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Geography (from Ancient Greek γεωγραφία geōgraphía; combining gê 'Earth' and gráphō 'write') is the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. [1] Geography is an all-encompassing discipline that seeks an understanding of Earth and its human and natural complexities —not merely where objects are, but also ...
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- Historical development of geography
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geography, the study of the diverse environments, places, and spaces of Earth’s surface and their interactions. It seeks to answer the questions of why things are as they are, where they are. The modern academic discipline of geography is rooted in ancient practice, concerned with the characteristics of places, in particular their natural environments and peoples, as well as the relations between the two. Its separate identity was first formulated and named some 2,000 years ago by the Greeks, whose geo and graphein were combined to mean “earth writing” or “earth description.” However, what is now understood as geography was elaborated before then, in the Arab world and elsewhere. Ptolemy, author of one of the discipline’s first books, Guide to Geography (2nd century ce), defined geography as “a representation in pictures of the whole known world together with the phenomena which are contained therein.” This expresses what many still consider geography’s essence—a description of the world using maps (and now also pictures, as in the kind of “popular geographies” exemplified by National Geographic Magazine)—but, as more was learned about the world, less could be mapped, and words were added to the pictures.
To most people, geography means knowing where places are and what they are like. Discussion of an area’s geography usually refers to its topography—its relief and drainage patterns and predominant vegetation, along with climate and weather patterns—together with human responses to that environment, as in agricultural, industrial, and other land uses and in settlement and urbanization patterns.
The history of geography has two main parts: the history of exploration and mapmaking and the development of the academic discipline.
Britannica Quiz
Geography is the study of the diverse environments, places, and spaces of Earth and their interactions. Learn about the history of geography, its branches, methods, and applications from Britannica, a trusted source of knowledge.
Oct 19, 2023 · Geography is the study of places and the relationships between people and their environments. Geographers explore both the physical properties of Earth’s surface and the human societies spread across it. They also examine how human culture interacts with the natural environment, and the way that locations and places can have an impact on people.
Aug 4, 2017 · Geography is the study of the Earth’s physical features and environment, including the impact of human activity on these factors and vice versa. Learn about the history, branches, and applications of geography, as well as the role of geographers and geographies in the world.
- Oishimaya Sen Nag
Other articles from worldatlas.com
Learn about geography, the science of the Earth's surface, and its subfields, such as physical, human, and regional geography. Explore the history and methods of geography through biographies of influential geographers.
Learn the focus, tools, and types of geography, the spatial study of the earth’s surface and its people and cultures. Explore the grid system of latitude and longitude, the grid system of seasons and time zones, and the grid system of regional distinctions.
Explore the world of geography with National Geographic, a leading source of maps, cartography and exploration. Discover stories, photos and videos on topics such as environment, science, travel, animals and more.
