Geography with Sandeep Sir

Regional Geography

Regional Concept and Regional Geography: A Historical Perspective

The region and regional geography have been a matter of discourse for
scholars since Greek period. The word "region" comes from the Latin word "regime", which
means ‘to manage’. The region was regarded as the appropriate areal scale to manage parts of
the kingdom or empire. In a broader sense, the region was defined as a bounded area,
possessing some unity or organizing structures. Such study of unified geographical
phenomena in a region can be termed as regional geography. In fact, this branch of
geography has been viewed as one of the oldest branches. This concept of regional geography
can be traced in the works of Herodotus. In the fifth century, B.C., Herodotus described
threefold divisions of his known world namely Asia, Lybia and Europe. During the Greek
and the Roman period, scholars regarded regional geography as a description of the empires,
routes for their armies and for searching the wealth of conquered lands. For example, Strabo
laid down the foundation of regional geography through in his 17 books. He used to describe
human activities in a region. Such information would have been being used by military and
political rulers. In addition, the word “chorology” associated with the regional concept has
also been the oldest tradition in geographical inquiry, which aims at the study of the areal
differentiation of the earth's surface.

Gradually, the importance of the regional approach to geography grew during

the Renaissance and the European colonial period. Various useful texts and maps describing
the vegetation, the population, and the wealth of the new regions were created for European
rulers. Later, during the nineteenth century, each colonial expedition was followed by
writings in form of books, maps, and atlases of the travelled area. Therefore, for a century,
regional geography had close relations with ruling European countries, trade companies,
financing expeditions. In this background of common history between trade and geography,
some of the publications like "Universal Geographies" and academic initiatives of
Geographical Societies like the Royal Geographical Society laid the foundation of regional
geography. In fact, due to links between geography and trade, the regional concept became as
a core theme for geography between mid of eighteen and end of the nineteenth century.

Scholars like Philippe Buache (the France Geographer) brought about the
concept of pure geography and demarcated region on the basis of the river basin. Later
German geographer Christoph Gatterner supported the concept of river basin as a basis of
identification of natural region. During this period, scholars from two main schools of
geographical thought namely German and French were competing. Scholars began to
redefine the regional concept from various perspectives. For example, German scholars came
with the word ‘Landschaft’ and/or ‘landschaftskunde’ (landscape). Scholars give two
meanings of ‘Landschaft’. One meaning is areal extent with some kind of geographical
uniformity and another meaning is a tentative area of the earth in people’s mind.

Although writing on the regional concept can be traced from pre-classical

period to modern time of Ritter and Ratzel, but both meanings of Landschaft became popular

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only in the beginning of 19th century, especially in Germany. For example, Humboldt and
Wimmer believed in the mental impression of the aesthetic character of an area, but
surprisingly, Penck’ concept of ‘Landschaft’ did not include man. He pointed out that a
region or ‘Landschaft’ must encompass only visible geographical phenomena.

Likewise, French writers used the word ‘pays’ in both the meanings. In fact,
Landschaft is analogous to Carl Sauer’s concept of cultural landscape. As per Sauer, the
natural landscape is transformed into the cultural landscape through man’s interaction with
nature in their cultural context and lifestyles. The contemporary American and British
geographers used the word landscape as synonymous to the region. However, the word
‘Landschaftskunde (or landscape Science)’ was referring to the study of the types of regions
and their classifications on various parameters.

Regions are classified on the basis of variation of geographical features

(physical, socio-economic, or both). While explaining the regional variation, Hettner
focussed on the pattern of geographical features resulting from mainly physical factors in
regions. Schluter concentrated on the study of distinctive regional appearance resulted from
the interaction between features. Schluter’s concept of ‘Kulturlandschaft’ (cultural
landscape) seems to be similar to French word ‘Pays’. ‘Pays’ refers to a small rural well-
defined area showing functional relationship between man- environment for centuries.
Schluter was in favour of inclusion of man as a part of the landscape.

Attributes of Region

Each region or landscape is characterized by some attributes like areal extent,

location, and boundaries.

 The region has areal extent: Each region has spatial extent with some sort of
homogeneity in its physical and cultural characteristics. For example, the Thar Desert
and Bundelkhand region in India and the Sahara desert in Africa.
 Regions have a location: Each region is often expressed in relation with its regional
name. For example, South Asia, the South-East Asia etc.
 The region has boundaries: Each region has a boundary. This boundary could be
either well-defined or transitional in nature. For example, the Himalayan region and
the Telugu regions in India.
 Regions may be either formal or functional: An area is defined as a formal region
if there is homogeneity in its physical or cultural features. For example, the Deccan
plateau, The monsoon region. After the 1960s, geographers inclined to demarcate the
Functional region. A functional region is a dynamic concept which is demarcated on
the basis of functional interactions and connections. Its boundaries change over the
space and time depending upon interchanges of goods and services between the core
and surrounding areas. For example City region like Delhi National Capital Region
(Delhi, NCR) is demarcated on basis of supply of milk, fruits, vegetables, and
newspapers.
 Regions are hierarchically arranged: Regions vary in types and sizes. For example,
the Indo-Gangetic plain has many regions of second order like the Upper Ganga Plain
and the Lower Ganga plain. Therefore, regions are hierarchically arranged.
Besides regions are of different types.

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Typology of Regions

The regions may be classified on various parameters. Regions may be based

on physical characteristics, cultural characteristics, an amalgamation of the physical and
cultural variables. As discussed previously, based on functionality, regions may be either
formal or functional. Based on physical characteristics, regions are as follows:

Physical Regions:

It is a kind of formal region based on a single characteristic. Some are main

physical regions are as follows:

1. Landform regions: The landform regions are delineated on the basis of relief,
structure, configuration, Genesis, and age. The Himalayan region and the
Brahmaputra valley are a good example.
2. Climate region: An area with homogeneity in various combinations of climatic
elements (temperature, rainfall etc.) is termed as a climatic region. For example, the
Indian Monsoon region.

Cultural Regions:

An area with homogeneity in various combinations of the culture and cultural

elements is defined as cultural regions. For example, population region, linguistic region,
religious region etc.

Political regions:

In modern time, boundaries of political regions are defined after careful

survey. Boundaries of the national state are a good example. Political boundaries in the
national state may not be permanent, which is subjected to change as a result of internal and
external pressure. The fall of the Berlin Wall in Germany is a good example.

Economic regions:

The economic regions are defined on the basis of homogeneity in economic

activities and resources over the space. The economic region has been widely used for
planning and in solving the problems of poverty, hunger, underdevelopment, and
malnutrition.

Mental regions (Mental map):

People carry a mental image of a place which is termed as a mental map. The
mental images may constitute some sort of political, social, cultural, and economic values.
This mental image of the same place differs from person to person. For example, the mental
map of tribes differs from those of the non-tribes.

Natural Resource Regions:

Resource regions are delineated on the basis of homogeneity in nature and

types of natural resources. For example natural gas regions, coal regions, and iron ore
regions.

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Urban Regions (Megalopolis):

There is uniformity in urban activities like production, exchange,

administration, distribution, and consumption in a region. Such region is defined as a formal.
Urban regions are defined on the basis of interconnection and interaction between center and
periphery. Such area is defined functional regions. For example, City region where people
surrounding areas (periphery area) come to the central place for getting various services and
goods. Such cities may be hierarchical structured. For example, Christaller in his Central
Place Theory explains hierarchical structures of urban centers and regions. In some urban
vast regions, there is continuous stretch of large and small cities. For example, in the USA,
the north-eastern seaboard is the leading megalopolis region, where there is a continuous
stretch of urban and suburban areas from New Hampshire to Northern Virginia, and from the
Atlantic coast to the foothills of the Appalachian mountain. In reality, the majority of urban
regions are functional in nature.

Approaches to Study of Regions

There are following approaches to study a region.

A. Landscape Morphology: It refers to the study of forms and structures of visible

geographical phenomena. In Landscape morphology, Schluter emphasized on the
study of distinctive regional appearance resulted from the interaction between only
visible geographical features, however, Hettner focussed on the uniqueness of a
region resulting from either visible or non-visible geographical features. Hettner’s
approach seems to be more holistic to study all physical and socio-cultural structures
in a region.
B. Landscape Ecology: It is also called functional approach to study region. It studies
interaction and interrelation of geographical phenomena within a region. For example,
City region which is delimited by the degree of interaction of people between the city
center and a periphery area.
C. Landscape Chronology: It refers to the historical studies of developmental phases of
a region in a sequential manner. For example, Whittlesey in 1929 discussed ‘Sequent
Occupance’ and pointed out that each region follows sequential stages of
development from an agrarian society to industrial society.
D. Regionalization: The entire Earth or a country is divided into several regions
depending upon homogeneity in some physical and socio-cultural features and
functions. This process is called regionalization. Regionalization could be of many
types like physical, economic and cultural regionalization. Therefore, this approach
helps to study a region.
E. Landscape Classification: Classification of Landscape is another approach to study a
region. For example, the landscape is classified into two parts viz., natural and
cultural landscapes. The classification itself gives lots of information on a region or a
landscape.

Regionalism: A Concept

Regionalism is a sub-nationalism and political concept. It is a movement

which seeks to politicize the territorial predicaments of its regions with the aim of protecting
its regional interest.

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Generally, regionalism evolves on the basis of some social and cultural

characteristics like ethnicity, caste, creed, language, colour or culture. Sometimes local
leaders use this concept for achieving greater autonomy and local power especially political
and economic power. In fact, it is a political rhetoric and self-assertiveness based on a deep
seated mistrust of central government. Regionalism opposes pan-cultural concept. Despite
globalization and modernization, regionalism is widely observed in both developed and
developing countries across the world. Sometime regionalism may help in solving some
socio-political and economic problems at local level, but it is one of the big obstacles in
nation building process or national integration.

Even in India, some emerging trends of regionalism are being observed in

some states like Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Maharashtra, Punjab, Kashmir, Tamil
Nadu, etc. Such kind of sub-nationalism has already posed some serious problems for India,
especially in form of Punjabiat and Kashmiriat. The Assamese (Ahoms), Nagas in North-East
region and Maharashtrians in Western region occasionally give a strong impression of
regionalism or sub-nationalism. Regionalists may have whatever the objectives; they create
serious problems for the government and governance for developmental purposes. In the
world, there are so many countries, where regionalism led to national disintegration. For
example, powerful Soviet Union (USSR) has been disintegrated into several independent
republics. Problems of regionalism are needed to be meaningfully solved.

Regional Geography:

Regional Geography evolved as a branch in many countries Germany, France

and England and USA. Evolution of regional geography and contributions of some prominent
geographers to this branch is being discussed as follows:

Regional Geography in Germany:

Hettner was the German geographer who pointed out that geography is
chorological science of the earth aiming at the study of areas and regions. He elaborated the
concept of chorology. Hettner opposed the Schluter’ concept of landscape morphology. In
1906, Schluter pointed out that geography studies all forms and structures resulting from the
interaction between only visible phenomena but Hettner was concerned about the only
uniqueness of a region which has resulted from either by visible or non-visible phenomena.
According to Hettner, the study of the uniqueness of a region is regional geography. Schluter
opposed the chorological study of geography but his geography is a distinct form of regional
geography.

Scholars from Germany wrote various books on region geography. Ritter’s

book ‘Erdkunde’ in 19 volumes is a good example of regional geography. This book mainly
covers Africa and parts of Asia. Richthofen was the first German geographer made difference
between general and regional geography. He emphasized the points of regional geography
must be descriptive to highlight the salient features of the region

Regional Geography in France:

Regional geography was the most important branch of geography in France.

Vidal de la Blache initiated regional studies through the development of a concept called
‘pays’ (small rural region). He opposed the concept of Reine Geography and river basin as a

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region. Man-environment relationship shaped small region (pays) making it unique for
geographical studies.

Other geographers like L. Gallois and E. De Martonne also contributed to

regional geography. In addition, the trends of geological and historical studies led the growth
of a concept of regional synthesis. Later this concept was accepted as an approach to do a
geographical analysis of a region. During this period, the regional studies were so popular
that numerous books were written and published. For example, Vidal De la Blache’s ‘Table
De La Geographie’ and ‘De la France’ (1903), Demangeon’s ‘Picardie’ (1905), E. De
Martonne’s ‘Les Alps’ (1926) and ‘An Essay on Middle Europe’ (1930- 1931), R.
Blanchard’s ‘French Alps’ were noted books which contained description of geographical
features like landforms, climate, vegetation, settlement and other social-cultural structures
and distinctiveness of each region and its unique man-environment relationship.

Regional Studies in Britain:

Evolution of regional studies and trends in Britain was significantly influenced

by the concept of ‘Landschaft’ from Germany and ‘Pays’ from France. For example, British
scholar Patrick Geddes focussed on field studies and regional surveys for demarcating
regions and regional planning. Another British geography was Andrew J. Herbertson (1865-
1915) who combined Geddesian tradition of regionalization and Darwinian heritage of
deterministic approach in his study of natural regions. He pointed out that natural regions in
the world must be demarcated on the basis of an association of surface features, climate, and
vegetation. In addition, H. Fleury offered a regional classification of the world based on
problems and difficulties faced by man in achieving its basic needs on the earth surface like
nutrition, reproductions, and well-being.

Regional Geography in the USA:

During early decades of the twentieth century, some American geographers

were inclined to British approach to the delimitation of regions. Wesley Powell was one of
the first geographers who divided the country into 16 physiographic regions but in 1914, W.
L. G. Joerg used the word natural regions for dividing the regions into various small regions
based on homogeneity in certain physical characteristics. Besides, N. M. Fenneman also
published a study of physiographical divisions of United States in 1914. Further, C. R. Dryer
came up with an approach to identify natural regions based on economic functions and
natural characteristics. That is why he termed such regions as natural-economic regions.

Some decades later Richard Hartshorne popularized the concept of regional

paradigm in the USA. As per his view, Geography is the study of areal differentiation.
Combined functions of geographical elements form a unique regional landscape. There is a
difference between different regional landscapes. Such difference in regional landscapes is
called areal differentiation. According to Hartshorne, geography has a unique methodology to
study its region which was criticized by F. K. Schaefer. In other words, Schaefer rejected the
concept of exceptionalism and pointed out Geography is a social science in which all
scientific laws should apply. By the 1950s, geographers gradually disillusioned from the
regional paradigm and inclined towards systematic geography.

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Regional Geography Today

Between the mid of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century,
Regional geography like quantitative geography had been an important approach to the
geographical study. This period was known as the time of regional paradigm but with the
advent of quantitative revolution in the 1950s and onwards, various scholars like G. H. T.
Kimble and Fred K. Schaefer criticised this paradigm because of its descriptiveness nature
and lack of well-defined theories. Nevertheless, the concept of region and the regional
geography paradigm influenced many branches like geomorphology, economic geography
and urban geography (like city-region based on core and periphery interactions) etc.

Since the 1980s, regional geography has seen resurgence as a branch of

geography in many universities. Because geographers today often study a wide variety of
topics, it is helpful to break the world down into regions to make information easier to
process and display. This can be done by geographers who claim to be regional geographers
and are experts on one or many places across the world, or by physical, cultural, urban,
and biogeographers who have a lot of information to process about given topics.

Often, many universities today offer specific regional geography courses

which give an overview of the broad topic and others may offer courses related to specific
world regions such as Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, or smaller scale such as "The
Geography of California." In each of these region-specific courses, topics often covered are
the physical and climatic attributes of the region as well as the cultural, economic and
political characteristics found there.

Also, some universities today offer specific degrees in regional geography,

which normally consists of general knowledge of the world's regions. A degree in regional
geography is useful for those who want to teach but is also valuable in today's business world
that is focused on overseas and long distance communications and networking.