Economic Geography

G&ES 312

Erick Howenstine
Fall Semesters
Prerequisite: None
Graduate Credit: No

Students in Economic Geography will investigate how location and space affect the way people make their living, where economic activities occur, and why the patterns of trade are as they are. Economic systems may rely on mainly free market forces, on central planning, or on individuals providing their own needs without much interaction, specialization, or trade. Regardless of the system, understanding location and space is essential.

The first three rules of business, after all, are (1) location, (2) location, and (3) location. Indeed, finding the best place for a business is one aspect of economic geography. But economic geographers attempt first to describe patterns on the landscape, then explain them, and predict where they will be in the future. In an increasingly global environment, the relationships between places becomes increasingly important in our everyday lives.

This course introduces students to the key concepts in Economic Geography, and they will apply these concepts with a variety of economic models, in assignments which are explained thoroughly, and practiced, in class. No background in economics is necessary. A small amount of math is involved, but little more than adding, subtracting, dividing, and multiplying is necessary.

The course will satisfy one requirement for the undergraduate program in geography: human geography.