Introduction to Geography

Geography is the study of places and the relationships between people and their environments.
Geographers explore both the physical properties of Earth’s surface and the human societies
spread across it. They also examine how human culture interacts with the natural environment,
and the way that locations and places can have an impact on people. Geography seeks to
understand where things are found, why they are there, and how they develop and change over
time.

Origin of the word

The term "geography" was coined by the Greek scholar Eratosthenes in the third century B.C.E.
In Greek, geo- means “earth” and -graphy means “to write.” Using geography, Eratosthenes and
other Greeks developed an understanding of where their homeland was located in relation to

other places, what their own and other places were like, and how people and environments were
distributed. These concerns have been central to geography ever since.

Definition of Geography

Geography has been defined differently through different periods of its history.

In 18th century Kant the famous German scholar defined geography as the study of earth, the aim
of geography was to explain variation found in various parts of the earth and he emphasised that
incidents and active relations are specially important in geography.

In 19th century Humboldt define that geography is the science related to the nature and it studies
and describe all things that found on earth. Carl Ritter emphasised that geography should study
the nature in relation to human beings.

Harthshorne (1939) defined geography is concerned to provide accurate , orderly and rational
description and interpretation of the variable character of the earth surface.

Ackerman (1965), the study of spatial distribution and space relations on the earth surface.

Vidal de la blache (1950) geography is the science of places not men.

Ratzel define geography is the systematic study of relationship between human societies and
earth surface.
 Geography is the study of places and the relationships between people and
their environments.
Why is Geography Important?
Geography helps humans understand the movement, changes, and systems of the planet.
Other benefits include:

• Helping us understand the communities where we live

• Our environment and the problems they face, such as climate change
• The complexity and interdependence between humans and the physical environment
• The importance of location in decision making
• How the world is changing both locally and globally
• How individual or societal choices impact nature, and vice versa.

SCOPE OF GEOGRAPHY
Geography is the social science which deals with the study of man , his activities and environment.

Its relevance cut across many other subjects like Economics, Agriculture, Government, history,
Urban , Medical etc . It is concerned with the study of size, shape and movement of the earth and
other heavenly bodies , landmass , bodies of water , climate, vegetation and events in different
places of world. It also deals with the spatial distribution of animal and nature resources as well
as human activities . It also helps to build better understanding about environment and raises
issues ,problems and solution to modern society. A geographer can serve different fields like in
education, regional planning, irrigation department, forest department, civil services, demographic
department, industrial development department, defence department, Urban planning etc. A well
trained geography play a vital role in socioeconomic sector of society.

BRANCHES OF GEOGRAPHY
The two main branches of geography are physical geography and human geography.

Physical Geography

Physical geography studies the shape and features of the Earth. This includes mountain ranges,
continents, oceans, rivers, and other geological formations and their location.

Human Geography

Human geography studies the boundaries humans created, the naming of locations, and the
distribution of humans on the planet. Human geography is sometimes called cultural geography,
though it involves much more than simply culture.

Branches of physical geography

Geomorphology

Geomorphology is basically the scientific study of physical features of landforms.

 • Climatology

Climatology is the scientific study of the climate and how it evolves.

• Hydrology

Hydrology is the scientific study of the water on earth, its movement, distribution, and
properties, along with its relationship with its surroundings.

• Soil Geography

Soil geography is the branch of Physical Geography concerned with the distribution of
different soil variations in different geographical locations.

• Plant Geography

Plant geography is the study of different vegetation growing around the world and how the
climate of those places affects the distribution of vegetation.

• Zoogeography

Zoogeography is a branch of Biogeography that studies the distribution of animals worldwide

and the significance of those animals on the land.

• Ecology/Ecosystem

Ecology is a branch of Biogeography concerned with studying organisms and their interaction
with the surrounding environment.

• Environmental Geography

Environmental geography studies aspects of the interactions between the natural world and
human beings.

• Oceanography

Oceanography is the study of all aspects of the ocean. Oceanography covers a wide range
of topics, from marine life and ecosystems to currents and waves, the movement of
sediments, and seafloor geology.
Human Geography

• Social/Cultural Geography

Cultural geography is concerned with examining the cultural diversity and plurality in society
along with people’s cultural values and practices over time.

• Population and Settlement Geography (Rural and Urban)

Population Geography is the study of the population in a particular terrain. The study focuses
on the growth of the population and how it is distributed and composed.

• Economic Geography

Economic geography is a subset of Human Geography that studies economic activities and
the factors that affect them.

• Historical Geography

Historical geography is the branch of Human Geography that studies the changes in
geography over time.

• Political Geography

Political geography is a branch of Human Geography which deals with human governments
and divides the land between different political units.

• Medical Geography

Medical geographers study the patterns of how diseases spread. This field includes
pandemics, epidemics, common illnesses, general health care, and death.

• Military Geography
geographers study how military facilities are distributed, and how troops can make the best
use of their facilities to solve issues.
• Transportation geography
geographers research existing public and private transportation networks and consider how
to improve them.
• Settlement geography
geographers examine the environment where people live and how it changes over time and
space.
• Urban Geography
geographers study how cities develop and function, considering potential new locations for
tiny villages that may grow into huge cities.