The Branches of
Geography
There are TWO main
branches of geography.
Physical Geography (SCIENCE)
Human Geography (SOCIAL)
Physical Geography (PG)
Physical Geography – is the study of the
world’s physical features—it’s landforms,
bodies of water, climates, soils, and plants.
Geographers ask…
Where do mountains come from?
Why do rivers flow in certain places?
Weather/climate patterns?
Uses of Physical Geography
Geographers study the physical world—to
learn how it works.
Studying the changes that take place on
our planet can help us prepare to live with
those changes.
Physical geographers helps us to adjust to
the dangers and changes of our world.
Human Geography (HG)
Human geography is the study of the world’s
people, communites, and landscapes.
Human geographers study the world’s
people, past and present.
Human Geographers ask…
What jobs do they have?
What crops will grow there?
What makes people move from place to place?
What types of houses do they build?
Other Fields of Geography
Physical and Human are the two largest branches of
geography.
But there are others fields too.
They are much smaller, however.
Some examples of these would be…
Economic Geography—the study of how people make
money.
Urban Geography—the
study of cities and how
people live in them.
Name that Field of Geography!
Plains and Mountains
Rivers
African Natives
Australian Outback
Communities in Spain
Canyons
Temperatures
7th Graders at RMS
PG
PG
HG
PG
HG
PG
PG
HG