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Introduction to the Concept of Geography

Geography is defined as a branch of science that studies the earth's surface, focusing on the distribution and interaction of natural and human features. It encompasses both physical geography, which examines natural features and their interactions, and human geography, which studies human aspects such as cultures and economies. Maps serve as simplified representations of the earth's surface, classified by purpose and scale, and are used for identifying locations, distances, areas, and directions.

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3 views

Introduction to the Concept of Geography

Geography is defined as a branch of science that studies the earth's surface, focusing on the distribution and interaction of natural and human features. It encompasses both physical geography, which examines natural features and their interactions, and human geography, which studies human aspects such as cultures and economies. Maps serve as simplified representations of the earth's surface, classified by purpose and scale, and are used for identifying locations, distances, areas, and directions.

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yamlakyetnayet
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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INTRODUCTION TO THE CONCEPT OF GEOGRAPHY

Definitions of Geography
Eratosthenes (276-196 BC) – Geography is the description of the earth.
Concise Oxford Dictionary (1964) – Geography is the science of the earth’s surfaces
Hartshorne, R. (1899-1992) – Geography is a branch of knowledge that is concerned with the
provision of an accurate, orderly and rational description of distributions on the surface of
the earth.
Yeates, M. (1968) – Geography is a science that is concerned with the rational development
and testing of theories that explain and predict the spatial distribution and locations of
(things and) phenomena on the surface of the earth.

At this level we will define Geography as a branch of science that studies the
earth’s surface and the distribution, arrangement and interaction of natural
and human features and their causes and effects.

The Scope of Geography


Scope means the range and variety of contents which are included in a subject or field of
study. Geography’s scope is very wide
Geography studies a great many physical and human features of the world. Its focus includes
their causes, effects, and interactions.
The subjects that geography examines include features in the hydrosphere, atmosphere,
lithosphere and biosphere

The earth’s surface consists of:


Hydrosphere – It includes all the bodies of water, i.e., oceans, rivers, lakes and others.
Biosphere – This refers to all living organisms in and on the earth’s surface.
Atmosphere – It includes all aspects of air composition surrounding our planet.
Lithosphere – It is the solid layer of rocks which covers the entire surface of the planet.
What is a Physical Geography?
Physical Geography is a branch of geography studies the distribution of the natural features
of the world, such as climate, landforms, soil, vegetation, and drainage systems.
Physical geography also considers causes, effects and interactions of these features.
Physical geography includes the following specialized fields of study.
Climatology: studies factors that create climate and examines the variation and distribution of
climate and related causes and effects.
Geomorphology: studies the distribution of landforms (such as mountains and plains) and the
forces that change them.
Soil geography: studies the distribution of soils and their characteristics
Biogeography: studies the distribution of plants and animals in relation to the environments
that they inhabit.
Oceanography: studies the location, causes and effects of ocean currents, waves and tides.

What is a Human Geography?


Human Geography: This branch of geography studies the distribution and influence of
human aspects of our world, including cultures, population settlement, economic activities
and political systems.
Human geography includes the following specialized fields of study.
Cultural geography: studies the distribution and interactions of cultures, including peoples’
beliefs and customs.
Population geography: studies the distribution, growth and structure of population.
Economic geography: studies production, consumption and exchange and the spatial
distribution of goods and services and factors affecting them.
Political geography: studies the distribution of political systems and the ways people use
them to exercise power and make decisions.
Urban geography: studies the development and characteristics of towns, cities and other
urban centers.
Historical geography: is the study of the geography of the past and how places or regions
change over time.

Meaning of Map
A map is a simplified, diminished, plain representation of all or part of the earth’s surface as
viewed from vertically above.

Main features of a map


-A map represents all or part of the earth’s surface.
-A map is a two-dimensional (plane) representation.
-Maps show the earth’s surface as if it were seen from directly above. This view is called a
Bird’s-eye view.
-All maps are smaller than the area they represent.
-Maps are drawn to scale.
-Maps are simplified representations.
-Most maps use generally accepted symbols to represent natural, artificial or cultural
features of the area they represent.

USES OF MAPS
Maps are basically used to identify locations, distance, area and directions.
Location: With the help of a map it is possible to locate a place in reference to another place.
For example, Ethiopia’s location can be expressed in terms of its neighbouring countries,
external land masses and water bodies.
It is also possible to locate a place using astronomical grid references – parallels and
meridians.
For example, the absolute location of Ethiopia is
3oN-15oN latitude and 33oE-48oE longitude

Distance: It is possible to calculate the distance between two or more places on a map. This is
done by using the scale of the map. For example, the air distance between Bahir Dar and
Addis Ababa can be calculated by using a map of Ethiopia.
Area: The area of a place, a country, a region, a continent, a sub-continent or the whole world
can be calculated from a map. This is done by measuring the length and the width of the given
place on the map and by converting them to ground distances with the help of the scale of the
map.
Direction: A map can enable us to identify the direction and bearing of any place on the map.
This is accomplished by referring to another place. For example, a map of Ethiopia can help
us to find the direction and bearing of Mekele by referring to Addis Ababa.

Classification of maps
Maps are classified in terms of
-Focus and level of detail (purpose) – the amount of information they
present about their subjects, especially their ability to show small details.
-Scale – the size of the area for which they give information and, therefore, the scope
of the information that they give about these areas.
Classification of maps based on purpose
Maps can be classified as general-purpose or specific-purpose.
A general-purpose map is a map that shows the features of a place in a relatively general
way. It provides a wide range of information about the place it represents.
General-purpose maps are not topical. Instead, they tend to contain a little of many kinds of
information at a relatively low level of detail. A topographic map is a good example of this.
It can illustrate both physical and human-made features of the earth.
Specific-purpose maps are often called thematic maps or topical maps. We use these terms
because specific-purpose maps emphasize on a single topic. These maps show detailed
information about their subjects. Thematic maps can show almost any kind of information
that varies from place to place, such as population distribution, rainfall and temperature
patterns, and the distribution of types of soil or vegetation.
Example Soil maps
Vegetation maps
Climate map
Classification of maps based on scale
Scale is a ratio that shows the degree to which the area that is mapped has been reduced.
Based on scale differences, maps can be classified into:
Large-scale maps
Medium-scale maps
Small-scale maps
Large-Scale Maps ≥ 1:50,000
Large-scale maps present small areas in detail with great accuracy.
Large-scales are greater than or equal to 1:50,000. A large-scale map, such as the map of
Addis Ababa, shows the city in considerable detail.
Large scale maps present a relatively small area and show its features in considerable detail.
For example, at a scale of 1:5,000, a map of a city can include many features – such as
buildings. The map can also include many details, such as the bends in highways
Medium-Scale Maps 1:50,000 - 1:250,000
These are maps that are prepared with scales that range between 1:50,000 and 1:250,000.
Medium-scale maps cover wider areas than large scale maps, but cover smaller areas than
small-scale maps. They are also able to present more detailed information than small-scale
maps but are less detailed than large-scale ones
Small-Scale Maps ≤ 1:250,000
Small-scale maps are those which are prepared with scales less than or equal to 1:250,000.
These small–scale maps cover wider areas than large and medium scale maps.

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