Branches · Geography

What is geography?

Geography is the study of the Earth’s surface, the people on it, and how they interact with the environment. The word comes from Greek: geo means earth and graphia means writing. Geography asks three questions: where is it, why is it there, and how does it affect people?

Branches of geography

Branch	Studies	Example
Physical geography	Natural features and processes	Mountains, climate, rivers, soils, vegetation
Human geography	People and their activities	Population, settlement, farming, trade
Regional geography	A particular region in detail	East Africa, the Rift Valley
Practical geography	Skills and methods	Maps, photographs, surveying, statistics

Importance of geography

Geography helps us to understand our environment and use it wisely, to plan the use of land and resources, to know other places and peoples, to prepare for disasters such as floods and drought, and to follow careers such as surveying, planning, meteorology, tourism and environmental management.

Relationship with other subjects

Subject	Link with geography
Biology	Ecosystems, vegetation and wildlife
Physics	Weather, the atmosphere and the forces that shape the Earth
Chemistry	Minerals, rocks, soils and water
Mathematics	Map scales, statistics and surveying
History	Settlement and migration through time
Economics	Production, trade and resources
Agriculture	Soils, climate and land use

Try itA geographical measure: population density

Geographers use numbers to describe places. Choose the number of people and the area.

Check yourself Which branch studies mountains and rivers?

Check yourself Which skill is a part of practical geography?

Check yourself Geography is linked with mathematics through

Key terms

Geography: The study of the Earth’s surface and people’s relationship with it.
Physical geography: The study of natural features and processes.
Human geography: The study of people and their activities.
Environment: The surroundings in which people live.

Summary

Geography is the study of the Earth and its people.
Its branches are physical, human, regional and practical geography.
It helps with planning, safety and careers.
It is linked with many other subjects.