Culture is made up of interconnected parts including tangible culture traits like diet, fashion, and religion. Culture traits are influenced by the physical environment. For example, camel beauty contests are common in Saudi Arabia due to the desert environment making camels more practical than horses. Closely related to culture traits are culture complexes, which are combinations of culture traits that support each other. An example of a culture complex given is religions and their associated customs and holidays. A culture system develops as patterns emerge from the interactions of culture complexes. The United States can be considered a culture region due to its unique combination of location, culture, and environment.

1. CHAPTER TWO
CULTURE, ENVIRONMENTS, & REGIONS
Culture is an all-encompassing term that identifies not only the whole tangible life-style
of a people, but also their prevailing values and beliefs. Identify & explain the cultural
areas that would be of interest to geographers.

2. In today’s global age, all cultures are becoming more diverse, …

3. … although some remain less diverse than others.

4. The U.S. enjoys one of the most diverse cultures in the world as a result of immigration,
past ….

5. …. and present, especially from Latin American countries.

6. COMPONENTS of CULTURE
Culture is so complex that it is necessary to unravel its interconnected parts. These parts tie in
directly with geography’s emphasis on space. The first, and most fundamental of the components, is the
culture trait – define this component and provide examples.

7. Every culture has tangible culture traits, including diet, fashion, language, laws, religion,
and sports, among others.

9. The physical environment in which one lives is a major determinant of many economic and
recreational culture traits, from fishing and ice skating commonly found in certain parts
of the U.S., ….

10. …. to the very distinctive
camel beauty contests
occurring as standard fare
in Saudi Arabia.
Why do you think the
Saudis incorporate camels
into their animal pageants,
rather than using what
Americans would
incorporate, such as dogs
and cats?

11. In many Muslim cultures of the Arabian peninsula, camel racing is to them what horse racing is to us.
The desert environment makes it impractical to train & race horses. Camels are perfect.

12. A lack of space can create unique cultural traits, including “high-rise” cemeteries and
capsule hotels.

13. Closely related to a culture trait, is a culture complex. Describe this cultural component
and explain the example provided in the text. Provide at least one more example of
a culture complex.

14. The next building block component of culture is the culture system. Explain how this
component fits together with a culture complex. Apply this component to the United
States.

15. As patterns develop within culture systems, geographers can spatially organize culture
regions. Describe the characteristics of a culture region.

16. Cultural geographers have even demarcated culture regions within the U.S. based on
primary snack foods dominating certain regions.

22. On the map, geographic regions are established based on cultural properties, location
(proximity), and environmental properties. An excellent example of this combination into a
geographic region is the Middle East.