Why to study Geography

Why to study geography

Before knowing why to study geography, we need to find out what definition of geography is and where it comes from:

According to Wikipedia,

Geography (from Greek γεωγραφία - geographia, lit. "earth describe-write"^[1]) is the science that deals with the study of the Earthand its lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena.^[2] A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes (276-194 BC). Four historical traditions in geographical research are thespatial analysis of natural and human phenomena (geography as a study of distribution), area studies (places and regions), study of man-land relationship, and research in earth sciences.^[3] Nonetheless, modern geography is an all-encompassing discipline that foremost seeks to understand the Earth and all of its human and natural complexities—not merely where objects are, but how they have changed and come to be. Geography has been called 'the world discipline'.^[4] As "the bridge between the human and physical sciences," geography is divided into two main branches—human geography and physical geography.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography, 2011)

Why to study geography?

In its 1988 publication Geography: Making Sense of Where We Are, the National Geographic Society Society makes the following statement:

Geography for its own sake offers a fascinating realm of knowledge that can enrich our lives. Conversely, a lack of geographic understanding can diminish us as individuals, blunt the success of our international economic and political ventures, and dilute our strength as a nation.

(Source: Careers in Geography, National Geographic Society, 1996.)

Physical geography:

Physical geography is a traditional and basic type of geography. Some topics of physical geography can be mentioned as examples are

n  Climatology

n  Natural Vegetation

n  Plate Tectonics & resulting landforms

n  Oceanography

Physical geography provides the knowledge and understanding of the Earth to an individual. To let people know about its systems and understand what is happening on Earth such as El Nino, La Nina, global warming, desertification…and how they affect human life.

El Niño and La Niña affect human life:

Drought in Indonesia VS Flood in Peru

Besides that, it also helps people to recognize how human interact with environment and how it relates to them.

With studying geography, people also know about the dangers that may suddenly strike on The Earth

                                                               Tsunami in Japan 2011

 Know the warning sign before the disasters happen

Animal can sense the disaster while people do not know

For that reasons, people will know how to deal with environment disasters when they happen by studying geography.

Human geography

Human geography is a social science discipline, focusing on studying human activities, understanding of the world, spatial differentiation, different culture…

What can we learn from studying Human Geography?

There are some fields of human geography:

·         Culture: is the study of cultural products and norms and their variation across and relations to spaces and places. It focuses on describing and analyzing the ways language, religion, economy, government, and other cultural phenomena vary or remain constant from one place to another and on explaining how humans function spatially.

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/human-geography#ixzz1R0QUx1rd…

                Vietnamese and Korean traditional cloths

·         Development is the study of the Earth's geography with reference to the Standard of living and the Quality of life of its human inhabitants, study of the location, distribution and spatial organization of economic activities, across the Earth. The subject matter investigated is strongly influenced by the researcher's methodological approach.

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/human-geography#ixzz1R0QaCE6d

                         Singapore is the country which has high quality of life in South-East Asia

·         Economic examines relationships between human economic systems, states, and other factors, and the biophysical environment.

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/human-geography#ixzz1R0Q734Xt

·         Political is concerned with the study of both the spatially uneven outcomes of political processes and the ways in which political processes are themselves affected by spatial structures.

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/human-geography#ixzz1R0QkXt6x

Reference:

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography, 2011)

(http://www.answers.com/topic/human-geography)

(Careers in Geography, National Geographic Society, 1996.)