INTRODUCTION TO
GEOGRAPHY
Definitions
The word ‘Geography’ has a Greek origin, made up of two words ‘Geo’- earth
and ‘Graphein’- To draw, to write and describe.
Geography
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Is the study of the distribution and interrelationships of natural and human
phenomena in relation to the Earth’s surface.
•
It discovers, describes and accounts for the Earth’s climate, physical
features, resources, animals, people and their distribution.
•
It describes and analyses location and distribution of phenomena on the
surface of the Earth and their influence on human activities.
•
Environment
•
This is the sum total of all the surrounding external conditions at a
particular place or locality, within which an organism exists.
•
The external condition that surrounds a living organism and which
influence its behaviour.
•
The types of environments are the
1.physical environment, for example, landforms
2. Human environment,
for example, settlements. It can be natural or artificial human activities.
Ecology
Ecology refers to all the external conditions that surround a living organism which influence its
behavior and development.
Habitat
Habitat refers to the physical provide a home in which an organism lives.
Ecosystem
• It refers to a stable and self-sustaining system in the environment whereby plants, animals,
human beings and non-living things interact and depend on one another.
There should be sustainable use of resources within the environment to avoid creating an
imbalance in the ecosystem.
Branches of Geography
1. Physical Geography
 Deals with the study of natural physical environment of human kind.
The areas covered include:
a) Geology-study of the origin, structure and composition of the earth. It includes study of rocks.
b) Geomorphology- the study of internal and external land forming processes and landforms.
c) Climatology- the study of climate and weather
d) Pedology- the study of soils
e) Biogeography - the study of soils, vegetation and animals.
f) Hydrology- the study of water bodies
g) Spatial geography-study of space
2. Human and Economic Geography
-Study of people and their activities on the earth’s surface.
The areas covered include:
a) Mining
b) Forestry
c) Agriculture
d) Fishing
e) Wildlife and tourism
f) Industry
g) Energy etc.
3. Practical Geography
-A smaller branch which equips the learner with practical skills that enhance their understanding
and interpretation of human and physical geographical information.
The areas are:
a) Statistical methods
b) Map work
c) Field work
d) Photograph work
Relationship between geography and other disciplines
The term ‘discipline’ as used in this context means an area of knowledge or a subject that people
study or are taught. There is an interrelationship between geography and other subjects. This
relationship comes about when geography applies certain principles and facts from other
subjects to explain or solve certain geographical problems. It also comes about when these
subjects apply geographical information to explain various concepts.
Mathematics
Mathematical principles and formulae are used in geography to calculate distances, areas,
population densities, and mean annual rainfall and temperature, among others.
In addition, geographical information is analysed and presented accurately through the
application of mathematical techniques like drawing graphs and pie charts.
Mathematics also applies geographical knowledge about direction and bearing to calculate
distances around the globe. This gives rise to a subbranch of geography called mathematical
geography.
History
History is the study of events of the past and the present from the perspective of time.
Geography attempts to explain where these events took place, while geography analyses ways
in which historical events are affecting current human economic activities.
History itself uses geographical tools like maps, charts and graphs to show, for example, the
movements of people in the past.
Biology
Biology is the scientific study of organisms, with a focus on their anatomy, physiology and
behaviour. Geography is interested in the distribution of organisms, both plants and animals,
and the factors influencing their distribution.
Biology also focuses on the influence of these organisms on human activities. This sub-branch of
geography is known as biogeography.
Biology also applies geographical information such as relief and climate to explain the factors
determining the distribution of various species on the earth’s surface.
Physics
Physics deals with aspects such as matter, energy, light, heat, sound, gravity and magnetism.
While studying the atmosphere, geography focuses on heat from the Sun, which is responsible
for the movement of air, evaporation of water, and the distribution of moisture in the
atmosphere.
Information obtained by geophysicists about the earth’s magnetic field, gravity and the
vibrations of the earth helps geographers in understanding the causes and effects of
earthquakes.
Chemistry
Chemistry involves the study of substances, their composition and their behaviour. Geography
applies chemistry in studying the chemical composition of rocks and soils.
Chemistry may also be used in explaining the chemical changes that take place in rocks and soils.
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of crops and the rearing of animals. Geography studies farming
systems, their distribution and the factors influencing farming activities such as climate, soils and
relief.
It also studies the impact of agricultural activities on the environment. The principles of farming
are shared with agriculture. However, while agriculture studies in some detail, mechanisms of
agricultural equipment and their use, geography, on the other hand, studies their use in
agricultural production.
Meteorology
Meteorology is known as the study of the atmospheric conditions of a place. It includes weather
forecasting through studying of patterns of weather elements such as temperature, rainfall and
wind. Geography utilizes information from meteorology to classify climatic regions and map
them. The geography sub-branch created here is called climatology.
Geology
Geology is the scientific study of the earth, which includes the origin and history of the rocks and
soils that make up the earth. It deals with the origin, structure and composition of the earth.
Physical geography is closely related to geology.
Geographers have an interest in studying rocks since they are part of the immediate physical
environment. Rocks determine the origin and development of landforms. This gives rise to the
scientific study known as geomorphology.
Economics
Economics is the study of how a society organizes its money, trade and industry. It focuses on
gaining understanding of production, distribution and consumption of commodities. Similarly,
geography focuses on the exploitation of resources methods of production, movement of
commodities and their consumption. Themes such as trade, industry, and transport and
communication are covered in geography. Geographers are also interested in the factors of
production, as well as the conditions influencing the production and distribution of
commodities. The sub-branch dealing with these themes is economic geography.
Demography
Demography is the scientific study of human populations, their sizes, structures, composition
and distribution on the earth’s surface, as well as population changes. It is mathematical in its
approach. The sub-branch of human geography dealing with population studies is population
geography.
Medicine
Medicine often deals with the diagnosis, prevention and cure of diseases in people, animals and
plants. Geography pays attention to the factors influencing the spread of various diseases and
how the diseases affect the way people utilize natural resources. It also tries to establish the
geographical conditions influencing the prevalence of certain diseases. This is done in the subbranch of geography known as medical geography.
Political science
Political science deals with the study of governments and activities involved in getting and using
power. Political geography deals with the study of the way the world is divided into different
countries or states, their boundaries, their interrelationships and groupings according to
common interests.
Importance of studying Geography
• One gets to learn and know about the occurrence and location of phenomena:
one gains valuable information about the occurrence, position and location of features and
places of interest on the Earth’s surface through maps, globes, photographs and pictures.
• One gets to learn and know about Associations between phenomena: one is able to
understand the cause-and-effect relationship between phenomena.
• Interactions and interrelationships between places: one learns about the types of
relationships and interactions between different geographical locations since different parts of
the world are bestowed with different resources productivity abilities and levels, hence no
country is self-sufficient in all its needs.
• One gets to learn and know about Conservation of the environment one is able to appreciate
the environment, know the importance of natural resources, and understand the effect of
human activities on the natural environment and processes hence need to conserve them.
• One gets to learn and know about Acquisition and development of skills observation of
phenomena, reading am interpretation of maps, analysing statistical data, tables graphs and
charts, collection and presentation of statistical data.
• One gets to learn and know about Space exploration and aviation
• Geography as a career subject. Through the study of Geography, one may become a
geologist, urban planner, or a teacher among other professions