Discipline of Geography

Module 4
Etymology of Geography

Geography comes from the Greek

words geo meaning earth, plan, or
ground and graffia meaning to
right, an art, or a study
Where am I in Where am I in
this world? the context of
the world?
 Development of Geography

Cueva de El
Castillo in
Spain. A
40,000
years old
painting.
Development of Geography
Geography has a long history, dating back to
ancient civilizations such as the Greeks,
Romans, and Chinese. These early societies
had an interest in understanding the physical
and cultural features of the lands they
inhabited and interacted with.
In ancient Greece, philosophers such as
Thales and Anaximander laid the foundation
for geography by contemplating the shape
and size of the earth. The Greek geographer
Strabo produced a comprehensive work on
geography in the 1st century BC, which was
influential for centuries.
Development of Geography
During the Middle Ages, Arab
geographers such as al-Idrisi and Ibn
Battuta made significant contributions
to geography, particularly in the areas
of cartography and navigation. The
Age of Exploration in the 15th and
16th centuries led to the collection of
vast amounts of geographic
information, particularly by European
explorers.
Development of Geography
Other milestones in geography came
from Chinese geographers like Zheng
He in the 13th – 14th century. Whose
seven voyages in the West Philippine
Sea and Indian Ocean established
China's naval dominance. The Chinese
were the first to utilize the compass in
navigating and charting the seas—a
technology that allowed them to cross
vast distances safely and accurately.
Development of Geography
In the 19th century, geography
became a formal academic discipline
with the founding of the first
geography departments in Germany
and the UK. The discipline evolved
rapidly, particularly in the areas of
physical geography, which focused on
the natural environment, and human
geography, which explored the
cultural and social aspects of
geography.
In the 20th century, technological
advancements such as satellite imagery
and geographic information systems
(GIS) revolutionized the study of
geography and its applications in fields
such as urban planning, resource
management, and environmental
science. Today, geography continues to
evolve and plays an important role in
understanding the complex relationship
between humans and the environment.
Development of Geography

America’s westward expansion.

Development of Geography

John Snow's Cholera outbreak Map in

London
Important Personalities and Classical
Works in Geography
• Anaximander (610—546 BCE)
• Strabo (64—20 BCE)
• Eratosthenes (276—194 BCE)
• Ptolemy (100—178 CE)
• Abdullah Al Idrisi (1100 –
1165)
• Ibn Battuta (1304—1368)
• Carl Ritter (1779—1859)
• Alexander von
Humboldt (1769—1859)
• William Morris Davis (1850—
1934)
• Paul Vidal de la Blache (1845-
1918)
Important Personalities in Geography
Anaximander (610—546 BCE) was a
pre-Socratic Greek philosopher,
biologist, and astronomer. He is also
considered as one of the first
geographers in history—if not actually
the first. As a cartographer,
Anaximander provided a round map
divided into three Continents
surrounded by and ocean. The three
continents were Europe, Asia, and
Libya, and they were by the
Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, and Nile
River.
Important Personalities in Geography
Strabo (64—20 BCE) was a Greek
geographer who coined the term
Geographia, which was also the
title of his 17-volume series on
geographical studies.
Important Personalities in Geography
Eratosthenes (276—194 BCE),
using geometry, became the first to
have calculated accurately the
circumference of Earth as being 40
233 kilometers. His figure is only
151 kilometers off the current
measurement done using satellite
technology.
Important Personalities in Geography
Ptolemy (100—178 CE) (Claudios
Ptolemy) compiled and summarized
in Geographike Hyphegesis to
Geography all known information of
geography of his time. One of his
most important contributions to
geography was the formulation of
map coordinates by utilizing and
developing the concepts of latitude
and longitude.
Important Personalities in Geography
Abdullah Al Idrisi. an Arab
geographer and descendant of
Prophet Mohammed who collected
all known geographical information
of his time.
Important Personalities in Geography
Ibn Battuta (1304—1368 cp) was
a Moroccan explorer who published
his 30-year his book Rihla (Journey).
He traveled farther and longer than
Marco Polo by visiting ail the places
in the known Muslim world, as well
as non-Muslim lands.
Classical Works in Geography
The German geographer Carl Ritter (1779—1859) is
considered to be one of the founders of modern
geography. Ritter's contribution to the study of
geography was his use of the comparative method in
understanding and classifying the different formations
occurring over the surface of Earth.
His view on the discipline was guided by geographic
determinism, as he theorized that nature has a major
influence over man. Designating his studies based on
regional terms instead of politically drawn borders,
Ritter was able to categorize the differences and
similarities of the earth's surface in a more
encompassing manner rather than being limited by state
lines.
Classical Works in Geography
Alexander von Humboldt (1769—1859), a
Prussian geographer and explorer, is considered
to have laid the foundations of biogeography.
He is also regarded as one of the founders of
modern geography. Further, Humboldt, who
studied a variety of topics during his
expeditions, is considered to be one of the last
great scientific generalists who correlated the
environment and Charles Darwin called him the
"greatest scientific traveler who ever lived."
Classical Works in Geography
William Morris Davis (1850— 1934), an American
geographer, geologist, and meteorologist, is hailed as the
Father of American Geography. Davis helped establish
geography as a separate and distinct academic discipline in
American universities. Davis's approach to geographic
research was qualitative and at the same time deductive—
his fieldwork did not only entail measurements, but he also
illustrated the landscape and took note of the prominent and
important details of the place. With this, Davis categorized
landscapes by their structure (materials and rocks that
consist of the landscape), process (erosion or weathering
that occurs), and stage (amount of time that the process has
taken place).
Classical Works in Geography
The French geographer Paul Vidal de la Blache
(1845-1918) is the founder of modern French
geography and of the French School of Geopolitics.
Vidal de Blache introduced the concept of
possibilism, which argues that humans respond to
the varying possibilities that their environment
provides for them. "1%s" is a reaction to the idea
of geographic determinism, which claims that
nature or the environment controls how humans
survive or live. Vidal de Ia Blache also theorized
that social structures and systems are formed in
direct relation to how society cultivates the
environment its members inhabit.
Fields of Geography

• Physical geography
• Human geography
• Integrated geography
• Geomatics

• Regional geography
Fields of Geography
Physical geography -
is a discipline that
studies the changes in
the natural patterns and
processes of the surface
of the earth over time. It
likewise considers the
interaction and
relationship of living
things inhabiting a
specific environment.
Fields of Geography
Human geography - is a
discipline that studies the
relationship of people,
communities, and cultures across
space and place. Its subdisciplines
include animal geography, cultural
geography, development
geography, economic geography,
health geography, historical
geography, political geography,
population geography, and
settlement geography.
Fields of Geography
Integrated geography
- is a discipline that
studies how human
activities impact the
environment through the
analysis of the shifts in
landforms and cycles of
the natural resources.
Fields of Geography
Geomatics - is a discipline
that focuses on the scientific
management of geographic
data. Its methodology
involves data gathering and
processing. storage and
delivery to users using the
aid of the latest computer
software and hardware.
Fields of Geography
Regional geography - is a
discipline that focuses on a
particular region on the surface of
the earth. A regional geographer
might focus on Southeast Asia as
his or her region of specialty. a
country like the Philippines, or a
particular city like Quezon City.
The area or scope of the study
utilizes all other subdisciplines of
geography but is confined to a
particular location.
Key Concepts in Geography

• Spatial pattern
• Spatial interaction
• Geographic process
Key Concepts in Geography
Spatial pattern - refers to the
arrangement or placement of
objects on the surface of the earth.
Recognizing these patterns
requires skill in structural
interpretation through the use of
various methods with or without
the aid of computers.
Key Concepts in Geography

Spatial interaction - is the

process involved in understanding
the relationship between the
movements of things from one
location to another. An example of
interaction is the migration of
humans from one habitat to
another or the distribution of
products starting from the factory
down to its clients.
Key Concepts in Geography

Geographic process - refers to

the series of interrelated events
that affect places, Societies,
culture, and environment. Among
these geographic processes are
globalization, soil erosion, and
deforestation.
Research Methods in Geography

• Cartography
• Geographic Information
System
• Remote Sensing
• Geographic Quantitative
Methods or Geostatistics
• Geographic Qualitative
Methods or Ethnography
Research Methods in Geography

Cartographers also ensure that

the map accurately conveys
information to the user, also use
mathematics and geodesy (the
branch of mathematics dealing
Cartography - is the study of representing the
with the shape and area of the
surface of the earth using abstract symbols or
earth or large portions of it) to
through the creation of maps. Cartographers utilize
make differences in land
various techniques and disciplines in creating
elevations portrayed on a 2D
maps to ensure that symbols accurately represent
surface.​
the information on particular locations.
Research Methods in Geography
Geographic information system (GIS)
is the discipline that deals with the
proper storage and data retrieval of
geographic information using a
computer. A GIS utilizes different
computer programs to present
geographic information in different
forms depending on the requirements
of the user. Cartography benefits from
GIS as maps are generated using this
technology.
Research Methods in Geography
Remote sensing is the discipline that utilizes
various instruments to obtain geographic data
about the surface of the earth. Remotely sensed
data include satellite images and aerial
photography. and data from handheld sensing
devices. Remote sensing allows geographers to
examine differences and changes on the surface
of the earth in a wider perspective by seeing
patterns that cannot be understood in a limited
scope. It also allows them access to locations
that are remote and inaccessible.
Research Methods in Geography

Geostatistics is the application of

statistical methodologies to
analyze geographic information.
Geostatistics is commonly used in
weather prediction and analysis,
geology, urban planning, and other
fields requiring quantitative data
analysis of the surface of the earth.
Research Methods in Geography

Ethnography or the in-depth study

of a culture is used in human
geography, anthropology, and
sociology when undertaking
participant observations in the
field and in conducting interviews.
Current Applications of Geography

• Urban, Regional,
and Spatial Planning
• Regional Science
• Planetary Science
Current Applications of Geography
Geography is utilized by urban,
regional, and spatial planners by
analyzing the characteristics of the
land or space upon which
development will be done. This
analysis includes the identification
of the most efficient usage of
space, which could affect the
quality of the life of its
inhabitants.
Urban, Regional, and Spatial Planning
Current Applications of Geography
Also linked to area studies,
regional science explores the
spatial dimension of varying areas,
whether urban or rural. This field
may include studies on land use
and management, land
development, environmental
analysis, and migration pattern
analysis. One key orientation in
this field is the use of location
theory or spatial economics.

Regional Science
Current Applications of Geography
Planetary science is classically
defined as "the study of planets,
moons, and planetary systems. "
Geography is used in analyzing the
surfaces of planets and their
different spheres as enumerated in
physical geography.

Planetary Science
Thank you..
Prepared by: Rulen Joseph Santinni C. Delmo