Global Culture and Tourism Geography Module 2

Global Culture and Tourism Geography MODULE 2: GLOBE AND MAPS First Semester SY 2024-2025  Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the focus of geography and the two main branches of the discipline. 2. Learn about the tools geographers use to study the earth’s surface. 3. R...

Global Culture and Tourism Geography MODULE 2: GLOBE AND MAPS First Semester SY 2024-2025  Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the focus of geography and the two main branches of the discipline. 2. Learn about the tools geographers use to study the earth’s surface. 3. Review the history, definition and origin of Geography The map shows the continents, regions, and oceans of the world. Earth has a total surface area of 510 million km²; 149 million km² (29.2%) are "dry land"; the rest of the planet's surface is covered by water (70.8%).  PHYSICAL MAP OF THE WORLD CONTINENTS IMAGE: NATIONSONLINE.ORG; BACKGROUND- IMAGE: NATURAL EARTH, TOM PATTERSON  Y O F TO R HIS TH E PH Y G R A G EO  Y O F TO R HIS TH E PH Y G R A G EO  HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF GEOGRAPHY The history of geography has two main parts: the history of exploration and map making and the development of the academic discipline. THE EMERGENCE OF GEOGRAPHY: EXPLORATION AND MAPPING Herodotus 5th century BCE. Greek philosopher and world traveler The Greeks and Romans not only accumulated a great body of knowledge about Earth but also developed the sciences of astronomy and mapmaking, which helped them accurately locate places. However, during western Europe’s Migration period (Dark Ages), much of that wisdom was lost, but the study of geography—notably cartography— was nurtured in the Arab world. This material became known to western Europeans during medieval times, partly through their contacts with the Muslim world during the Crusades. A key feature of geographical information is that it is localized, relating to individual parts of Earth’s surface. Geography involves recording such information, in particular on maps—hence its close links with. Thus, the evolving practice of geography involved mapping the world, and filling them in with details about their physical environments and the people inhabiting them. Such geographical advances depended on improvements not only in cartography but also in astronomy, which was vital for navigation. Methods for determining latitude and longitude and measuring elevations and distances were refined and were of great value to navigators and explorers and their sponsors. The science of surveying was employed to make detailed large-scale maps of the land surface; notable was the work of the Cassini family, in France, spanning more than a century, which was the basis for the world’s first national atlas, published in 1791. Many expeditions, such as those of James Cook in the second half of the 18th century, conducted scientific experiments that enabled advances in navigation and cartography and collected samples of flora and fauna that were used to classify knowledge about the natural world—as in the pioneering work of the 18th-century.  Philippine Chorography Map As information accumulated, a new branch of geography was established by the late middle ages, called chorography (or chorology). Books describing the then known world were used in geographical instruction at universities and elsewhere. Geography was not a separate discipline but was taught within established subjects such as mathematics and natural philosophy, in large part because it was of great importance to nation building and commerce. By the early 19th century there was great demand for information and knowledge about the world. To aid commercial enterprises aimed at exploiting its resources and peoples, governments became involved in colonial ventures, annexing land beyond their frontiers, providing administrators and military protection, and encouraging settlement. Geographical societies were established in many European and North American cities in the early 19th century to share and disseminate information. Among the first were those founded in Paris (1821), Berlin (1828), London (1830), St. Petersburg (1845), and New York City (1851). Many of the European societies had royal patronage and strong support from the mercantile, diplomatic, and military classes. They collated and published information, sponsored expeditions, and held regular meetings, at which returning explorers might present their findings or participate in debates over technical issues such as mapping.