Describe Geography

The word geography comes from the Greek words geo, which means "Earth," and graphein, which means "to write," and refers to the spatial study of the earth's surface. Geographers research the physical features of the globe, its people and civilizations, natural phenomena like climate, and the position of the earth in the cosmos. Geography studies how all global physical and cultural phenomena relate to one another in space. Geographers also study how human intervention is affecting the world, its climate, and its landscapes. 

 

Eratosthenes of Cyrene (present-day Libya in North Africa), a Greek scholar who lived between 276 and 194 BCE, is credited with coining the term "geography" for the first time. He computed the circumference of the world and developed one of the earliest systems of longitude and latitude. He also produced one of the earliest globe maps using the information that was accessible at the time. Maps and navigational systems were also constructed at the same time by other ancient societies in China, southern Asia, Polynesia, and the Arabian Peninsula. Physical geography and human geography are the two main concentrations within the field of geography. Both of these major subfields entail the study of location and the comparison of one place to another, and they both adopt a spatial perspective.

 

The spatial study of natural phenomena, such as rivers, mountains, landforms, weather, climate, soils, plants, and any other physical elements of the earth's surface, is known as physical geography. The focus of physical geography is on geography as an application of earth science. The primary physical components of the earth—the lithosphere (surface layer), atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere (living things)—as well as the connections between these components—tend to be highlighted. 

 

The following are some of the main physical geography research areas:

•    Geomorphology is the study of surface features of the earth

 

•    Glaciology (the study of glaciers)

 

•    Coastal geography (the study of the coastal regions)

 

•    Climatology (the study of climates and climate change)

 

•    Biogeography (the study of the geographic patterns of species distribution) 

 

Physical geographers may research where the earth is located inside the solar system. Those who study the spatial features and cultural perspectives of the natural environment are known as environmental geographers. Physical and human geography, as well as a grasp of how people conceive their surroundings and the physical terrain, are all necessary for understanding environmental geography. 

 

The natural topography at any given location on Earth is referred to as the physical landscape. The physical features of the planet were created by tectonic plate movement, weather, erosion, and water. Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon are just a few of the US state and national parks that make an effort to maintain distinctive physical landscapes for the public to enjoy.

 

The study of human activity and how it relates to the surface of the globe is known as human geography. Human geographers study the geographic distribution of human populations, as well as racial and ethnic groups, political and economic systems, and other aspects of daily life. Focusing on the origins and effects of human settlement and dispersal over the landscape, they investigate patterns of interaction between human civilizations and varied surroundings. Human geography's core concerns are the economic and cultural aspects of mankind, yet it is impossible to comprehend these aspects without explaining the environment in which these activities take place.

 

The sections of the earth's surface that humans have changed or produced are referred to as the "cultural landscape." A city's urban cultural landscape, for instance, might consist of structures like buildings, streets, signs, parking lots, or cars, whereas a rural cultural landscape might be made up of things like fields, orchards, fences, barns, or farmsteads. The cultural landscape of a place at a certain moment is influenced by local cultural elements that are specific to that location, such as religion, language, ethnicity, customs, or heritage. The cultural landscape's colors, sizes, and shapes typically signify some amount of significance in terms of society norms. Understanding and assessing regional cultural variations is made easier by spatial dynamics.

 

Geographers have long relied on the field of cartography, or the creation of maps. Geographers examine the spatial (space) and temporal (time) linkages between a wide range of data kinds, including physical landscape types, economics, and human activities, in addition to cartography, which remains a crucial component of geography. The interactions and processes between people and their physical and cultural contexts are also examined in geography. Cartography and geographic information systems have grown in significance in contemporary sciences because maps are potent graphic tools that enable us to demonstrate links and processes at work in the world. Geographers develop and use maps to convey spatial information about the surface of the world. Maps are the most popular way to illustrate various spatial features.

 

Geographers employ geospatial approaches as tools to visualize, organize, and work with geographical data. Making maps is the art and science of cartography, which helps us comprehend what is happening in a specific location at a specific moment by spatially illustrating data. With the evolution of the global positioning system, mapping and location verification have grown more precise (GPS). When detecting one's location on the planet or validating a point on a map, a GPS device may receive signals from orbiting satellites and calculate a precise location in latitude and longitude. In addition to being integrated into goods like cell phones, handheld computers, fish finders, and other mobile equipment, GPS units are now commonplace in many transportation systems. Around the world, GPS technology is widely used in the transportation of people, commodities, and services. 

 

With the use of satellite photos or aerial photographs obtained from aircraft, remote sensing technology gathers information about the surface of the globe. Geographers can identify, comprehend, or explain a specific landscape, as well as ascertain the land use of a location, using remotely sensed photographs. The cartographic (map-making) process can benefit from the inclusion of these photographs as crucial elements. These technologies give us the tools to look at and evaluate surface changes brought on by both natural and human sources. A great example of a computer programme that displays photographs of places on the earth that have been remotely sensed is Google Earth.