Nature and Scope of Geography | CUET PG | Notes

• Since the time of Eratosthenes, the word “geography” has been in use. It initially covered all topics related to the description of Earth and its components.
• The word ‘geography’ consists of two Greek words, ‘geo’ means the Earth and ‘graphein’ means to write. The former is more significant and refers to the zone of contact of the solid, liquid, and gaseous masses that make up the planet while the latter refers to the description of these phenomena in regard to “place, localization, and distribution”.
• The term “geography” is used to describe the earth bound phenomena. There are many different phenomena taking place on the surface of the Earth; some are entirely physical phenomena while others are purely human phenomena. Some of these phenomena are mutually inclusive while others are mutually excluding. However, all of these occurrences—physical or human—are relative in the sense that they each have a unique “place of their localization” and “distribution.” The ‘core’ of geography seems to be a blend of both physical and human phenomena, taking place on the surface of the earth as mutually interrelated and interacting.
• The role people play in changing the surface of the Earth carries a similar implication. While the face of the Earth refers to that which forms the habitat or environment or space that is entirely dependent on man’s selection, changes, and modifications of various sets of earth-bound phenomena are done, play and modifying refer to particular time because people here are identified with a particular set of time with a distinct way of living that is changeable in temporal perspective (place, localization, and distribution understood). In geography, all of these earth-bound phenomena are explained correctly.

Definition of Geography

• Since ancient period to modern period, various perspectives from different parts of the world have been developed in geography. So, the definition of geography varies from one perspective to another. Therefore, in this section, you will be learning the definition of geography by different developed perspectives, i.e., ‘geography as the study of planet earth’, ‘geography as the study of location or distribution’ and ‘geography as the study of man-environment relationships’.

Geography as the Study of Planet Earth

• In the ancient history of geography, this subject was considered that branch of knowledge which deals with the planet earth, especially in the ancient Greece, in 3rd and 4th century B.C. Eratosthenes was a great Greece geographer, he explained geography as ‘the study of the earth as the home of the human beings’. So, in this part, we will understand how the geography is considered as the study of planet Earth and how the various geographers had supported this idea.
• There were a number of geographers who studied Earth and its features in the past helped in laid the foundation of the subject of geography. Some of them, like Georg Gerland (1833-1919), Ferdinand von Richthofen (1833-1905), Otto Lehmann (1855-1922), Albrecht Penck (1858-1945), and Hartshrone (1959) believed that geography is about studying the whole planet Earth. However, there is a bit of confusion about whether geography only looks at the Earth’s surface and the things we can see and feel or if it includes everything about the Earth, even things we cannot easily see.
• In 1891, a German geographer and geologist named Georg Gerland wrote an important essay called “The Position of Geography among the Natural Sciences.” He asked a big question: Does geography only study the part of the Earth that everyone knows, or does it cover the whole planet? This question was worked as a foundation for geography, and it helped establish the idea that geography is about studying the Earth as a whole system (Hartshrone, 1959). But, most geographers back then only studied things on the Earth’s surface, so geography, in practice, was mostly about the Earth as we usually think of it. The idea of studying the out part of the earth was a limited approach. In 1883, great geographer Richthofen advocated this idea in a speech at Leipzig that geographers should mainly focus on the Earth’s outer layer, but this idea did not convince everyone.
• Gerland talked about how geography and geophysics are different. He said that geography should look at the Earth like a scientific and objective thing, just one of many similar things in the universe. He thought that we focus on the Earth’s surface in geography because we cannot see what is inside the Earth. He also said that the Earth is special because it has things like a narrow temperature range and life, so it is justified to study it as its own science. Gerland accepted that science is about learning things in the universe, and the Earth is special because people live here. He explained that if we compare Earth to other similar planets, we should look at it like a celestial body in the universe, and we do need little justification to study it as its own science. Gerland concluded it by saying that we should study the Earth because it is the only planet we know where life exists.
• Indeed, throughout history, humans have consistently regarded the world they inhabit as a vital component of their existence. Consequently, we now acknowledge that Earth represents not merely a celestial body but also our exclusive abode. The term “earth surface” has taken on essential significance as it precisely delineates the physical scope of our planet’s external layer. The word “world” frequently finds usage in expressions such as “worldwide,” “world map,” and “world tour,” all of which pertain to the tangible expanse encompassing Earth’s surface. This spatial domain extends deep beneath the Earth’s surface and high into the atmosphere but excludes the Earth’s core, the moon, and other celestial bodies.
• The earth’s surface need not be precisely defined in order to understand the physical dimension of geography. The earth’s surface need not be precisely defined in order to understand the physical breadth of geography. Geographers research the surface and, if necessary, can delve deeper into a situation. There is no need to draw a line separating the outside world from the interior of the planet. Geographical research is centered on the surface of the earth, which also serves as the center for the disciplines of history, geophysics, meteorology, economics, and geology. The earth’s surface is approached differently by each science. However, academics like Richthofen frequently failed to recognize the distinction between the spatial perspective and systematic sciences addressing the same topics. In 1905, Alfred Hettner emphasized this distinction. The contributions of geographers were constrained by the specialized techniques employed in geophysics, leading to the emergence of geophysics as a distinct field linked with geology and geophysics, as observed by Wagener. There are a number of other eminent geographers who advocated ‘geography as the study of planet Earth’. Here are some of their important works:
  • William Morris Davis (1909), “Geography is the science that studies the physical and cultural features of the earth’s surface, and the spatial relationships between them”.
  • Richard Hartshorne (1939), “Geography is the study of the earth as the home of human beings”.
  • Carl Sauer (1956), “Geography is the science of the earth’s surface and the study of the relationships between people and their environment”.
  • Jean Gottmann (1973), “Geography is the study of the earth’s surface, the human use of it, and the interrelations between the two”.
  • D.W. Meinig (1975), “Geography is the science of the earth and its features, the study of human activity and its relationship with the physical environment, and the synthesis of knowledge about the earth and its inhabitants”.
  • Peter Haggett (1983), “Geography is the study of the Earth’s surface and the processes that shape it, including human activities”.
• The above discussions make it clear that the examination of the Earth’s surface holds a vital role in the field of geography. It represents the physical expanse of our planet’s outer layer, encompassing the space that extends from deep within the Earth to high into the atmosphere. Notably, it excludes the Earth’s core, moon, or other celestial bodies. Geographers are not required to precisely delineate the boundary between the world and the Earth’s interior. Instead, the Earth’s surface serves as the focal point for all scientific disciplines concerned with our planet, including history, geophysics, meteorology, economics, and geology.