There are three key components of place: location, locale, and a sense of place. Location is the position of a particular point on the surface of Earth. Locale is the physical setting for relationships between people, such as the South of France or the Smoky Mountains.

Location either refers to the actual latitude and longitude coordinates (absolute location) of something on Earth’s surface, or it describes something’s position in reference to something else (relative location). Place, on the other hand, refers to the physical and human characteristics of a spot on the map.

Place describes the human and physical characteristics of a location. Physical characteristics: Include a description of such things as mountains, rivers, beaches, topography, climate, and animal and plant life. If a place is described as hot, sandy, fertile, or forested, these terms all paint a picture of the location's physical characteristics.