Geography is the study of the Earth’s surface and its various phenomena. It is divided into two main branches: Physical Geography and Human Geography.
Physical Geography
Physical geography focuses on understanding the natural aspects of the Earth. It encompasses several scientific disciplines such as geology, meteorology, astronomy, botany, zoology, and chemistry.
The roots of physical geography can be traced back to ancient Greek and Roman scholars who had a keen interest in studying nature and its different attributes. Over time, it gained popularity and became a prominent subject in the nineteenth century. Physical geography has several sub-branches that deal with different types of natural phenomena.
Astronomical Geography:
This branch studies celestial phenomena related to the Earth’s surface. It is one of the oldest branches of geography and was developed by ancient scholars like Thales, Anaximander, Eratosthenes, Aristotle, and Ptolemy. Cartography, which involves mapping, also developed alongside astronomical geography. During the Renaissance period, cartography saw significant advancements.
Mathematical Geography:
This branch explores the shape, size, movement, and position of the Earth in the solar system. The works of Thales, Eratosthenes, and Ptolemy laid the foundation for mathematical geography. However, their ideas were later refined by Copernicus, Kepler, and Galileo.
Geomorphology:
Geomorphology focuses on the study of landforms on the Earth’s surface. Ancient Greek scholars like Herodotus and Polybius made early contributions to this field, but medieval Arab scholars like Al-Biruni and Ibn Sina also played a significant role. In the eighteenth century, German and French scholars conducted studies on mountain structure and origin.
The establishment of geomorphology as a distinct field is credited to Mary Somerville of Great Britain and Alexander Von Humboldt of Germany. Other influential figures in its development include Ferdinand Von Richthofen, Oscar Peschel, Alfred Hettner, Albrecht Penck, Walther Penck, and W. M. Davis.
Climatology:
Climatology studies atmospheric conditions, climate patterns, and weather phenomena. Eratosthenes was among the first to provide a three-fold climatic division of the known world. Aristotle also made significant contributions by explaining the suitability of different climates for human habitats.
Medieval Arab scholars like AI-Balkhi and Al Wladimir Masudi contributed to the development of climatology. Later, German scientists such as Koppen and Albrecht Penck, Russian scientist A. I. Voeikov, and American scientist C. W. Thornthwaite further advanced the field.
Oceanography:
Oceanography focuses on the study of various oceanic phenomena, including surface and seafloor features, temperature, salinity, currents, tides, waves, and coral reefs. Posidonius, an ancient scholar, made early investigations on tides, sea depth, and gravel origin.
In the mid-nineteenth century, Matthew Fontaine Maury, an American scientist, provided systematic treatment to oceanography. He also proposed a model of atmospheric circulation.
Soil Geography:
Soil geography studies the formation processes, chemical and physical composition, biological constituents, color, types, distributions, and carrying capacities of soils. V. V. Dokuchaev of Russia pioneered the study of soil geography, which was further developed by American soil geographer Marbut.
Bio-Geography:
Bio-geography examines the spatial distribution of flora and fauna. It can be divided into plant geography and animal geography. Theophrastus, a pupil of Aristotle, is credited with developing bio-geography, which was later expanded upon by John Ray, Carolus Linnaeus, Lamarck, Buffon, Humboldt, and George Gerland.
Human Geography
Human geography examines the relationship between human societies and the Earth’s surface. It analyzes how human activities, characteristics, and culture shape and are influenced by the environment.
Human geography has developed alongside physical geography, and ancient scholars like Hecataeus, Aristotle, Herodotus, Polybius, and Strabo made early contributions to understanding the connection between humans and their physical surroundings.
Anthropogeography:
This branch studies the geographical distribution of races and racial phenomena. Friedrich Ratzel is credited with coining the term “anthropogeography” to study human geography.
Cultural Geography:
It focuses on the impact of human culture on the natural environment and the organization of space. Herodotus pioneered the study of cultural traits among different people, and Friedrich Ratzel and Ellen Semple further developed the ecological concepts of culture. Otto Schluter and Carl O. Sauer also made significant contributions to this branch.
Population Geography:
It examines the distribution, composition, migration, and growth of human populations in relation to the characteristics of different places. The study of population geography started with statistical studies by Achenwell and Sussmilch, and Trewartha offered a framework for the content and organization of materials in this field.
Economic Geography:
It focuses on the location of economic activities at different scales, from local to global. It also examines economic phenomena in their spatial context. Commercial geography, resource geography, agricultural geography, industrial geography, and transport geography are sub-disciplines of economic geography.
Political Geography:
his branch studies political phenomena in their spatial context. It analyzes the distribution of political entities and their interactions with the physical environment. Aristotle, Kant, and Friedrich Ratzel made significant contributions to political geography.
Geopolitics:
Geopolitics is the study of the spatial dimensions of international relations. It examines the influence of geography on political power and international policies. Geopolitics originated from the ideas of Rudolf Kjellen and Friedrich Ratzel. It was later rationalized in Germany to justify Nazi claims to dominance. After World War II, geopolitics was discredited but experienced a revival in the 1970s.
Historical Geography:
It studies the geographical aspects of past events. Herodotus and Sir Halford J. Mackinder contributed to the development of historical geography, which focuses on recreating past geographies and tracing geographical changes over time.
Social Geography:
This sub-branch analyzes social phenomena in space. It emerged after 1945 and focuses on social well-being, social problems, and their spatial variations. Radical geography, welfare geography, and Marxist geography are related subfields.
Urban Geography:
It examines urban areas, their spatial patterns, functions, origin, and hierarchies. Urban geography gained popularity in the 1940s and was particularly influential in the 1960s.
The combination of physical geography and human geography provides a holistic understanding of the Earth’s surface and its relationship with human societies. Both branches are essential for a comprehensive study of geography, as they provide a complete picture of the natural and human aspects of our planet.
MCQs on “Branches of Geography”
Here are 15 MCQs based on the branches of geography with answers provided at the end.
- Which branch of geography studies the natural aspects of the Earth?
(a) Human Geography
(b) Physical Geography
(c) Cultural Geography
(d) Urban Geography - Who is credited with the early development of astronomical geography?
(a) Ptolemy
(b) Carl Ritter
(c) Halford Mackinder
(d) Ellen Semple - Which subfield of physical geography focuses on the study of landforms?
(a) Oceanography
(b) Geomorphology
(c) Bio-geography
(d) Soil Geography - Climatology deals with the study of which phenomena?
(a) Soil types and formation
(b) Atmospheric conditions and climate patterns
(c) Celestial objects
(d) Population migration - Which ancient scholar provided the earliest climatic divisions of the known world?
(a) Aristotle
(b) Herodotus
(c) Eratosthenes
(d) Thales - What does oceanography primarily study?
(a) Population distribution
(b) Economic resources
(c) Oceanic phenomena like tides, currents, and salinity
(d) Political systems - Who is considered the pioneer of soil geography?
(a) Matthew Fontaine Maury
(b) Carl Sauer
(c) V. V. Dokuchaev
(d) Aristotle - What does bio-geography study?
(a) Plant and animal geography
(b) Soil composition
(c) Celestial bodies
(d) Economic activities - Which subfield of geography studies the distribution of races and racial phenomena?
(a) Political Geography
(b) Anthropogeography
(c) Economic Geography
(d) Urban Geography - Friedrich Ratzel contributed significantly to which branch of geography?
(a) Social Geography
(b) Geopolitics
(c) Anthropogeography
(d) Economic Geography - What is the main focus of cultural geography?
(a) Study of weather patterns
(b) Study of human culture and its impact on the environment
(c) Study of celestial phenomena
(d) Study of mountain structures - Population geography primarily deals with what?
(a) Distribution and growth of human populations
(b) Soil formation processes
(c) Urban planning and development
(d) Ocean currents - Which branch of geography analyzes political phenomena in their spatial context?
(a) Geopolitics
(b) Economic Geography
(c) Political Geography
(d) Anthropogeography - Geopolitics studies the relationship between which two aspects?
(a) Politics and celestial bodies
(b) Politics and physical geography
(c) Politics and urban development
(d) Politics and population growth - Urban geography studies which aspect of human geography?
(a) Rural farming techniques
(b) Social issues in rural areas
(c) Spatial patterns and functions of urban areas
(d) Climatic changes in rural zones
Answers:
- (b)
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- (b)
- (b)
- (c)
- (c)
- (c)
- (a)
- (b)
- (c)
- (b)
- (a)
- (c)
- (b)
- (c)
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