Gradients in Geography - Essay Example

Geography According to Webster's Dictionary, a gradient actually means “change in the value of a quantity (as temperature, pressure, or concentration) with change in a given variable and especially per unit distance in a specified direction.” In this case, a latitudinal gradient is a horizontal change of climactic and geographic conditions along latitudes, while a longitudinal gradient is a vertical change of climactic and geographical conditions along longitudes. In addition, an altitudinal gradient is a change in climactic and geographical conditions along increasing altitudes.

Disparate agricultural lands in the Midwest follow a longitudinal gradient, while disparate agricultural lands in Middle America follow an altitudinal gradient. (2) I think that choropleth maps can be an accurate representation of reality as long as statistical variables are properly classified. However, with regard to the boundary between Mexico and the United States, I think that it is more of a transition area of culture. In this case, some weaknesses of choropleth maps include its inability to depict accurately transition areas especially if qualitative variables are being depicted. (3) Latitudes actually measure a certain angular distance north or south from the equator and their lines run horizontally.

Meanwhile, longitude measures east-west positions on the earth, and their lines run vertically. (4) A theocratic government is a kind of government wherein the state is actually governed by divine guidance; in this case, theocratic governments are usually ruled or heavily influenced by the clergy, and wherein religious laws are strictly enforced. Islamic countries that have adopted Islam as the official religion, and are governed by Islamic law (Sharia), are usually considered theocracies; this includes Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Pakistan.

Meanwhile, a secular government is a kind of government wherein the separation of the church and the state is recognized, and that the state is neutral in religion. Countries with secular governments include the United States, France, and Japan. (5) The Nile River is located in Africa and spans Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, and Egypt. The Aswan Dam is a dam built across the Nile. (6) Coastal geomorphology is actually the study of the interface between the land and the ocean and includes both the human and physical geography of the coast.

Meanwhile, biogeography is actually the study of how species are distributed geographically and historically. (7) Some of the pros of the construction of a dam, as shown by the construction of the Aswan Dam in the Nile River, include increased flood and drought control, increased agricultural production, electricity generation, and higher employment. However, there are also cons in constructing a dam, which include dislocation, erosion, siltation, and pollution. (8) The type of geography that is being practiced in the paper is physical geography.

The paper actually found out that there was a “region-scale, southwest–to-northeast gradient in damage in the depth of ice that accumulated during the storm” and that “damage varied topographically, particularly by aspect (Stueve et al. 20). One intriguing finding of the paper is the fact that topography actually has a great influence on how damage caused by ice storm disturbance is distributed spatially and is not homogenous.