KEY POINTS
Birth rate is the number of live births per 1,000 people in a year
Death Rate is the number of deaths per 1000 people in a year
Emigrate these are the people who leave their home country to another country
Immigrate these are the persons who enter a country
Migration is the movement of people from one place to another
DISCUSSION I || INTODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHY
Geography is a diverse discipline that has some sort of connection to most every other academic
discipline. This connection is spatial perspective, which essentially means if a phenomenon can
be mapped, it has some kind of relationship to geography. Studying the entire world is
fascinating subject, and geographical knowledge is fundamental to a component understanding
of our world.
Geography comes from the Greek word geographos from which geography is derived, is
literally translated as writing (graphos) about Earth (geo). Geography differs from the
discipline of geology because geology focuses mainly on the physical Earth and the processes
that formed and continue to shape it. On the other hand, geography involves much broader
approach to examining the Earth. As it involves the study of human as well.
Two major Subdivision of Geography
Ancient geography
Age of discovery
Geography is the study of physical and environmental aspects of the world, from a spatial
perspective. As geographers study the Earth, the one element that binds the discipline of
geography and makes it unique is studying the Earth from a spatial perspective. Geographers
explore both physical properties of Earth’s surface and the human societies spread across.
Ancient Geographers Geography comes to us from the ancient Greeks, who needed a word to
describe the writings and maps that were helping them makes sense of the world in which they
lived. Using geography, Greeks developed an understanding of where their homeland was
located in relation to other places, what their own and other places were like, and how people
and environments were distributed.
Greeks were not the only interested in geography. Throughout human history, most societies
have sought to understand something about their places in the world, and the people and
environments around them. Mapmaking probably came even before writing in many places. But
ancient Greek geographers were particularly influential. They developed very detailed maps of
areas in and around Greece, including parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia.
During the middle Ages, geography ceased to be a major academic pursuit in Europe. Advance
in geography were chiefly made by scientist of the Muslim world, based around the Arabian
Peninsula and North Africa. Geographers of this Islamic Golden Age created the world’s first
rectangular map based on a grid, a map system that is still familiar today. In addition to the
advances in the Middle East, the Chinese empire in Asia also contributed immensely to
geography. Until about 1500, China was the most prosperous civilization on Earth. The Chinese
were scientifically advanced, especially in the field of astronomy. They also achieved one of the
most important developments in the history of geography. They were the first to use the compass
for navigational purposes.
Age of Discovery
Through the 13th-century travels of the Italian explorer Marco Polo, Europeans learned about
the riches of China. Curiosity was awakened; a desire to trade with wealthy Asian cultures
motivated a renewed interest in exploring the world. The period of time between the 15th and
17th centuries is known in the West as the Age of Exploration or the Age of Discovery. With
the dawn of the Age of Discovery, the study of geography regained popularity in Europe. The
invention of the printing press in the mid-1400s helped spread geographic knowledge by
making maps and charts widely available. Improvements in shipbuilding and navigation
facilitated more exploring, greatly improving the accuracy of maps and geographic
information. Greater geographic understanding allowed European powers to extend their global
influence. During the Age of Discovery, European nations established colonies around the
world. Improved transportation, communication, and navigational technology allowed countries
such as the United Kingdom to successfully govern colonies as far away as the Americas, Asia,
Australia, and Africa. Geography was not just a subject that made colonialism possible, however.
It also helped people understand the planet on which they lived. Not surprisingly, geography
became an important focus of study in schools and universities.
Geography also became an important part of other academic disciplines, such as chemistry,
economics, and philosophy. In fact, every academic subject has some geographic connection.
Chemists study where certain chemical elements, such as gold or silver, can be found.
Economics examine which nations trade with other nations, and what resources are exchange.
Philosophers analyse the responsibility of the people to have taken care of the Earth.
Geography and its relationship to other discipline
Not only is there a connection between geography and history, but geography is also related to a
broad range of other academic discipline. A basic example would relate to the health sciences or
medical geography, the subfield of geography that focuses on the spatial patterns of various
aspects of health. Another example how geography relates to other disciplines is in economic
geography, that subfield that examines the different economic activities in various places, and
how places interact economically.
