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BS Geography

Geography, derived from the Greek words 'Geo' (Earth) and 'Graphy' (to describe), is the scientific study of the Earth's physical and human environments and their interactions. It has two main branches: Physical Geography, which includes subfields like geomorphology and climatology, and Human Geography, which explores the relationship between humans and their environment through various sub-disciplines. The understanding and scope of geography have evolved over time, with significant contributions from scholars such as Eratosthenes and Richard Hearthstone.

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24 views4 pages

BS Geography

Geography, derived from the Greek words 'Geo' (Earth) and 'Graphy' (to describe), is the scientific study of the Earth's physical and human environments and their interactions. It has two main branches: Physical Geography, which includes subfields like geomorphology and climatology, and Human Geography, which explores the relationship between humans and their environment through various sub-disciplines. The understanding and scope of geography have evolved over time, with significant contributions from scholars such as Eratosthenes and Richard Hearthstone.

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imykhankakar
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INTRODUCTION

Geography was first systematically studied by the ancient Greeks, who also
developed a philosophy of geography. The term ‘geography’ was first used by the
Greek scholar Eratosthenes in the 3rd century B.C. He wrote the book
Geography. There is no unanimity among the geographer to call father of
geography but more acceptable is, Greek scholar Haecetus has been regarded as
“father of geography”. According to most scholars, Eratosthenes is known as
the father of Geography because he is considered to have been the first person to
use the word 'Geography'. Alexander Von Humboldt and Carl Ritter are known
as “founders of modern geography”.

Geography is made up of two Latin words “Geo” and “Graphy”. Geo


means “Earth” and Graphy means “to describe”. Thus the general
meaning of geography is the branch of science which explains about the
Earth. In other words “Geography is largely the study of the interaction of all
physical and human phenomena and landscapes created by such
interactions.” It is about how, why, and where human and natural activities
occur and how these activities are interconnected.

NATURE OF GEOGRAPHY
The nature of geography is not static but highly dynamic. The nature of
geography is both physical environment and human environment. However,
the meaning and scope of Geography has dramatically changed with the
passage of time, thus, is concerned with the study of Nature and Human
interactions as an integrated whole. ‘Human’ is an integral part of ‘nature’
and ‘nature’ has the imprints of ‘human’. Nature has influenced different
aspects of human life. Its imprints can be noticed on food, clothing, shelter
and occupation. Human beings have come to terms with nature through
adaptation and modification.

According to Kant, the famous German scholar defined “geography as a


study of the earth.”

The latest and comprehensive definition of Geography was given by Richard


Hearthstone in his book in title "Perspective on the Nature of
Geography" published in 1959. According to him "Geography is the
concerned to provide accurate, orderly and rational description and
interpretation of the variable characters of earth surface".
According to Edward Augustus Ackerman in 1965 "It is the study of
spatial distribution and space relation on the earth surface".

BRANCHES OR SCOPE OF GEOGRAPHY

Basically the subject matter or scope of geography is too rigid. But for study purpose
it has two main branches: Physical Geography, Human Geography
A. Physical Geography

Physical geography is the study of physical environment of the world, which is


specifically composed of land, air, water, plants and animals. This gives rise to a
number of subfields of physical geography.

i. Geomorphology: It is concerned with the study of the landforms on the earth’s


surface. It includes origin and development of landforms through erosional,
transportation and depositional processes of water, wind and glaciers.

ii. Climatology: Climatology is the study of atmospheric conditions and related climatic
and weather phenomena. It includes the study of atmospheric composition, climatic
regions, seasons, etc.

iii. Oceanography: Oceanography is the study of various types of Oceanic format


component and processes related to ocean floor depths, currents, coral reefs and
continental drifts, etc.

iv. Soil Geography: Soil Geography is the study of soil in their environment. It is one
of two main branches of soil science, the other being edaphology. Pedology deals
with pedogenesis, soil morphology, and soil classification, while edaphology studies
the way soils influence plants, fungi, and other living things.

v. Bio-Geography: It is concerned with the biological phenomena in space, especially


in terms of the distribution of various kinds of floral and faunal species.
Biogeography may be subdivided into plant or floral geography, animal or faunal
geography and human ecology.

vi. Astronomical Geography: It studies the celestial phenomena which concerns the
Earth’s surface particularly Sun, Moon and Planets of the solar System.

B. Human Geography

Human geography studies the inter-relationship between the physical environment


and socio cultural environment created by human beings through mutual interaction
with each other. Geography is ‘the study of the earth as home of humans’.

Human geography has a number of sub-branches.

i. Anthropogeography: The term "anthropogeography" was first coined by German


geographer Friedrich Ratzel. It largely deals with racial phenomena in their spatial
context.

ii. Cultural Geography: Cultural Geography focuses on the origin, components and
impact of human cultures, both material and non-material.

iii. Social Geography: Social Geography on social phenomena in space. Poverty,


health, education, livelihood are some important fields of study in social geography.
iv. Population Geography: Population Geography is the of various dimensions of
population like its population distribution, density, composition, fertility, mortality,
migration, etc.

v. Economic Geography: Economic Geography is the study of the location and


distribution of economic activities at the local, regional, national and world scale.
Economic geography can be studied under the following heads: Resource geography,
Agricultural geography, Industrial geography and transport geography.

vi. Political Geography: Political Geography is the study of political phenomena in their
spatial context. Main focus remains for creation and transformation of political and
administrative regions.

vii. Historical Geography: Historical Geography emphasis on Spatial and temporal


trends of geographical phenomena are studied in Historical geography.

viii. Settlement Geography: Settlement Geography is the study of Rural/Urban


settlements, their size, distribution, functions, and hierarch and of various other
parameters of settlement system.

ix. Urban Geography: Urban geography is a branch of human geography concerned


with various aspects of cities. Urban geographers and urbanists examine various
aspects of urban life and the built environment.

x. Rural Geography: The study of rural geography deals with phenomena which are
typical of the rural space. It deals with rural settlements their characteristics and the
socio-economic processes of change that occur in the rural space of the developed
and less-developed countries.

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