Geography

Geography is an old discipline with rich and varied heritage. It is the systematic, mainly scientific, study of aerial differentiation. It observes, describes, explains & interprets the complicated range of features observable, on the earth surface. It deals with the study of lands & the distributional relationships of people to lands. In fact, it is a large discipline of knowledge dealing with man & his environment as a whole.

Meaning of Geography:
The word “Geography” has come two Greek words. Such as “Geo” mean “The Earth” and “Graphy” mean “Description”. So Geography there fore literally means the description of earth.

Definition of Geography:
Generally, Geography is the study, which deals with the relationship between man & his environment. Prominent figures of geography have defined Geography from their own point of view. Some of the authentic definitions are cited here:

1. “Geography is the sublime science which seep in the reflection of earth.”
......... Ptolemy

2. “Geography is concerned with the description & explanation of the areal differentiation of the earth surface.”
........... Heart Shorne
3. “Geography is that part of mixed mathematics, which explains the state of the earth & of its parts depending on quantity, viz, its figure, place, magnitude & motion, with celestial appearance etc.”
............ Varenious.
4. “Geography is the study of the earth. It explains the verities found in the various parts of the earth.”
............ Immanuel Kant

Conceptual structure of Geography

Location:
Location is concentration of things & tent to a particular place or area.
Types: There are two types of location.

1. Absolute Location: It is expressed with reference to an arbitrary grid system as it appears on a map.
2. Relative Location: It is conceived with a treasure as it relates to other attributes.

Distribution:
A set of Geographical tracts representing the behavior of a particular phenomena or characteristics of many places. On the other hand, the arrangement & organization of phenomena on the earths surface resulting from the operation of physical or human process. It may be identified & investigated at a range of spatial sets & in a variety of systematic fields.

Example: From the arrangement of a continent’s major physiographic units to the organization of tune tonal & social values within the build-up area of a town.

Agglomeration:
Agglomeration means concentration of any phenomena in certain location.In the Economic landscape “Agglomeration refers to the clustering of activities & people at nodal points.” (Ex: towns and cities) This clustering is prompted by centripetal forces in spatial organization and by the need to achieve Agglomeration Economics.

Example: Most of the public Universities of Dhaka are located in Dhanmindi. As the location advantages are available. So, it is University Agglomeration.

Process:
Process is very fundamental concept in Geography. Process is a series of things & locations are done in order to active something. It is sequences of change, systematically related as in chain of course and affects, shape the pattern that exit in the earth shell.

Pattern:
Pattern refers to spatial dimension of phenomenon which exits in the three dimensional zone are called the earth shell. The pattern is developed by process. When we try to know the development of pattern, we need to research. In another way, pattern is a regular way in which something happens on in done by the usual events of regular arrangement of time, shapes etc; as a decorative or intrusion from which something is to the made.

Example: Bangladeshi people eat rice and it is agricultural pattern. And, Dhaka city is a pattern.

Intraction:
Interaction is known as spatial interaction. This is the action between two points, upon one another, is the process or system that create linkage between places of diverse character and thereby gives rise to module or functional regions. An interaction model describes the reactions of two or more process or systems as they affect to each other.

A .................... B
Figure: Interaction.

So, we can say that when the relationship between two places is that are called interaction.

Place:
Place is a particular point on the earth surface. An identifiable location for a situation include with human value. In human geography, place is a center endowed with meaning by human being.
On the other hand, a place is a location or a center given some purpose by people. Place is a portion of two-dimensional space.

Space:
The extent of an area usually expressed in terns of the earth’s surface.

1. Aristotle believed that, “Space is the logical condition for the existence of things.”
2. Newton thought that, “Space as an objective reality, but intrinsically void.”
3. Einstein said, “All spatial concepts are derived from sense experience dealing with Material bodies.”

Traditionally, space has been described as found less, extending in all directions & of indefinite divisibility. There are two types of space. Absolute space refers to clearly distinct, real & objective space. Relative space is space as perceived by a person or society & concerns the relationship between events & between aspects of events.

Environment

Nature, land, air, water, plant and all other things around us in which we live are called environment. >>Read more>>

Chemistry:
Chemistry is a subject where we learn about the chemical substance. >>Read More>>
Environmental Chemistry:
Environmental chemistry is the science of chemical phenomena in the environment. It is important for Geography. As a Geographer, I have to know the chemical sources, reaction and transportation in our environment. It helps me to gather knowledge about chemical composition and phenomena in the environment.

Environmental Science:
Environmental Science is the study of how humans interact with their environment. Our environment is everything that surrounds us, both natural and man-made.

Branches of Geography

Physical Geography:
Physical Geography is an important and exciting earth’s science. It deals with our environment and the powerful forces and events that influence our lives. Physical Geography studies the spatial pattern of weather and climate, soil, vegetation, animal, water and all its forms and landforms. It also examines the interrelationship of this phenomenon the human activities. This sub-field of Geography is academically known as ‘Human Land Tradition’.

Authentic Definition:

1. “Physical Geography is a body of basic principles of earth science selected with a view to including primary the environmental influences that vary from place to place over the earth’s surface.”
   … Arthur N. Strahler
2. “Physical Geography is the study of those features of earth which are involved in the relation of earth and man that is the study of mans physical environment.”
   …. (Davis, 1909)
3. “Physical Geography deals with the physical background of the aspects of air, land and water which are quite depended on man.”
   … (Devenham, 1950)
   
   Elements of Physical Geography:

• Rocks -Landforms
• Soil -Flora
• Fauna -Climate
• Water -Minerals
  -Tom L. Mc. Knight

If you read more, just click in the below link.

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_geography

Regional Geography

Region:
Now-a-days Region is a popular word in many disciplines, especially those of social sciences- Economics, Sociology, Political science, Regional sciences etc. But the geographers are perhaps the pioneers on evolving the idea and concept of Region The Region is one of the central concepts of Geography that plays an explanatory and procedural (process) roles in Geographic research. In fact, it is a force of generalization and is therefore strictly an intellectual concept.

Meaning of the concept:
The word Region literally means core. But it is nit constant in meaning. Under different circumstances, it offers different meanings. Generally, it means consecutive division of a set of area on the basis of different levels of observations. Such as the administrative hierarchy in Bangladesh.

Definition of Region:
There is no agreed definition of the term “Region”. Thus, region has very different characters like human individuals and these are constantly changing and developing.

1. According to Heartshorne, “Regional Geography organizes the knowledge of all inter-related forms of areal differentiation in individual units of area, which it must organize into system of division & sub-division of the total earth surface.”
2. “A part of the earth surface that is distinguished in some defined way from surrounding area.” ……………David Grigg.
3. “ Region is only large tract of land more or less defined especially by certain natural features.” …. Stamp, L.D.
4. “ A Region is any tract of the earth’s surface with characteristics either natural or man made that makes it different from areas that surround it.” … Peter Haggett (1975)

So, it is clear from the above definition that a region is a unit area of the earth surface with some sort of areal homogeneity within & could be differentiate by its specific characteristics.

Nomothetic concept of Geography:

The concept of nomothetic view is very important on Geography and its history. Normally the nomothetic part of geography shows the new part of geography. Which has performance over the scientific items. It indicates the think ness of an individual by using the scientific approaches. Scientific research is use in the field of geography, which started from the year of 1960. It is the newcomer view of geography including the advancement of technology. The main idea of nomthetic approach is to find the similarities between places or phenomena.

Example: The planning of a city area is under the process of nomothetic view.

Idiographic concept of Geography:

The idiographic concept of Geography based on ideology (A system of ideas and beliefs). This part of geography refers the old part of geography. That shows the indication of concepts, which has no use of applied science. It shows the placement and uniqueness of anything. Idiographic view refers the establishment of the uniqueness of phenomena: an individual, a place or a region.

Example: The idiographic approach has been the underlying basis of Regional Geography. Which is concerned with establishing and explaining the differences between places. This contrasts with the nomothetic approach, which tries to find similarities between phenomena and to formulate “Laws” about social behavior.

Human Geography

Human Geography is the study of patterns and processes that shape human interaction with the environment. The main key of Human Geography is Man. Man dominates all things of happening in the term of Human Geography. This branch of Geography relates human aspects on environment.

Scope of Human Geography:

The scope of Human Geography encompasses:

1. Human
2. Political
3. Cultural
4. Social and
5. Economic aspects.

Human:
Human is a member of society and also a species of bipedal primates in the family Hominidae.Humans come to the world on the space of east Africa about 200,000 years ago.

If you read more, please click in the below link:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_geography

Cartography

Cartography studies the representation of the Earth's surface with abstract symbols (map making). Although other subdisciplines of geography rely on maps for presenting their analyses, the actual making of maps is abstract enough to be regarded separately. Cartography has grown from a collection of drafting techniques into an actual science.
Cartographers must learn cognitive psychology and ergonomics to understand which symbols convey information about the Earth most effectively, and behavioral psychology to induce the readers of their maps to act on the information. They must learn geodesy and fairly advanced mathematics to understand how the shape of the Earth affects the distortion of map symbols projected onto a flat surface for viewing. It can be said, without much controversy, that cartography is the seed from which the larger field of geography grew. Most geographers will cite a childhood fascination with maps as an early sign they would end up in the field.

Learn more, just click below link:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartography

Reference:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartography

Geographic information systems (GIS)

Geographic information systems (GIS) deal with the storage of information about the Earth for automatic retrieval by a computer, in an accurate manner appropriate to the information's purpose. In addition to all of the other subdisciplines of geography, GIS specialists must understand computer science and database systems. GIS has revolutionized the field of cartography; nearly all mapmaking is now done with the assistance of some form of GIS software. GIS also refers to the science of using GIS software and GIS techniques to represent, analyze and predict spatial relationships. In this context, GIS stands for Geographic Information Science.

Learn more,just click below link:

# http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geographic_information_system

Reference:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geographic_information_system

History of Geography

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, Anaximander 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. >>Read more>>

Reference:
1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_geography