Introduction to Geography

Geography: Definition, Scope, and Themes

• Geography is the scientific study of the Earth that describes and analyses the spatial and temporal variations of physical, biological, and human phenomena.
• Geography also looks at their interrelationships and dynamism over the Earth's surface.
• The scope of geography explains the arrangements of various natural and cultural features.
• Geography is a holistic and interdisciplinary field of study.
• The scope of geography includes the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere on the Earth's surface.

Approaches to Geography

• Geography can be approached using two continuums: a human-physical continuum and a topical-regional continuum.

Themes of Geography

• The five basic themes of geography are Location, Place, Human-Environment Interaction, Movement, and Region.
• Location: Refers to a particular place or position.
• Absolute location: Defines a place's location by its latitude and longitude.
• Relative location: Defines a place's location in relation to landmass and water bodies.
• Place: Refers to the physical and human aspects of a location.
• The place theme is associated with toponym (place name), site (description of the place's features), and situation (environmental conditions of the place).
• Human-Environment Interaction: Encompasses three aspects: dependency, adaptation, and modification.
• Dependency: Refers to how humans rely on nature for survival.
• Adaptation: Involves how humans modify themselves, lifestyles, and behavior to live in new environments.
• Modification: Refers to how humans have altered the earth for their convenience.
• Movement: Entails the translocation of people, goods, and ideas from one end of the planet to another.
• Region: A geographic area with distinctive characteristics that distinguishes it from adjacent areas.
• Regions have homogeneity in terms of soil, temperature, rainfall, language, religion, or economy.

Location, Shape, and Size of Ethiopia and the Horn

• The Horn of Africa is a narrow tip protruding into the northern Indian Ocean, separating it from the Gulf of Aden.
• Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia are located on the Horn of Africa.
• The cultures in the Horn of Africa have been linked throughout history.

Location of Ethiopia

• Ethiopia's location is between 3°N and 15°N latitude (Moyale to Bademe) and 33°E and 48°E longitude (Akobo to the tip of Ogaden/Bohe).
• The East-West distance is 15°, resulting in a tropical climate.
• The North-South distance is 12°, resulting in a 1-hour time difference.
• Ethiopia uses a 3-hour time zone.
• The location of Ethiopia is described by other countries (vicinal), landmasses, and water bodies.
• Ethiopia is bordered to the west and northwest by Sudan.
• Ethiopia is bordered to the southwest by South Sudan.
• Ethiopia is bordered to the east by Djibouti.
• Ethiopia is bordered to the East and Southeast by Somalia.
• Ethiopia is bordered to the north and by Eritrea.
• Ethiopia is bordered to the south by Kenya.
• Ethiopia is in the Horn of Africa, southwest of the Arabian Peninsula, south of Europe, and northwest of the Indian Ocean.

Implications of Ethiopia's Location

• Ethiopia's location between 3° and 15° latitude results in a tropical climate, modified by altitude.
• Ethiopia's linguistic and cultural relationships with neighbors reflect the influence of its location.
• Ethiopia's political history is influenced by geopolitical considerations of superpowers, adjacency to the Red Sea (a global trade route), and Middle East geopolitical paradigms.

Size of Ethiopia

• The total area of Ethiopia is approximately 1,106,000 square kilometers.
• Ethiopia is the 8th largest country in Africa and the 25th largest in the world.
• Ethiopia extends about 1,639 kilometers East-West and 1,577 kilometers North-South.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Ethiopia’s Large Size

• Advantages:
  • Diverse agro-ecological zones
  • Variety of natural resources
  • Extensive arable land
  • Larger population size
  • Diverse cultures
  • Greater depth in defense against external invasion
• Disadvantages:
  • Demands greater capital to construct infrastructural facilities
  • Requires large army to protect its territory
  • Difficult for effective administration
  • Difficult for socio-economic integration

The Shape of Ethiopia and Its Implication

• Countries of the world have different shapes that can be divided into five main categories: compact, fragmented, elongated, perforated, and protruded.
• Compact shape countries: Have a relatively equal distance from the geographic center to any border.
• Fragmented shape countries: Are divided by water, land, or other countries.
• Elongated shape countries: Are geographically long and narrow.
• Perforated shape countries: Completely surround another country.
• Protruded shape countries: Have one portion that is much more elongated than the rest of the country.

Measures of Compactness/Indices of Compactness

• Four commonly used measures of compactness are:
  • The ratio of the area of the country to its boundary length (A/B ratio).
  • The ratio of the boundary length of a country to the circumference of a circle having the same area as the country itself (Boundary-Circumference ratio).
  • The ratio of the area of the country to the circumference of the smallest area inscribing circle (Area/circumference).
  • The ratio of the actual area of a country to the smallest possible area inscribing circle (Area-Area (A/A’) ratio).

Basic Skills of Map Reading

• A map is a two-dimensional scaled representation of part or whole of the Earth’s surface on a flat body.
• Map reading involves understanding the scale, signs, and symbols and clearly interpreting the information that the map provides.

Importance of Maps

• Maps provide the basis for making geographical details of regions.
• They are essential tools for spatial analysis of geographical facts of an area.
• They are useful for locating geographical features.
• Maps are used across various disciplines.
• Maps serve as storage for geographical data of areas.
• Maps help to assess reliable measurements of geographical features.

Types of Maps

• There are many types of maps based on their purpose and functions.
• Topographic maps depict one or more natural and cultural features of an area, which can be small, medium, or large scale.
• Special purpose/statistical maps: Display the distribution of different aspects such as temperature, rainfall, settlement, vegetation, etc.

Elements of Maps

• Marginal information on maps facilitates the interpretation of the geographical information represented.
• Title: The heading of the map indicates the map's subject.
• Key/legend: A list of all conventional symbols and signs shown on the map.
• Scale: Enables the interpretation of distance on the map relative to the actual ground distance.
• Scale can be expressed as a representative fraction, statement/verbal scale, or linear/graphic scale.
• North arrow: Indicates the important directions of the mapped area such as east, west, and south.
• Margin: The frame of the map, showing the end of the mapped area.
• Date of compilation: Allows users to verify if the map is updated or outdated.

Basic Principles of Map Reading

• Map reading abilities involve understanding both the symbols on the map and the real-world landscapes they represent, along with a knowledge of directions.
• Maps are covered in a series of lines that make up a grid to give an accurate description of a location, known as a grid reference.