Geography

WHY GEOGRAPHY?

Geography is the spatial study of the earth’s surface (from the Greek word geo, meaning “Earth,” and graphein, which means “to write”). The first known use of the word geography was by Eratosthenes of Cyrene (in what we today call Libya in North Africa). Geographers explore the spatial relationships between all physical and cultural phenomena in the world. In a nutshell, Geography seeks to understand where things are located, why they are there, and how they develop and change over time.

The discipline of geography can be divided into main branches:

• Physical Geography- The spatial study of the natural environment: such as the weather, climate, mountains, landforms, soils, rivers, lakes, oceans and living organism.
• Human (Cultural) Geography: The study of human activities and their relationship to the earth’s surface. Human Geographers explore the spatial spread of human populations, languages, agriculture, religions, ethnicities, political systems, settlement patterns, etc.

Careers in Geography: Many geographers pursue rewarding careers in education; business; local, state, or federal government agencies; and nonprofit organizations.