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# Geography ## The Ancient World ### ¡Asómbrate! For the Greeks, the Earth was divided into two portions: - The inhabited portion called the *oikumene* (the land inhabited by humans) - The uninhabited portion called the *anoikumene* (empty land without inhabitants) During this period, Geography...

# Geography ## The Ancient World ### ¡Asómbrate! For the Greeks, the Earth was divided into two portions: - The inhabited portion called the *oikumene* (the land inhabited by humans) - The uninhabited portion called the *anoikumene* (empty land without inhabitants) During this period, Geography had a descriptive character. **The Greeks also divided the Earth according to the distribution of the population on its surface using the geocentric system, which proposed the Earth as the center of the Universe.** ### 4. Famous Ancient Philosophers, Historians and Geographers | Philosopher | Theory | |---|---| | Eratosthenes (c 275-195 AC) | Geocentric Theory (Geodesia). Calculated the diameter of the Earth for the first time. | | Thales of Miletus (624-546 AC) | Conceived the roundness of the Earth. He was the first to ask, based on rudimentary scientific knowledge, what the world was and what its real base was. He made an astronomical encyclopedia called *Almagesto*. | | Hecateo de Mileto (550-476 AC) | Considered the father of Ancient Geography. | | Heródoto (484-425 AC) | Studied the equinoxes and is considered the father of Geography. | | Aristóteles (484-425 AC) | He set forth the geocentric theory, which held that the Earth was motionless and at the center of the universe. | | Anaximandro (610-546 AC) | Called the "first geographer" drew the first existing world map. | | Estrabón (63 AC - 19 DC) | Wrote about geography in 17 books. His studies later served as a source of information for Roman military leaders and rulers. | | Hiparco de Nicea | Studied the equinoxes. | | Homero (190 - 120 AC) | His stories were highly accurate for locating specific locations. He mentions these locations in *The Iliad* and *The Odyssey*. | ## The Middle Ages During this era, Geography had a mostly descriptive character. 1. Geographical knowledge was limited in this period. There were no notable Western works from this time. However, the voyages of *Marco Polo* and the voyages of the Normans stood out. 2. Arabs continued the ideas of the Greeks, spreading and expanding them as they described the world they knew in their numerous journeys. ## Authors of Note | Author | Theory | |---|---| | Ibn Battuta (1304-1369) | Recognized as an important source of medieval geography. | ## The Modern Age ### Precursors | Author | Years | |---|---| | Cristóbal Colón (1451-1506) | | | Fernando de Magallanes (1480-1521) | | | Nicolás Copérnico (1473-1543) | | | Juan de la Cosa (1450-1515) | | | Martin Behaim (1459-1507) | | | Kepler (1571-1630) | | | Gerardus Mercator (1594) | | ### The Development of Geography Geography became more important as the discovery of new areas, such as the Americas and the oceans, led to a need for a better understanding of the world, especially for navigation purposes.