NATURE AND SCOPE OF GEOGRAPHY


The word Geography was first coined by Eratosthenes (an Ancient Greek scientist). The word geography, consist of two Greek words, i.e. ‘Geo’ meaning Earth and ‘graphos’ meaning     description. Thus, geography includes all aspects dealing with description of the earth and its parts. The earth has always been seen as the abode of human beings and thus, scholars have defined geography as the abode of human beings.




Definition of geography

The following are some definition of geography forwarded by different geographers.
       According to Hartshorne, “Geography is concern to provide accured orderly and regional description and interpretation of variable character of the earth surface.”
       In the words of Yets, “Geography can be regarded as a science, concerned with the regional development and testing of theories that explain and predict the spatial description and location of various characteristics on the surface of the earth.
       In the opinion of Ackerman, “Geography is the study of spatial description and space relation on the earth surface.
       Thus, it is cleared from the above discussion that, geography is the study of various physical features such as, plains, plateaus, hills, mountains, rivers etc. found on the earth surface.

Scope of geography

The scope of geography is very vast, as it includes two important branches, i.e. Physical geography and Human geography. Physical geography can be divided into four important sub-divisions; such as, Geomorphology, Climatology, Hydrology or Oceanography and Soil geography. Like physical geography, Human geography can be also divided into Economic geography, Social or Cultural geography, historical geography, political geography, population geography etc.
       The study of the two important branches of geography, i.e. physical and human geography and their various sub-divisions is included in the scope of geography.

Physical Geography

Physical geography includes – a) Geomorphology,   b) Climatology,   c) Hydrology or Oceanography,   d) Soil geography etc.

Geomorphology

Geomorphology is the scientific study of surface features of the earth surface. It includes description of landforms, their origin and development and mechanism of geomorphologic processes which involve in landform formation.

Climatology

Climatology is the study of atmospheric components and their characteristics. It includes the systematic and regional study of the atmospheric conditions i.e. weather and climate.

Hydrology or Oceanography

Oceanography includes the description and analysis of physical and biological aspects of hydrosphere. The study of marine resources and their biological characteristics is included under oceanography, which is an important branch of geography.

Soil geography

Various types of soils and their characteristics with relation to their environment is an important subject matter of soil geography. The impact of human activities on soil is also included under the scope of soil geography.

Human geography

Under human geography, geography includes the study of following branches –
a   a) Economic geography,   b) Population geography,   c) Social geography,   d) Political geography etc.

Economic geography

Economic geography deals with the spatial variation of economic activities on the earth surface related to production, exchange and consumption of goods and services. The study of all those economic activities of man including the import, export of goods is studied under economic geography, which is a most significant branch of geography.

Population geography

Population geography includes the aspect of human being and their characteristics. It also includes different character and behavior of people in different parts of the world. The most important items studied by population geography are birth rate, death rate, migration, population density, population distribution etc.

Social geography

It studies the social aspects of people in a particular society. It also studies how people sustain their lives in relation to natural environment. The impact of environment on man and that of man on environment is also an important topic of social geography.

Political geography

     It deals with the analysis of the system of class-group conflict overtime in space. It also includes the study of spatial organization of geopolitical unit,      emergence of new treat interested issues, international power, relationship, nationalism, boundary and frontiers etc.
    
      Thus, it has been seen that the scope of geography cannot be limited within a small territory. Many new branches are emerging into the scope of geography with the increase of various human activities.