Class - 11 NCERT Fundamental of physical geography , Chapter -1

 Geography as a Discipline 

 

Introduction  

• Geography as an independent subject and learn about the physical environment of the earth,  human activities and their interactive relationships. 
• We adjust our food habits and cloth according to the prevailing weather condition.
•  There are variation in the natural resource bases, technology development, adaptation with and modification of physical environment, social organisation and cultural development .
• The understanding and the skills obtained in modern scientific technique and computer cartography equip you to meaningfully contribute to National endeavour for development.
• The Earth's surface is not uniform it has variation in its physical features.
•  There are mountain ,Hills, Valley, plain, Plateaus,  Ocean ,Lake ,desert and wilderness. 
• They are variation in its social and cultural features to their village City road railway pot market and many other element create by human being across the entire period of their cultural development.
• This variation provide a clue to the understanding of read the relation between the physical environment and social cultural feature
•  The physical environment has provided the stage, on which human societies enacted the drama of their creative skills with the tool and technique which they invented and evolved in the process of their cultural development.
•  The term Geography was first coined by Eratosthenese,  a Greek scholar(276-194 BC ).
• The word has been derived from to root from Greek language Geo( Earth )and Graphos (description).
• The description of the earth as the Abode of human being .
• Geography is different from other science in its subject matter and method for allergy but at the same time,its closely related to earth other disciplines .
• Geography drive its Data base from all the natural and social science and attempts  their synthesis .
• A number of phenomena are similar and many are dissimilar. 
•  Geographer do not study only the variation in the phenomena over the Earth surface but also studied the association with the other factors which cause these variation .

For example cropping pattern different from the reason to reason but this variation in cropping pattern

• A geographre explain the phenomena in a frame of cause and effect relationship, as it does not only help in interpretation but also foresees the phenomena in future.
•  The geographical phenomena, both the physical and human and not static but highly dynamic.
•  The change over time as a result of the interactive process between ever  changing Earth and untiring and ever -active human being .
• Primitive human societies were directly dependent on their immediate environment.
•  Geography as a discipline is related to space and take lot of special characterized and attributes.
•  It studies the pattern of distribution, location and concentration of phenomena over space and interprets them providing explanation for this patterns. 

Geography as an integrating discipline

• Geography is a discipline of synthesis it attempts special synthesis and history attempts temporal synthesis .
• It recognises the fact that the world is a system of interdependencies. 
• The present world is being Pereceived as a global village .
• The distances have been reduced by better means of transportation increasing accessibility the audio-visual media and information technology have enriched the data bare. 
•  Technology has provided better chance of natural phenomena as well as economic and social parameters.
•  Geography as an integrating discipline has interface with numerous natural and social science.

Physical geography and natural sciences

• All the branches of physical geography,  have interface with natural Science.
• The traditional physical geography is linked with geology, Meterology, hydrology and Pathology and thus geomorphology, climatology OceanoGeography and soil Geography respectively have very closely linked with the natural Science as these drive their data from these science.
•  Bio -Geography is closely related to what any geology as well as ecology as human being are located in different location niche 
• A geographers should have some proficiency in mathematics and art, particularly in drawing maps .
• The shape of the earth is Geoid but the basic tool of a geographer is a map which is two-dimensional representation of the earth.
•  The cartographic and quantitative technique requires sufficient proficiency in mathematics , statistics and economictrics. 
•  Maps are prepared through artistic imagination.
•  Making  sketches ,mental map and cartographic work required Proficiency in arts. 

Geography and social science

• The relationships between geography and history have already been outlined in detailed. 
• Every discipline has a Philosophy which is the Raison d we're of that discipline .
• Philosophy provide root to a discipline and in the process of its evolution ,it also experience distinct historical proceses.
• All the social science disciplines,  viz. sociology political science, economics and demography study different aspect of social reality.
•  The branches of Geography social ,political, economic and population and settlement are closely linked with this discipline as each one of them has special attributes.

•  Economic deals with basic attributes of economy such as production distribution exchange and consumption.
  
  
  

Branches of geography

• It has very clearly brought out that Geography is an interdisciplinary subject of study .
• The study of every subject is done according to some approach. 
•  The major approx to study Geography have been

1.   Systematic : 

• the systematic Geography approach  is the same as that of general Geography.

•  This approach was introduced by Alexander Von humboldt a German geographer(1769 -1859).

2.   Regional 

• Regional Geography approach  was developed by another German geographer and a contemporary of humboldt, karl Ritter (1779- 1859).
• The Typologies such a equatorial rainforest or softwood conical forest, monsoon forest etc .
• The phenomena in a region in a holistic  manner  searching for unity in diversity.
•  Dualism is one of the main characteristics of geography which got introduced from the very beginning.

Branches of Geography( based on systematic approach)

1.  physical Geography

• Geomorphology is devoted to the study of landforms, and their evolution and related processes. 
• Climatology encompasses  the study of structure of atmosphere and elements of weather and climate and climatic type and region. 
•  Hydrology studies the realm of water over the surface of the Earth including Ocean, Lake ,river and other water bodies and its effect on different life form including human life and their activities. 
• Soil Geography is devoted to study the process of soil information soil types their fertility status distribution and use.

2.  Human geography

• Social cultural geography  encompasses the study of society and its special dynamic as well as the cultural elements contributed by the society.
• Population and settlement Geography .it studies population growth, distribution density, sexratio ,migration and occupational structure etc. 
• Economic Geography studies economic activities of the people including and Agriculture, industry ,tourism and transport interfere structure and service etc. 
• Historical geography studies the processes through which the space get organised.
• Political Geography looks at the space from the angle of political events and studies boundaries ,space relations between neighbouring political units delimitation  of constituencies,election scenario and develops the theoretical framework to understand the political behaviour of the population.

3.  Biogeography

 The interface between physical geography and human Geography has lead to the development of biogeography with includes. 

• Plant Geography which studies the spatial pattern of natural vegetation in their habitats .
•  ZooGeography which studies the spatial patterns and Geographic characteristics of animal and their habitats .
• Ecology / ecosystem deal with the scientific study of the habitats characteristics of species .
• Environmental Geography concerned world over leading to the realisation of environmental problem such as Land gradation, poullation and concerns for conservation has resulted in the introduction of this new branch in geography.

Branches of Geography based on regional approach

1.  Regional studies/area studies

Comparison marico, meso and micro Regional studies 

2.  Regional planning

Comparising country / rural and twon /urban planning 

3.   Regional development

4.   Regional analysis

There are two aspects which are common to every discipline these are :

1.  Philosophy 

• Geographical thought 
• Land and human interaction/human Ecology 

2.  Methods and techniques 

• Cartography including computer cartography
•  Quantitative techniques/
•  Statistical Techniques
•  Field survey methods
•  Geo-informatic compressing techniques such as Remote Sensing ,GIS ,GPS etc. 

•  The above Class classification gives a comprehensive format of the branches of Geography.
•  General Geography curicula is taught and learnt in this format but this format is not a static.
•  Any discipline is bound to grow with new ideas, problems ,methods and techniques.

 For example what was once mutual cartography has now been transformed into cartography 

• Technology has enabled scholar to handle large quantum of data .
• The internet provides extensive information.
•  GIS has further opened with staff of knowledge.
•  GPS has become a handy tool to find out exact location.

 Physical geography and its information

•  The content of the book clearly reflects its slope
• Physical geography includes the study of lithosphere atmosphere Hydrosphere and biosphere .
• Soils are formed through the process of pedogenesis and depend upon the parent Rock, climate, biological activity and time.
•  Time provide maturity to soils and help in the development of soil profile.
•  Each element is important for human being .
• Landforms provide the base on which human activities are located.
•  The plains are utilised for agriculture.
•  Plateau provide forest and Minerals .
• Mountain provide pastures tourist spots and are sources of rivers providing water to lowland.
•  Climate influences our house type, clothing and food habiat. 
•  The climate has a profound effect on vegetation, cropping pattern livestock farming and some industries, etc. 

What is geography

 Geography is with the description and explanation of areal differentiation of the earth 's surface. 
                                    Richard hartshorne 

Geography studies the differences of phenomena  usually related in different parts of the Earth's surface.

                                                             Hettner

• The study of Physical Geography is emerging as a discipline of evaluating and managing natural resources .
• In order to achieve this objective, it is essential to understand intricate relationship between physical environment and human being.