Geography - An Introduction ?
Since the beginning of humankind, the study of geography has captured the imagination of the people. In ancient times, geography books extolled tales of distant lands and dreamed of treasures. The ancient Greeks created the word "geography" from the roots "ge" for earth and "grapho" for "to write." These people experienced many adventures and needed a way to explain and communicate the differences between various lands. Today, researchers in the field of geography still focus on people and cultures (cultural geography), and the planet earth (physical geography).
What is Geography?
The term geography has many different meanings. Two are given below.
1. The study of the earth and its features and of the distribution of life on the earth, including human life and the effects of human activity.
or
2. The study of the natural features of the earth's surface, including topography, climate, soil, vegetation, etc., and man's response to them.
What_is_geography_2_.pptx
1. The study of the earth and its features and of the distribution of life on the earth, including human life and the effects of human activity.
or
2. The study of the natural features of the earth's surface, including topography, climate, soil, vegetation, etc., and man's response to them.
What_is_geography_2_.pptx
FATHER OF GEOGRAPHY: ERATOSTHENES OF CYRENE
He was born in 276 BC in Cyrene, a Greek colony(present day Libya). he excelled in philosophy, mathematics, astronomy and also in Music. He was placed in charge of the Great Library in Alexandra, Egypt in 245 BC by Pharaoh Ptolemy III. While there he wrote a three volume treatise entitled Geographika
Eratosthenes was the first known geographer to create a very accurate map of the world. it has grid lines resembling latitude and longitude.
One of his greatest achievement include calculating the circumference of the earth.
Eratosthenes was the first known geographer to create a very accurate map of the world. it has grid lines resembling latitude and longitude.
One of his greatest achievement include calculating the circumference of the earth.
Importance of geography
Follow the link to see other reasons - https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2019/0403/1040369-here-are-9-reasons-why-geography-matters/
Main Branches of Geography
Divisions of Geography
Today, geography is commonly divided into two major branches -
1) cultural geography (also called human geography) and
2) physical geography.
Cultural geography is the branch of geography dealing with human culture and its impact on the earth. Cultural geographers study languages, religion, foods, building styles, urban areas, agriculture, transportation systems, politics, economies, population and demographics, and more.
Physical geography is the branch of geography dealing with the natural features of the earth, the home of humans. Physical geography looks at the water, air, animals, and land of the planet earth (i.e. everything that is part of the four spheres - the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere.) Physical geography is closely related to geography's sister science - geology - but physical geography focuses more on the landscapes at the surface of the earth and not what is inside our planet.
Today, geography is commonly divided into two major branches -
1) cultural geography (also called human geography) and
2) physical geography.
Cultural geography is the branch of geography dealing with human culture and its impact on the earth. Cultural geographers study languages, religion, foods, building styles, urban areas, agriculture, transportation systems, politics, economies, population and demographics, and more.
Physical geography is the branch of geography dealing with the natural features of the earth, the home of humans. Physical geography looks at the water, air, animals, and land of the planet earth (i.e. everything that is part of the four spheres - the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere.) Physical geography is closely related to geography's sister science - geology - but physical geography focuses more on the landscapes at the surface of the earth and not what is inside our planet.
Types of Geography
In Human Geography there are many branches. This is a major branch of geography that studies people and their interaction with their environment and how they organize space on the earth's surface.
Some of the types of Human Geography are:
Economic Geography: Economic geographers deals the distribution of production and distribution of goods, the distribution of wealth, and how economic activity is distributed over the earth.
Population Geography: Population geographers are concerned with the distribution, migration, and growth of population in geographic areas.
Geography of Religions: This type of human geography studies the geographic distribution of religious groups, their cultures, and built environments.
Medical Geography: Medical geographers study the geographic distribution of disease (including epidemics and pandemics), illness, death and health care.
Recreation, Tourism, and Sport Geography: The study of leisure-time activities and their impact on local environments.
Political Geography : Political geography investigates all aspects of boundaries, country, state, and nation development, international organizations, diplomacy, internal country subdivisions, voting, and more.
Urban Geography:The branch of urban geography investigates the location, structure, development, and growth of cities -- from tiny village to huge megalopolis.
Some of the types of Human Geography are:
Economic Geography: Economic geographers deals the distribution of production and distribution of goods, the distribution of wealth, and how economic activity is distributed over the earth.
Population Geography: Population geographers are concerned with the distribution, migration, and growth of population in geographic areas.
Geography of Religions: This type of human geography studies the geographic distribution of religious groups, their cultures, and built environments.
Medical Geography: Medical geographers study the geographic distribution of disease (including epidemics and pandemics), illness, death and health care.
Recreation, Tourism, and Sport Geography: The study of leisure-time activities and their impact on local environments.
Political Geography : Political geography investigates all aspects of boundaries, country, state, and nation development, international organizations, diplomacy, internal country subdivisions, voting, and more.
Urban Geography:The branch of urban geography investigates the location, structure, development, and growth of cities -- from tiny village to huge megalopolis.
Some of the types of Physical Geography are:
Physical Geography can be divided into several sub-fields, as follows:
Geomorphology is concerned with understanding the surface of the Earth and the processes by which it is shaped, both at the present as well as in the past.
Hydrology is concerned with the amounts and quality of water moving and accumulating on the land surface and in the soils and rocks near the surface.
Glaciology is the study of glaciers and ice sheets.
Biogeography is the science which deals with the geographic distribution of plants and animals over the surface of the earth
Climatology is the study of the climate
Pedology is the study of soils in their natural environment.
Coastal geography is the study of the interaction between the ocean and the land.
Oceanography is the branch of physical geography that studies the Earth's oceans and seas.
Slide show - https://www.slideshare.net/priyankaverma287/branches-of-geography-by-priyanka-verma
Themes in Geography
1. LOCATION used to identify a point or an area on the Earth’s surface or elsewhere. Location can be absolute or relative.
- Absolute Location A location can be absolute (specific) as in coordinates of a map using longitude and latitude Example: Coordinates of jamaica is 18 degrees north and 77 degrees west.
- Relative Location Relative location is the location of a place relative to another place (ie south, north, downhill, or uphill.)
- Physical characteristics Includes a description such things as the mountains, rivers, beaches, topography, and animal and plant life of a place.
- Human characteristics Includes the human-designed cultural features of a place, from land use and architecture to forms of livelihood and religion to food and folk ways to transportation.
environment. Humans shape the landscape through their interaction with the land; this has both positive and negative
effects on the environment.
- Examples of Human-Environment Interaction Winter Summer Places attracts people for different reasons. Wearing light clothing in hot places and warm clothing for cool places.
Sapiens Transportation
5. REGION Region divides the world into manageable units for geographic study. Regions have some sort of characteristic
that unifies the area. Regions can be formal, functional, or vernacular.
- Formal regions are those that are designated by official boundaries, such as cities, states, counties, and countries. For the most part, they are clearly indicated and publicly known.
- Functional regions are defined by their connections. For example, the circulation area for a major city area is the functional region of that paper.
- Vernacular regions are perceived regions, such as "The South," "The Midwest," or the "Middle East"; they have no formal boundaries but are understood in our mental maps of the world.
Careers in Geography
101.Recycling Coordinator for a state
102.Redevelopment Coordinator for a city
103.Regional Environmentalist for a state department of transportation
104.Regional Planner
105.Remote Sensing Specialist
106.Remote Sensing Scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey
107.Research Analyst for a regional gas and electric company
108.Research Meteorologist, U.S. National Climatic Data Center
109.Research Scientist, U. S. National Weather Service
110.Resource Development Director at the Canadian Bureau of Indian and North Affairs
111.Resource Economist
112.Resources Planner for as state
113.Risk Analyst in a corporation
114.Sales Facilities Research Analyst
115.Site Researcher
116.Soil Conservationist for a state natural resource conservation service
117.Supervising Topographic Engineer for a state geological survey
118.Teacher of Geography (click here for information on teaching Geography as a career)
119.Tourism Developer
120.Traffic Management Specialist, U.S. Department of Agriculture
121.Transportation Planner for a county
122.Transportation Planner for a county transit district
123.Travel Consultant and Planner
124.Water Conservation Planner for a city water system
125.Water Resource Specialist for a state environment department
126.Water Resources Planner, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
127.Web Master
128.Wetlands Conservation Supervisor for a reclamation authority
129.Zoning Administrator
130.Zoning Enforcement Inspector for a township
131.Zoning Inspector for a city
- Aerial Photo Interpreter
- Air Pollution Specialist for a regional air quality district
- Air Quality Analyst
- Airline Cargo Marketing Executive
- Airlines Researcher
- Appraiser for a real estate corporation
- Area Specialist
- Avalanche Specialist in a U.S. National Forest
- Biologist (consulting )
- Budget Planning and Policy Manager for a major metropolis
- Business Analyst in a corporation
- Cartographer
- Cartographer-Illustrator
- Cartographic Editor
- Cartographic Technician
- Climatologist
- Community Development Analyst
- Computer Mapping Specialist
- Computer Specialist for a U.S. National Park
- Conservation Education Coordinator for a state
- Data Analyst for an insurance company
- Demographer at the U.S. Department of Agriculture
- Demographic Analyst for a county
- Deputy Assistant Director at the U.S. National Science Foundation
- Director of Computer Assisted Reporting for a major metropolitan daily newspaper
- Director of Industrial Development for a port authority
- Director of Planning and Zoning for a township
- Ecologist
- Economic Development Analyst
- Economist
- Energy Analyst
- Engineer, Civil
- Engineer, Consulting
- Engineer, Photogrammetric
- Environmental Manager
- Environment Planner for a state department of transportation
- Environmental Scientist for a state department of natural resources Field Data Capture Specialist
- Geographer at the Smithsonian Institution
- Geographer at the U.S. Bureau of the Census
- Geographer at the U.S. Department of Agriculture
- Geographer at the U.S. Economic Development Administration
- Geographer at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Geographer at the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Geographer at the U.S. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration
- Geographer for a water management district
- Geographer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
- Geographer for the U.S. Army Topographic Engineering Center
- Geographer for the U.S. Forest Service
- Geographer, Consulting
- Geographer in a corporation
- Geographic Reference and Map Librarian
- Geographic Specialist at the U.S. Department of State
- Geography Education Specialist for an encyclopedia publisher
- Geologist for a state department of environment and conservation
- Geomorphologist at the U.S. National Biological Service
- Geopolitical Specialist for a software corporation
- GIS Analyst in a corporation
- GIS Coordinator for a county
- GIS Coordinator of Environmental Studies
- GIS Implementation Specialist for a state library
- GIS Program Manager for a county dept of information and administrative services
- Hotel Concierge
- Hydrogeologist (Consulting)
- Hydrologist for a state soil and water conservation agency
- Insurance Analyst
- Intelligence Analyst at the U.S. National Photo Interpretation Center
- Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency
- Land Scientist (Consulting)
- Land Use Planner for a city
- Location Analyst
- Map Analyst
- Map Librarian
- Map Curator
- Mapping Designer for a corporation
- Mapping Specialist for a commercial mortgage firm
- Market Development Manager for a software corporation
- Marketing Analyst
- Meteorologist at the U.S. National Weather Service
- Meteorologist, Television
- Microcomputer specialist in a corporation
- Natural Historian, U.S. Soil Conservation Service
- Peace Corps Volunteer
- Physical Scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey
- Physical Scientist for the U.S. Defense Mapping Agency
- Planner, Community
- Planner, County
- Planner, Resources
- Planner, Transportation
- Planner, Urban
- Planner for a consolidated government
- Planning Information Director for a county
- Political Analyst
- Pollution Control Specialist for a metropolitan area
- Principal Scientist in a corporation
- Project Planner for a county
- Ranger in a U.S. National Park
- Real Estate Appraiser
- Real Estate Planner
- Real Estate Research Analyst for a corporation
101.Recycling Coordinator for a state
102.Redevelopment Coordinator for a city
103.Regional Environmentalist for a state department of transportation
104.Regional Planner
105.Remote Sensing Specialist
106.Remote Sensing Scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey
107.Research Analyst for a regional gas and electric company
108.Research Meteorologist, U.S. National Climatic Data Center
109.Research Scientist, U. S. National Weather Service
110.Resource Development Director at the Canadian Bureau of Indian and North Affairs
111.Resource Economist
112.Resources Planner for as state
113.Risk Analyst in a corporation
114.Sales Facilities Research Analyst
115.Site Researcher
116.Soil Conservationist for a state natural resource conservation service
117.Supervising Topographic Engineer for a state geological survey
118.Teacher of Geography (click here for information on teaching Geography as a career)
119.Tourism Developer
120.Traffic Management Specialist, U.S. Department of Agriculture
121.Transportation Planner for a county
122.Transportation Planner for a county transit district
123.Travel Consultant and Planner
124.Water Conservation Planner for a city water system
125.Water Resource Specialist for a state environment department
126.Water Resources Planner, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
127.Web Master
128.Wetlands Conservation Supervisor for a reclamation authority
129.Zoning Administrator
130.Zoning Enforcement Inspector for a township
131.Zoning Inspector for a city
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