Introduction to Geography

Lec 1
Recommended books

1. Christopherson, R.W. (2000), Geo-systems, Prentice-Hall, Inc, USA.

2. De Blij, H. J and Muller, P.O. (1996), Physical Geography of the global Environment, USA, John
Wiley and Sons Inc.
3. Diwan A.P. & D.K. Arora (1995), Origin of the Ocean, Anmol Publisher, Delhi.
4. Gabler, R.E, Sager, R.J and Wise, D.L. (1997), Essentials of Physical Geography, Saunders
College Publishing, New York.
5. Kendrew, (1961), Climates of the continents, Longman London/New York
6. King, CAM (1980), Physical Geography, Oxford, Basil Blackwell
7. Mcliveen, J.F.R. (1992), Fundamentals of Weather and climate, Prentice Hall New Jersey
8. Miller, E.W. (1985), Physical Geography, Columbus, Charles E. Merrill
9. Miller, G.T. (1996), Living in the Environment, Principles, connections and solutions,Wadsworth
Geography(n)
• "the science of description of the earth's surface in its present
condition
• from French géographie (15c.)
• from Latin geographia,
• from Greek geographia
• "description of the earth's surface,
• " from geo- "earth" + -graphia "description"
Essential Geography Questions

• What is geography and why is it important?

• What are the tools of geography and how are they used to analyze
the physical and human landscapes of the world?

• How are historical events influenced by physical and cultural

geography?
Geography is the study of:
• Geography is the study of the earth
surface, its changes and physical
features. It includes various topics such
as - culture, land forms, climate, and
population
• The earth's surface and the processes
that shape it
• The connections between places
• The complex relationships that develop
between people and their environments-
physical surroundings.
So Geography is :
• the study of our Earth; our home
OR
Anything that can be mapped!

• and a geographer is Someone who analyzes the Earth from many

different points of view!
• Geographers are
scientists who study
the relationship
between people and
their environments.
Things that Geographers study
• Oceans
• Plant Life
• Landforms
• People
• How the Earth and its People Affect Each Other
MAJOR CONCEPTS OF
GEOGRAPHY?
• Some of the major geographic concepts are as follows
• Region
• Location
• Density
• Dispersion
• Pattern
• Place Size and Scale
The two major branches of
Geography
• Physical geography-study of the physical features and changes on the
earth's surface
• Cultural geography-study of humans and their ideas, and the impact
of human ideas and actions on the earth.
What is the importance of
Geography?
• History is a record of the past
• Knowing history and geography helps orient you in time and space.
• Knowledge of other societies can be a key to understanding them
• help us know more about each other and our cultures
• The people and events of the past shaped the world as it is today.
• help us understand our environment and problems associated with it
• help us better understand the ways in which each of us interacts with
and is dependent on others and the environment
• help us solve environmental, political, economic, and social problems.
Themes of Geography
Themes of Geography
• There are 5 different ways to look at the earth
• When geographers work, they are guided by two basic questions:
 Where are things located?
Why are they there?
• To find these answers, geographers use 5 themes to organize the
information . . .
The 5 Themes
1) Location:
Geographers begin to study a place by finding where it is, or its location.
2) Place:
Geographers study the physical and human features of a location.
3) Human-Environment Interaction:
Geographers study how people affect or shape physical characteristics of
their natural surroundings and how does their surroundings
(environment) affect them
4) Movement: Helps explain how people, goods, and ideas get from one
place to another.
5) Regions: Geographers compare the climate, land, population, or
history of one place to another.
There are two ways to think about location:

Absolute location: describes the place’s exact position on the Earth

Relative Location: explains where a place is by describing places near it

Example :
Absolute Center Location: 86°16'W 39°53.7'N Relative Center Location: 14 miles North
West of Indianapolis Where is the center of Indiana?
Place
• This includes a location’s physical and human features.

• To describe physical features, you might say that the climate is hot or cold
or that the land is hilly.

• To describe human features, you might discuss how many people live there,
what types of work they do, or what they do for fun.
How would you describe the
PHYSICAL FEATURES of Punjab ?
How would you describe the
HUMAN FEATURES of Punjab ?
Globes and Maps
• As people explored the Earth, they collected information about it.
• Mapmakers wanted to present this information correctly.
• The best way was to put it on a globe, a round ball that represented
the Earth.
• Because globes are not practical or easy to use to carry, flat maps
were invented.
• A map is a symbolic representation of a place's characteristics, usually
drawn on a flat surface. Maps can be used to show a variety of
information
• A region has a unifying characteristic, like climate, land, population, or
history.
• On maps, geographers use color and shape or special symbols to
show regions.
• The most accurate way to present information on the islands,
continents, and bodies of water of the world is to put it all on a globe,
a round ball like the Earth itself.
• The only difference between a globe and the Earth itself is the scale,
or size, represented on the globe.
Roots of Geographic Discipline
• Discipline of geography has a rich and complex history with roots that
can be traced back to ancient times. These roots have evolved and
branched out into various subfields and approaches over the
centuries.
Historical Background
1. Ancient Greece
2. Roman Period
3. Islamic Golden Age
4. Medieval and Renaissance Europe
5. Age of Exploration
6. Colonialism and Cartography
7. Modern Geography
8. Quantitative Revolution
9. Contemporary Geography
1. Ancient Greece
• The origins of geography can be traced back to ancient Greece, where
early philosophers and scholars made significant contributions to the
field.
• Greek scholars like Pythagoras, Anaximander, and Eratosthenes made
important contributions to the study of geography. Eratosthenes, for
instance, calculated the Earth's circumference with remarkable
accuracy.
Eratosthenes, the ancient Greek scholar is called
the 'father of geography. He was the first one to
use the word geography and he also had a small-
scale notion of the planet that helped him to
determine the circumference of the earth.
2. Roman Period
• During the Roman period, scholars like Strabo wrote extensive about
geography. Strabo's "Geographica" is considered one of earliest
comprehensive works on the subject. He discussed the known world
at the time and provided detailed descriptions of various regions.
3. Islamic Golden Age
• During the Islamic Golden Age, scholars like Al-Idrisi and Ibn Battuta
made significant contributions to geography. Al-Idrisi's work, "Kitab al-
Rujari" (The Book of Roger), was a comprehensive geographical
encyclopedia that included maps and detailed descriptions of various
regions. Ibn Battuta's travel accounts also added to the geographic
knowledge of the time.
4. Medieval and Renaissance
• European Geography continued to develop in Europe during the
Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The works of Marco Polo, who
traveled extensively in Asia, and the navigational charts created by
early European explorers contributed to the understanding of the
world's geography.
Eras and time spans
Human history The earliest civilizations
developed between 4000 and
• Eras in human history are based on major 3000 B.C.E. The first
civilizations emerged in
events and periods of development: Mesopotamia, which is now
• The Stone Age: 3.3 million to 5,000 years ago Iraq, and later in Egypt. The
Indus Valley civilization thrived
• The Bronze Age: 5,000 to 1,400 years ago by about 2500 B.C.E., China by
about 1500 B.C.E., and Central
• The Iron Age: 1,200 BC to 500 BC America by about 1200 B.C.E.
The 1st century was the period
• The Classical Era: 500 BC to 500 AD from AD 1 to AD 100. The term
"AD" stands for Anno Domini,
• The Medieval Era: 500 AD to 1500 AD which is Latin for "In the year
• The Early Modern Era: 1500 AD to 1800 AD of our Lord". "BC" stands for
"Before Christ" and indicates
• The Modern Era: 1800 AD to present the number of years before
Jesus' birth
5. Age of Exploration
• The Age of Exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries greatly
expanded geographical knowledge. Explorers like Christopher
Columbus, Ferdinand Magellan, and Vasco da Gama mapped new
territories, leading to the discovery of the America and the
circumnavigation of the globe.
6. Colonialism and Cartography
• The colonial period saw a
strong connection between
geography, colonial expansion,
and mapmaking. European
powers created detailed maps
of their colonies, which not
only served colonial interests
but also contributed to the
development of modern
cartography.
7. Modern Geography
• The 19th and 20th centuries marked
the emergence of modern
geography as an academic discipline.
During this period, geography shifted
from being primarily descriptive to
analytical and scientific study.
Influential figures like Alexander von
Humboldt, Carl Ritter, and Richard
Hartshorne made key contributions
to the development of geographic
thought.
8. Quantitative Revolution
• In the mid-20th century, the
"quantitative revolution"
transformed geography.
Geographers began to use
mathematical and statistical
techniques to analyze spatial
patterns and relationships,
leading to the development
of other fields.
Sub fields of quantitative
geography
Quantitative geography can be divided into many broad categories, such as:
• Geoinformatics.
• Geographic information science.
• Geostatistics.
• Map algebra.
• Statistical geography.
• Spatial analysis.
 Assignment # 1
• Write introductory notes on all sub fields of quantitative
geography mentioned in last slide.
9. Contemporary Geography
• Geography today encompasses a
wide range of subfields, including
human geography (studying human
populations and their activities),
physical geography (the study of
Earth's physical processes), and
geographic information systems (GIS),
among others. Geographers also
examine contemporary issues such as
climate change, urbanization
globalization, and geopolitics.
 Branches of GEOGRAPHY
Based on Systematic Approach
Based on Regional Approach
Regional Approach
• It studies the specific unique characteristics of places related to their
culture, economy, topography, climate, politics and environmental
factors such as their different species of flora and fauna.
Systematic Approach
Introduced by Alexander Von Humboldt, a German geographer (1769-
1859)
Phenomenon is studied world over as a whole and then the
identification of typologies or spatial patterns is done.

typology is the
classification of
geographical areas into
types based on certain
characteristics