GEOGRAPHY 1

GEOGRAPHY

Origin of the word “Geography”

From two ancient Greek word “Ge” – Earth

“Graphe/Graphien/grapho” – to describe,
write, draw.

The two are joined and form one word

“Geographia”, which stands for “writing
1. Physical Geography
about the earth”. It also means describing the
- Physical geography is a branch of
Earth or to draw about the Earth.
geography that deals with the study
Origin of the word “Geography” of the physical environment of
humans.
ERATOSTHENES
SUBDIVISION OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
- A Greek philosopher who first coined the
word Geography. 1. Biogeography: this is the study of
animals and plants found on the
- according to him, geography is defined as
earth’s surface and their relationship
writing about the planet earth.
with mankind.
- Father of geography 2. Climatology: this is the study that are
concerned with climate and all its
Figure 1.2: associated geographical aspect.
Branches of geography based on systematic 3. Hydrography: this is the study of
approach landforms – their formation and
influence on humans’ way of living.
4. Lithology: this is the study that deals
with rocks and soils. It looks at their
type, characters, formation.
5. Geomorphology: this is the study of
rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, swamps,
their features, formation and types
and their role in landform formation.

2. Human and Economic Geography

- This is the branch of geography that
deals with the study of human beings
and their activities on the earth’s
surface.
- Human and economic geography
includes the following geographical
aspects:
 Mining
 Forestry
 Agriculture
 Trade and Commerce
  Power and Energy  It informs the attitudes that
 Pollution countries and individuals have
 Population towards other countries
 Settlement  It equips with problem solving skills
 Urbanization  It provides learners with knowledge
 Industrialization on the available resources that
humans can utilize for survival.
Practical Geography
 It provides guidance to leader on
- this is a minor branch of geography how to allocate national resources to
that deals with scientific approaches all parts of the country.
that are aimed towards  It enables the government and
collecting ,studying, analyzing, related agencies during the
recording and interpreting, formation on policies through
geographical data. geographical studies and findings.
- Practical geography is done in a  It provides learners with a strong
practical way hence the name foundation in understanding other
practical geography. subject of equal importance such as
physics, mathematics, and
This includes the following: economics.
 Fieldwork studies
 Maps and map work
 Statistical method such as divided SOURCES OF GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
circles and graphs.
Sources of geographical information: these
 Photographic interpretation, where
are different materials that a geographer
various physical and human features
uses to obtain information. They include the
are recorded in the form of
following
photographs for further
interpretation.  Textbook: these are documents that
have a lot of information concerning
IMPORTANCE OF GEOGRAPHY
specific geographical aspects.
Studying geography as a subject is very  Atlases: these are collection of maps
important in the following ways: that are present geographical
features, political boundaries,
 It creates platform for learners to geographical, social, religion, etc…
research on different topics.  Mass Media: this refers to all means
 Is assists learners to know outside of public communication that reach
world as they do research. large audience. For example: radio,
 It gives learners knowledge and skills TV, newspapers, etc…
that enables them to understand  Maps: these are as diagrammatic
their surroundings (environment) representation of an area of land or
 It enables human to understand sea. They show physical and man
problems that face their community made features
and find possible solutions.  Internet: is a technological way used
 It helps learners to put into practice to research for information from
what they theoretically learn in class different sites. Such as google,
 It equips individuals knowledge of facebook, etc…
the relationships with people from
different communities.
  Libraries: a library is place where economic factors influence
books, documents, documentaries, spatial patterns of human
and films are stored. It is reliable population, migration, and
source of geographical information. development.
 Billboards: these are large outdoors
Physical Geography and Natural Sciences:
advertising structure that present
advertisement to pedestrians and  Physical geography is closely
motorists. linked to geology, ecology,
 Museum: these are places that are meteorology, and
selected for storing a variety of climatology, analyzing natural
historical and geographical features like landforms,
information and artifacts. weather patterns, and
ecosystems and their spatial
Examples: national history museum (Kandt
variations.
house) located at Nyarugenge in Kigali,
Ethnographic museum located at Huye, Spatial Analysis as a Bridge:
Presidential Place museum located at
Kanombe in Kigali, King’s place museum  Geography provides a unique
located at Rukari in Nyanza, and National perspective through its focus
Liberation Park museum located in Gicumbi. on spatial analysis, utilizing
tools, like GIS (Geographic
Information System) to
analyze geographic data
GEOGRAPHY
across various disciplines,
 Has strong interdisciplinary allowing for a holistic
relationship with various fields, understanding of complex
including the social science like phenomena.
sociology, economics, political
SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF HOE GEOGRAPHY
science, anthropology and social
INTERACTS WITH OTHER DISCIPLINES:
sciences like geology, ecology,
meteorology, and environmental Urban Planning Geography:
science, as it examines the spatial
distribution of human and natural  Urban planners utilizing geographic
phenomena across the earth’s data to understand the spatial
surface. distribution of demographics, housing
 Drawing on concepts from these patterns, and access to services within
related disciplines to understand cities to design effective urban plans.
complex interaction between people Environmental Science and Geography:
and their environmental.
 Environmental scientists rely on
RELATIONSHIP OF GEOGRAPHY WITH OTHER geographic analysis to study the
DISCIPLINES: spatial patterns of pollution, climate
Human Geography and Social Sciences: change impacts, and biodiversity
distribution.
 Human geography particularly
interacts closely with History and Geography:
sociology, political science,  Historical geographers study how human
and economics by studying societies have interacted with their
how social, political, and environment over time, analyzing the
 spatial dynamics of past events and their
lasting impacts.

Political Science and Geography:

 Geopolitical examines the influence of

geography on international relations,
including the distributing of power
and conflicts related to territorial
boundaries.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GEOGRAPHY AND

OTHER SUBJECTS

a. Geography and Mathematics

 Geography involves mathematics
principles such as calculations and
statistical figure in calculating
distance, length of a road, and
presenting statistical data.
b. Geography and Chemistry
 Geography involves chemical
principles to study certain chemical
aspects such as rock composition,
rock weathering, air composition etc.
c. Geography and Physics
 Geography involves physical principle
to study certain physical concepts,
such as waves, mass wasting that are
found in earthquake and influence of
gravity in mass wasting.
d. Geography and Biology
 Geography studies living and non
living things by using biological
principles such as their characteristics,
way of living etc..
e. Geography and Economics
 Geography involves economic
principle to study production ,
distribution, and consumption.

F. geography and history

 Geography involves history to record

the events of the past and present to
study the population, origin of tribes,
and groups.