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Geography
Geography (from the Greek words Geo or Gaea, both meaning "Earth", and graphein
meaning "to describe" or "to write"or "to map") is the study of the earth and
its features, inhabitants, and phenomena.A literal translation would be "to
describe the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was
Eratosthenes (275-195 B.C.). Four historical traditions in geographical research
are the spatial analysis of natural and human phenomena (geography as a study of
distribution), area studies (places and regions), study of man-land
relationship, and research in earth sciences. Nonetheless, modern geography is
an all-encompassing discipline that foremost seeks to understand the world and
all of its human and natural complexities-- not merely where objects are, but
how they have changed and come to be. As "the bridge between the human and
physical sciences," geography is divided into two main branches - human
geography and physical geography.
Traditionally, geography as well as geographers has been viewed as the same as
cartography and people who study place names. Although many geographers are
trained in toponymy and cartography, this is not their main preoccupation.
Geographers study the spatial and temporal distribution of phenomena, processes
and feature as well as the interaction of humans and their environment.[4] As
space and place affect a variety of topics such as economics, health, climate,
plants and animals, geography is highly interdisciplinary. The ideas of
Anaximander of Miletus (c. 610 B.C.-c. 545 B.C.), considered by later Greek
writers to be the true founder of geography, come to us through fragments quoted
by his successors. Anaximander is credited with the invention of the gnomon,the
simple yet efficient Greek instrument that allowed the early measurement of
latitude. Thales, Anximander is also credited with the prediction of eclipses.
The foundations of geography can be traced to the ancient cultures, such as the
ancient, medieval, and early modern Chinese. The Greeks, who were the first to
explore geography as both art and science, achieved this through Cartography,
Philosophy, and Literature, or through Mathematics. There is some debate about
who was the first person to assert that the Earth is spherical in shape, with
the credit going either to Parmenides or Pythagoras. Anaxagoras was able to
demonstrate that the profile of the Earth was circular by explaining eclipses.
However, he still believed that the Earth was a flat disk, as did many of his
contemporaries. One of the first estimates of the radius of the Earth was made
by Eratosthenes.
Physical geography (or physiogeography) focuses on geography as an Earth
science. It aims to understand the physical features of the Earth, its
lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, pedosphere and global flora and fauna
patterns (biosphere). Physical Geography can be divided into the following broad
categories: Biogeography, Climatology and paleoclimatology, Coastal/Marine
studies, Environmental Geography and management, Geodesy, Geomorphology,
Glaciology, Hydrology/Hydrography, Limnology, Landscape ecology, Oceanography,
Pedology, Palaeogeography. Learn Geography, SCHOOLS Geography, COLLEGES
Geography, INSTITUTES Geography Coaching Geography, Masters Geography, Doctorate
Geography, Postgraduate Geography, Useful Geography, University Geography,
Scholarships Geography, Programme Geography, PhD Geography, Jobs Geography, Work
Geography, Careers Geography, Information Geography, Information Geography,
Courses Geography, Guidance Geography, Graduate Geography, Higher Studies in
Geography.
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