aspects of food; it has been argued that supermarkets are
now so powerful that 'food governance' has echoes of imperial
governance. As we buy, use, and dispose of commodities, goods,
or services, these actions connect us to other people and other
places in ways that may be beyond our imaginings. If you walk
through one of the major cities such as London, Paris, or New
York, there are people to meet who have travelled from many
different parts of the world; some are tourists or visitors on
short stays, others are immigrants or refugees seeking a new life.
Finally, we live our lives in well-marked spaces such as home,
neighbourhood, city or town, region and country. These are all
