Nature of geography: a topic in geography and natural resources.

1. The Nature of Geography
Geography and Natural Resources

2. Physical Geography
• Consists of the systematic study of origin,
distribution, and significance of the major
physical features of the earth such as
landforms, climates, the oceans and the
natural resources.

3. Human/cultural geography
• Gives emphasis to the study of man’s imprints
upon the earth. Such subjects as the
distribution of population, various settlement
patterns, features resulting from man’s
productive activities

4. Geography
• The study of the earth and its inhabitants is
one of the most fascinating studies known to
man.
• Geography came from the word “geographia”
means “earth description”.
• It is a broad division of human knowledge
which is concerned with the study of the
surface of the earth and its relation to the
activities of man.

5. • Man has always been concerned with the
nature of his homeland and the known world,
but it was not until the Golden Age of Greece,
where the science of geography was firmly
established.
• Herodotus= “Father of History” also of
geography because he always placed historic
events in their geographic setting. He
observed the rich black soil of the delta of the
Nile and explained it as the result of river
deposition.

6. • Geography= science of the earth and its life,
especially the description of the land, sea, and
air, and the distribution of plants and animals
including man and his industries with
reference to the mutual relation of these
diverse elements. (Webster)

7. • Geography – captioned as “Land and People”
– Indicates the physical environment of the earth and
how it is related to its inhabitants , the people.
– Man is the architect of the earth’s surface. He built in
barrios, towns, cities, and provinces, resulting from
transportation and production such as roads, railways,
irrigation systems, factories.
– Geographical environment – comprises the physical
environment and its cultural environment.
– Geography = study of the earth as the home of man.

8. Elements of Geography
Physical (natural elements) Cultural (human elements)
Water features; oceans, seas, lakes,
ponds, streams, sheet flows, soil water,
ande other underground water
1. Population: numbers, densities, and
patterns of distribution
LANDFORMS: MAJOR AND MINOR ,
including rock materials
2. Cultural inheritance: man’s acquired
capabilities, habits, and institutions,
especially those that relate to his uses of
the physical elements of the habitat.
SOILS: GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL TYPES 3. Major occupations: hunting, fishing,
gathering, mining, lumbering, agriculture
Mineral resources; actual and potential 4.Major works or accomplishments:
structures, rural and urban settlements,
routes and methods of transportation,
and communication.
Climate and Weather: long-term and
short-term behavior of the atmosphere

9. Branches of Geography
• Regional geography= deals with all or many of
the geographic elements of a place or region.
• Topical geography- concentrates on the study of
one earth feature or human activity as it occurs
throughout the world.
• Physical geography- is concerned with the
location of such earth features as land, water, and
climate; their relationship to one another and to
human activities; and the forces that create and
change them.

10. Subdivisions of physical geography
• Geomorphology- kind of physical geography
that studies land and water forms as well as
the development of irregularities in the
surface of the earth.
• Climatology (related to meteorology) –
analyzes differences and similarities in climate
from place to place . It considers wind
movements, cloud formation , temperature
changes and precipitation.

11. • Mathematical geography- has to do with the
accurate measurements of the earth and the
calculation of the exact location of points on
the earth’s surface such as the exact location
of a city in latitude and longitude.
• Oceanography – is concerned with the study
of the ocean and its phenomena , current
wave activity, temperature differences, and
tides.

12. • Biogeography- study of the geographical
distribution of plants, known as plant
geography and as phytogeography, and of
animals , known as zoogeography.
• Medical geography- relatively new science, is
concerned with the study of the relationship
between disease –causing organisms, and
their physical environment.

13. Human geography
• Or anthropology – its primary concern is man
and his works so that it is closely allied with
other social sciences such as economics,
political science, history, sociology,
anthropology

14. Different kinds of human geography
• Cultural geography- deals with the study of
the distribution of cultural traits such as
customs, traditions, taboos , religions,
dialects, customs, and dwellings.
• Population geography-deals with the study of
the numbers and distribution of people.
Related to demography- statistical study of
population.

15. • Political geography- study of the relationship
between political units such as provinces or
states, nations, or unions of nations.
• Historical geography- study of the manner by
which geographical patterns of man and his
works change through time.
• Urban geography- study of cities with
important roles cities play in the life of a
nation.
• Urban geography- concerned with the study of
the site of a city.

16. Relationship of Geography to other
disciplines
• The fields of human knowledge are divided into 3: a.
natural sciences, b. social sciences, and c. humanities.
• Geography belongs to the field of natural sciences
• Geography-studies nature, water, landforms, minerals,
soil, climate, and flora and fauna.
• - also a social science which deals with the study of
man as the architect of earth’s surface.
• -studies man’s political and economic systems,
religious and educational institutions, man’s cultural
values, folkways and beliefs.

17. Arts and
Humanities
• History
• Art
• English
• Foreign
Language
• Music
• Religion
• Theatre
Physical
Sciences
• Physics
• Chemistry
• Geology
• Engineering
Sciences
• Meteorology
• Astronomy
Biological
Science
• Biology
• Botany
• Zoology
• Agronomy
• Medicine
Social Sciences
• Economics
• Business
Sciences
• Sociology
• Psychology
• Political
Science
• Law
Mathematical
Science
• Mathematics
• Computer
Science
• Statistics
Cultural
Geography
Physical
Geography
Medical
Geography
Biogeography
Human
Geography
Quantitative
Geography
GEOGRAPHY
ALL KNOWLEDGE