Geography, Its Nature & Perspective

What is Human Geography? The study of how people make places, how we organize space and society, how we interact with each other in places and across space, and how we make sense of others and ourselves in our locality, region, and world.

Geography is a spatial study Geographers look at the way humans interact within and with their space. Spatial – of or pertaining to space on or near the Earth’s surface how are things organized on Earth? how do they appear on the landscape? why? where? so what?

in London’s Soho District Spatial distribution What processes create and sustain the pattern of a distribution? Map of Cholera Victims in London’s Soho District in 1854. The patterns of victim’s homes and water pump locations helped uncover the source of the disease.

Key Geographic Concepts Location Where is it? Space Patterns/regularities across Earth – depicted on maps; What is it like there? Place Unique location of everything on Earth; What makes a place unique?

Key Geographic Concepts cont… Scale truth is scale dependent, phenomena you study at one scale (e.g. local) may well be influenced by developments at other scales (e.g. regional, national, or global) Pattern e.g. migration patterns, diffusion of cultures, languages, religions etc.

Key Geographic Concepts cont… Region Areas formed by distinctive combinations of features; What do areas have in common? Interconnections (Globalization) Relationships of places and regions; How does one area relate to another?

History of Geography Oldest existing map appears on clay tablet in Babylonia before 2000 B.C. They developed 360 degrees circle system Greek & Roman geographers measured (not always accurately) and devised a grid system of latitudes and longitudes

The First Geographers Eratosthenes (273-192 BC) Father of Geography First to use term Geographica Calculated Earth’s circumference Produced map of “Known World”

Eratosthenes’ Map

Ptolemy (2nd c. CE) created first index of locations using grids Ptolemy’s Map Ptolemy (2nd c. CE) created first index of locations using grids

Advances in Geography al Idrisi – Muslim geographic compiler – master of “known world” c. 1050 CE

Exploration - 12th to 18th c. Portugal leads early explorations The astrolabe, caravel (ship) and compass assist mariners from Europe who must map what they find In 1730, John Harrison discovered longitude History of Geography Discovery of Longitude

Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) Naturalist Traveled extensively Scientific descriptions Focused on humanity’s interaction with nature First to include humans as part of natural world

Carl Ritter (1779-1859) Developed concept of Regional Geography Supported Environmental Determinism [human behavior is determined by one’s physical environment]

Carl Sauer (1889-1975) Rejected “environmental determinism” His ideas : Cultural Landscape = visible imprint of human activity on the landscape Cultural Landscapes Possibilism = one’s natural environment only limits the range of choices available to a culture Panda Pilgrim Debate