List of basic geography topics.html |
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Geography topics |
Geography is the study of the earth and its features, inhabitants, and phenomena.1 A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes (276-194 B.C.). Four historical traditions in geographical research are the spatial analysis of natural and human phenomena (geography as a study of distribution), area studies (places and regions), study of man-land relationship, and research in earth sciences.2 Nonetheless, modern geography is an all-encompassing discipline that foremost seeks to understand the world and all of its human and natural complexities – not merely where objects are, but how they have changed and come to be. As "the bridge between the human and physical sciences," geography is divided into two main branches – human geography and physical geography.3
The following outline is provided as an overview of and introduction to geography:
Essence of geography
The themes of the 18 National Geography Standards of the National Council for Geographic Education include the following topics456:
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7. Landforms and the geomorphic processes that created them |
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Branches of geography
Geography is divided into two main branches: physical geography and human geography. Each of these branches is divided into a number of subfields:
Geographic multi-disciplinary fields
Fields that draw upon various disciplines and have applications in geography:
- Cartography
- Demography and demographics
- Ethnography
- Geoarchaeology
- Geographic information science
- Geostatistics
- Philosophy of geography
Location and place
Concepts concerning location or place:
The tasks and tools of geography
- Main articles: Geosophy and Philosophy of geography
The approaches and activities of geographers, and the tools they use:
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The World
- Main article: World
The field of geography does not operate in a vacuum, and is greatly interconnected with other fields of study. This is most evident at the global level.
Geography, earth science, and Earth's spheres
- Main articles: Earth science and Earth's spheres
Geography is a key component of earth science, used along with physics, geology, meteorology, mathematics, chemistry and biology to build a quantitative understanding of the principal areas or interactive spheres of the Earth system, including its:
- Hydrosphere - all water found on, under, and over the surface of Earth
- Biosphere - all life on Earth
- Lithosphere - the crust and the uppermost mantle of Earth
- Atmosphere - the gases that surround the Earth (its air)
Other interpretations of this model of the Earth include the following additional spheres:
- Pedosphere - the outermost layer of the Earth that is composed of soil and subject to soil formation processes
- Geosphere - solid parts of Earth (which consist mostly of rock and regolith)
- Anthroposphere - all parts of Earth modified by humans
- Cryosphere - sometimes included in the hydrosphere, the ice on Earth (ice caps, glaciers, etc.)
Regions of the world
- Main articles: Region, Subregions, Location, and Lists of places
Regions are areas, and can be defined by physical characteristics, human characteristics, and functional characteristics. The term is used in various ways among the different branches of geography. A region can be seen as a collection of smaller units, such as a country and its political divisions, or as one part of a larger whole, as in a country on a continent.
The Continents
- Main article: Continent
A continent is one of several large landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by convention rather than any specific criteria, but seven areas are commonly regarded as continents. They are:
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- 1. Africa
- 2. Antarctica
- 3. Australia
- The Americas:
- Eurasia:
Biogeographic regions
Ecozone
- Main article: Ecozone
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) developed a system of eight biogeographic realms (ecozones):
- Nearctic 22.9 mil. km² (including most of North America)
- Palearctic 54.1 mil. km² (including the bulk of Eurasia and North Africa)
- Afrotropic 22.1 mil. km² (including Sub-Saharan Africa)
- Indomalaya 7.5 mil. km² (including the South Asian subcontinent and Southeast Asia)
- Australasia 7.7 mil. km² (including Australia, New Guinea, and neighbouring islands). The northern boundary of this zone is known as the Wallace line.
- Neotropic 19.0 mil. km² (including South America and the Caribbean)
- Oceania 1.0 mil. km² (including Polynesia, Fiji and Micronesia)
- Antarctic 0.3 mil. km² (including Antarctica).
Ecoregions
- Main article: Ecoregion
Ecozones are further divided into ecoregions. The World has over 800 terrestrial ecoregions. See Lists of ecoregions by country.
Countries of the World
- Main article: Political division
A political division, usually a country, is a region under the control of a government. Countries are further divided into administrative divisions including states, counties, cities, etc.
Countries by continent
 Countries of Africa |
 Countries of Asia |
 Countries of Europe |
 Countries of North America |
 Countries of Oceania |
 Countries of South America |
More territories: Bouvet Island • French Southern Territories • Heard Island and McDonald Islands • South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands • Antarctic territorial claims
Country subdivision types
- Main article: Country subdivision
A country subdivision is a designated territory created within a country for administrative or identification purposes. Examples of the types of country subdivisions:
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More region or area types
- Biodiversity hotspot
- Geographical zone
- Hardiness zone
- Industrial region
- Mainland
- Metropolitan area
- Special Economic Zone
- Time zone
Some specific areas
Geographical features
Regions are further differentiated by virtue of being geographical features, or by the geographical features in them (or both). A geographical feature is a landform, a body of water, or an artificial creation large enough to show up on a regional map.
Natural geographical features
Features of the World that are naturally occurring:
Landforms
- Main article: Landform
A landform is part of the terrain, defined by its shape and location in the landscape, and is typically an element of topography. Landforms are characterized by aspects such as elevation, slope, orientation, stratification, rock exposure, and soil type. Examples of landforms:
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Bodies of water
- Main article: Body of water
A body of water is any significant accumulation of water on a geographical scale. Some bodies of water can be man-made, but most are naturally occurring. Some bodies of water collect and move water, such as rivers and streams, and others primarily hold water, such as lakes and oceans. Bodies of water that are navigable are known as waterways.
Manmade geographical features
Manmade geographical features, artificial creations large enough that they may show up on a regional map,:
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Geography of specific regions
- See also: Regional geography
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