NGEC 11 (HUM-102) Geography Basics

Meaning of Geography

• Derived from Greek words: "geo" (earth) and "graphy" (description).
• Geography is the description of the Earth, focusing on the relationship between man and his environment.

Historical Overview

• First noted scholar: Hecatus, who described lands and people near the Mediterranean Sea.
• Hecatus's work titled "lies, periods" contributed to his recognition as the father of geography.
• Eratosthenes coined the term "geography" around 200 B.C. and described lands and people.
• Influential definitions of geography come from various scholars, emphasizing aspects like ecology, distribution, spatial variations, and human-environment interaction.

Structure of Geography

• Geography consists of two primary branches: Physical Geography and Human Geography.

Physical Geography

• Focuses on the natural environment including five elements: land, water, air, plants, and animals.
• Subfields of Physical Geography:
  • Geomorphology: Study of landforms and drainage patterns.
  • Climatology: Study of weather and climate.
  • Biogeography: Study of distribution of plants and animals.
  • Soil Geography (Pedology): Focus on soil characteristics and distribution.
  • Hydrology: Study of water properties and distribution.

Human Geography

• Examines human activities on the Earth's surface in relation to the environment.
• Three types of human activities:
  • Living on the Earth’s surface.
  • Creating livelihoods.
  • Designing living spaces.
• Divided into three branches:
  • Social Geography: Studies the arrangement of social phenomena.
    • Subfields: Settlement geography, population geography, political geography, medical geography.
  • Economic Geography: Focuses on spatial variations in economic activities.
    • Subfields: Geography of resources, agricultural geography, transport geography, industrial geography.
  • Cultural Geography: Studies distribution and interaction of cultural groups.
    • Subfields: Languages, religion, tools and skills, social organizations.

Methods of Study in Geography

• Divided into two approaches based on methodology:
  • Systematic Geography: Examines specific geographical factors across large areas.
  • Regional Geography: Analyzes a region’s character by integrating various phenomena.

Techniques in Geography

• Two main techniques for geographical study:
  • Cartography: The science of map-making and representations.
  • Use of maps and spatial analysis as primary tools to understand geographical phenomena.