Information AboutGeography |
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''.]] Geography is 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. Geography research addresses both the questions of ''where'', as well as ''why'' phenomena occurs in particular places. The word comes from the Greek words ''' Ge ''' (''γη'') or '''Gaea''' (''γαια''), both meaning '''"Earth"''', and '''graphein''' (''γραφειν'') meaning '''"to describe"''' or "to write". ''"Mere place names are not geography. To know by heart a whole gazeteer full of them would not, in itself, constitute anyone a geographer. Geography has higher aims than this... to trace out the great laws of nature and to mark their influence upon man. In a word, geography is a science, a thing not of mere names, but of argument and reason, of cause and effect."'' -- William Hughes (King's College, 1863) Since place matters for everything from Economics and Health , to Climate , Plants and Animals , geography is highly interdisciplinary. Geography draws upon and contributes to numerous other knowledge disciplines. Geography is broadly divided into Human Geography and Physical Geography , with subfields of geography including Economic Geography , Political Geography , Urban Geography , Biogeography , Geomorphology , Coastal Geography , and others. With advances in Computer technology, the analytical and spatial data management tools available to geographers, including Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Data Analysis , are now allowing Geographers for more rigorious, Quantitative analysis of spatial phenomena. Though, the Qualitative approach to geography remains important, with Ethnography and other methodologies used to investigate theories of spatial phenomena. Physical geography Physical Geography (or physiogeography) focuses on geography as an Earth Science . It aims to understand the physical features of the Earth, its Lithosphere , Hydrosphere , Atmosphere , Pedosphere and global Flora and Fauna patterns ( Biosphere ). Physical Geography can be divided into the following broad categories:
Human geography Human Geography is a branch of geography that focuses on the study of patterns and processes that shape human interaction with various environments. It encompasses Human , Political , Cultural , Social , and Economic aspects. While the major focus of human geography is not the physical landscape of the Earth (see Physical Geography ) it is hardly possible to discuss human geography without referring to the physical landscape on which human activities are being played out, and Environmental Geography is emerging as a link between the two. Human geography can be divided into many broad categories, such as:
Related topics: Countries Of The World - Country - Nation - State - Personal Union - Province - County - City - Municipality - Central Place Theory - Urban Morphology Socio-environmental geography During the time of environmental determinism, geography was defined not as the study of spatial relationships, but as the study of how humans and the natural environment interact. Though environmental determinism has lost support, there remains a strong tradition of geographers addressing the relationships between people and nature. There are two main subfields of socio-environmental geography:
Cultural and political ecology Cultural ecology grew out of the work of Carl Sauer in geography and a similar school of thought in Anthropology . It examined how human societies adapt themselves to the natural environment. Sustainability science has been one important outgrowth of this tradition. Political ecology arose when some geographers used aspects of Critical Geography to look at relations of power and how they affect people's use of the environment. For example, an influential study by Michael Watts argued that famines in the Sahel are caused by the changes in the region's Political and Economic System as a result of Colonialism and the spread of Capitalism . Risk-hazards research See main article: Disaster Management Research on Hazard s began with the work of geographer Gilbert F. White , who sought to understand why people live in disaster-prone Floodplain s. Since then, the hazards field has expanded to become a multidisciplinary field examining both Natural Hazard s (such as Earthquake s) as well as Technological Hazards (such as Nuclear Reactor meltdowns). Geographers studying hazards are interested in both the dynamics of the hazard event and how people and societies deal with it. Historical geography Historical geography seeks to determine how cultural features of various societies across the planet emerged and evolved, by understanding their interaction with their local environment and surroundings. For some in the United States, the term ''historical geography'' has a more specialized meaning: the name given by , which raised serious questions about geography as an academic discipline in the United States. HISTORY OF GEOGRAPHY :''See main article: History Of Geography .]] The Greek s are the first known culture to actively explore geography as a Science and Philosophy . Mapping by the Roman s as they explored new lands added new techniques. During the Middle Ages , Arab s such as Idrisi , Ibn Batutta , and Ibn Khaldun maintained the Greek and Roman techniques and developed new ones. Following the journeys of Marco Polo , interest in geography spread throughout Europe . The great voyages of exploration in 16th and 17th Centuries revived a desire for both accurate geographic detail, and more solid theoretical foundations. This period is also known as Great Geographical Discoveries . By the 18th Century , geography had become recognized as a discrete discipline and became part of a typical University curriculum in Europe (especially Paris and Berlin ). Over the past two centuries the quantity of knowledge and the number of tools has exploded. There are strong links between geography and the sciences of , Regional Geography , the Quantitative Revolution , and Critical Geography . GEOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUES As spatial interrelationships are key to this Synoptic Science , Map s are a key tool. Classical Cartography has been joined by a more modern approach to geographical analysis, computer-based Geographic Information System s (GIS).
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In their study, geographers use four interrelated approaches:
RELATED FIELDS Urban, regional and spatial planning Urban Planning , Regional Planning and Spatial Planning use the science of geography to assist in determining how to develop (or not develop) the land to meet particular criteria, such as safety, beauty, economic opportunities, the preservation of the built or natural heritage, and so on. The planning of towns, cities and rural areas may be seen as applied geography although it also draws heavily upon engineering, the arts, the sciences, lessons of history, and politics. Some of the issues facing planning are considered briefly under the headings of Rural Exodus , Urban Exodus and Smart Growth . Regional science In the 1950s the Regional Science movement led by Walter Isard arose, to provide a more quantitative and analytical base to geographical questions, in contrast to the descriptive tendencies of traditional geography programs. Regional science comprises the body of knowledge in which the spatial dimension plays a fundamental role, such as Regional Economics , Resource Management , Location Theory , Urban and Regional Planning , Transport and Communication , Human Geography , Population Distribution , Landscape Ecology , and environmental quality. SEE ALSO
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