GENERIC ELECTIVE

PRINCIPLES OF
HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

Submitted by
Prachi Sharma

Submitted to
Dr. Shahid Jamal

Department of Chemistry

Roll Number : 2237128

Kirori Mal College

University of Delhi

Delhi-110007

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 TITLE : INTRODUCING HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

Definition:

Human geography emphasizes the importance of geography as a field of inquiry and introduces
students to the concept of spatial organization. Knowing the location of places, people, and
events is a gateway to understanding complex environmental relationships and
interconnections among places and across landscapes.

“Human geography is the synthetic study of relationship between human societies and
earth’s surface”-Ratzel. Synthesis has been emphasised in the above definition.

“Human geography is the study of the changing relationship between the unresting man
and the unstable earth.” - Ellen C. Semple. Dynamism in the relationship is the keyword in
Semple’s definition.

“Conception resulting from a more synthetic knowledge of the physical laws governing
our earth and of the relations between the living beings which inhabit it”. -Paul Vidal de
la Blache

Human geography offers a new conception of the interrelationships between earth and human
beings.

Geographic concepts emphasize location, space, place, scale of analysis, pattern,

regionalization, and globalization. These concepts are essential to understanding spatial
interaction and spatial behaviour, the dynamics of human population growth and migration,
patterns of culture, political control of territory, areas of agricultural production, the changing
location of industry and economic development strategies, and evolving human settlement
patterns, particularly urbanization. Geographers use geospatial technology (e.g., satellite
imagery, aerial photography, geographic information systems (GIS), global positioning
systems (GPS), and drone technology), spatial data, mathematical formulas, and design models
to understand the world from a spatial perspective better.

Human geography enables us to consider the regional organization of various phenomena and
encourages geographic analysis to understand processes in a changing world. For example,
geographic perspectives on the impact of human activities on the environment, from local to
global scales, include effects on land, water, atmosphere, population, biodiversity, and climate.

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These human ecological examples are inherent throughout the discipline, especially in topics
dealing with population growth, agricultural and industrial practices, and rapid urbanization.
Geographers apply geographic methods and geospatial technologies to a variety of situations.

NATURE OF HUMAN GEOGRAPHY :

Human geography studies the inter-relationship between the physical environment and
sociocultural environment created by human beings through mutual interaction with each other.
Houses, villages, cities, road-rail networks, industries, farms, ports, items of our daily use and
all other elements of material culture have been created by human beings using the resources
provided by the physical environment. While physical environment has been greatly modified
by human beings, it has also, in turn, impacted human lives.

NATURALISATION OF HUMANS AND HUMANISATION OF NATURE:

Humanisation of Nature ,Human beings interact with their physical environment with the help
of technology. It is not important what human beings produce and create but it is extremely
important with the help of what tools and techniques do they produce and create’. Technology
indicates the level of cultural development of society. Human beings were able to develop
technology after they developed better understanding of natural laws.

Environmental determinism is the theory that the physical environment, particularly the climate
and geography, shapes human behavior, culture, and societal development. According to this
theory, environmental factors such as temperature, terrain, and natural resources are the
primary determinants of how human societies evolve and function.

Possibilism, developed as a response to environmental determinism, argues that while the

environment does set certain limits or possibilities, humans have the agency and creativity to
adapt to, modify, and overcome environmental challenges. In other words, the environment
offers a range of possibilities, but it is the human ability to make choices, innovate, and use
technology that determines the outcome of societal development. Nature provides
opportunities and human being make use of these and slowly nature gets humanised and starts
bearing the imprints of human endeavour.

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A geographer, Griffith Taylor introduced another concept which reflects a middle path
(Madhyam Marg) between the two ideas of environmental determinism and possibilism. He
termed it as Neodeterminism or stop and go determinism. The concept shows that neither is
there a situation of absolute necessity (environmental determinism) nor is there a condition of
absolute freedom (possibilism). It means that human beings can conquer nature by obeying it.
They have to respond to the red signals and can proceed in their pursuits of development when
nature permits the modifications. It means that possibilities can be created within the limits
which do not damage the environment and there is no free run without accidents. The free run
which the developed economies attempted to take has already resulted in the greenhouse effect,
ozone layer depletion, global warming, receding glaciers and degrading lands. The neo-
determinism conceptually attempts to bring a balance nullifying the ‘either’ ‘or’ dichotomy.

FIELDS AND SUB-FIELDS OF HUMAN GEOGRAPHY.

Human geography, as you have seen, attempts to explain the relationship between all elements
of human life and the space they occur over. Thus, human geography assumes a highly inter-
disciplinary nature. It develops close interface with other sister disciplines in social sciences in
order to understand and explain human elements on the surface of the earth. With the expansion
of knowledge, new subfields emerge and it has also happened to human geography.

The branches of human geography are interconnected and offer unique insights into the
complex ways in which people interact with their environments. By studying these diverse
aspects, human geographers contribute to our understanding of how societies function, how
resources are used, how power is distributed, and how human activities influence the planet.
Each branch provides essential tools for addressing contemporary issues such as climate
change, urbanization, inequality, and globalization.

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BRANCHES OF HUMAN GEOGRAPHY:

Human geography is a diverse field that explores the relationship between people and their
environment. Key branches include:

1. Cultural Geography: Studies how culture, language, religion, and customs shape
landscapes and human behaviour.
2. Population Geography: Examines population distribution, growth, migration, and
demographic changes.
3. Urban Geography: Focuses on cities, urbanization, planning, and the challenges of
urban life.

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 4. Economic Geography: Analyzes the spatial distribution of economic activities,
industries, and resources.
5. Political Geography: Studies political boundaries, geopolitics, governance, and
territorial conflicts.
6. Environmental Geography: Investigates human-environment interactions, resource
management, and sustainability.
7. Social Geography: Explores how social factors like class, gender, and race affect
spatial organization.
8. Historical Geography: Looks at the historical development of landscapes and regions
over time.
9. Development Geography: Focuses on economic and social development, particularly
in underdeveloped regions.
10. Gender Geography: Examines how gender affects spatial patterns and social roles.
11. Health Geography: Studies health outcomes, disease distribution, and healthcare
access across space.
12. Tourism Geography: Investigates tourism’s impact on destinations, economies, and
environments.

These branches are interconnected, providing insights into human behaviour, society, and the
environment. The field of study of human geography is broad and covers a wide range of
subjects.

The main areas of study in human geography are as follows:

Population distribution and migration: Human geographers study how the population is
distributed in different regions. Geographers also studies how the process of migration and its
pattern affect population distribution. Human geographers also study the social, cultural and
economic factors that influence migration patterns.

Cultural landscape: Human geographers study the processes through which human cultures
are formed or shaped by the physical environment. It includes the study of the man-made
environment (cultural landscape), language, religion and other cultural aspects.

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Economic Systems: Human geographers study the factors that influence human activities (and
human behaviour), Geographers also study the patterns of production, consumption and trade
and the impact of globalization on economic systems

Political Geography: Human geographers study the processes by which political systems are
created and how political systems affect the distribution of power and resources across the
regions. It includes the study of borders, sovereignty and geopolitics,

Urbanization: Human geographers study the development of cities and urban areas, including
the social, economic and environmental effects of urbanization.

Environmental Impact: Human geographers study the impact of human activity on the
environment, including the effects of climate change, resource depletion and pollution.

Contemporary Relevance of Human Geography:

Human Geography is a branch of Social Science that studies human interaction with the
environment and human activities pattern of land use and cultural diversity it aims to

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understand a how people interact with each other and their surroundings human geography
exam in the various factor that shape the way will leave such as culture economics politics and
environment it is also concerned with the special distribution of various social and cultural
phenomena at examines how these activities and phenomena very across time and space in the
contemporary world human Geography has its relevance in many ways.

Natural Resources:

Human geography study the spatial distribution of natural resources, patterns of land use and
the impact of human activities on the environment. Climate change, resource depletion,and
then environmental degradations are some of the most pressing challenges facing the world
today. Human geography plays a crucial role in understanding the causes and consequences of
these challenges and developing solutions to mitigate their impact .

Urbanization:

Urbanization is a global trend that is transforming the way people live and work. Human
Geography study the social and economic process that underlie urbanization, including the
growth of cities pattern of migration and the impact of urbanization on the environment. They
also examine the challenges facing urban areas such as poverty, inequality and environmental
degradation and develop strategies to address these challenges.

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Impact of globalization:

Human Geography is important for understanding the social and economic impact of
globalisation and other international developments. As the world becomes more interconnected
it is essential to understand how different societies and cultures interact with each other and
how these interaction impact economic development , social relations and political power. It
also help us understand how economic and cultural globalisation are changing the special
distribution of economic and social activities and how these changes are affecting the
environment.

Environment problems and sustainable development:

The study of human Geography is essential for developing sustainable solutions to

environmental problems. Human Geography is essential for designing sustainable development
policies and practices. It provides insights into how economic, social and environmental system
interact and how we can design policies and practices that promote sustainable development.

In addition to its relevance to environment and social issues, human geography is also essential
for understanding the spatial pattern of economic activity and for developing effective
strategies for economic development. Economic development can help identify the factor that
contribute the regional economic growth and can inform policies that promote sustainable and
equitable economic development.

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Social inequality:

Apart from that, human Geography is important for understanding the special distribution of
social inequality and how these inequalities impact the human society and also the
environment. It helps to understand how social, economic and political power is distributed
across space and how this impact access to resources and opportunities.

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