Geography is not only the chair that you may have been running away from; more than that, etymologically its name literally means “description of the earth” and that is precisely what it is, a science that is in charge of studying both the land surface, as well as the territories, landscapes, places, regions that form it by relating to each other. yes and the groups that inhabit it.
It should be noted that this has traditional historical variations in the geographic research according to the study approach, which include four: the spatial analysis of natural and human phenomena, the studies of the territory (from the place to the region), the study of the relationship between man and his environment, and the investigation of Earth sciences.
Over the years, not only the study methods have changed but also what is studied, seeking more areas of knowledge to understand the behavior, origin and other peculiarities of every phenomenon that geography is responsible for understanding from any field.
The foregoing leads to what is known today as 'Modern Geography', which is the same science or essence of the above, but with the aim of delve into and analyze the series of natural and human events, covering them not only from the location of those oddities that occurred, but also considers and observes how they are, the transformations they have undergone to become what they are, among other similar areas.
This being the case, the subject is currently divided into branches of geography, which mainly comprise physical geography and human geography.
Discover all the existing branches of geography
From the physical
It is the specialty of geography that studies the earth's surface in a systemic and spatial way considered as a whole and specifically, the natural geographic space.
Physical Geography focuses the study and understanding of the geographic patterns and processes of the natural environment, leaving aside - and for methodological reasons - the cultural environment that dominates what is known as Human Geography.
The above in a few words and briefly means that, although the relationships between these two fields of Geography are existing, as well as relevant, when one of the two fields is studied, it is essential to separate the other in some way, with the objective of allowing the approach and its contents to be analyzed in greater depth.
According to the geographer Arthur Newell Strahler (who was in charge of conceptualizing such a branch) it focuses on the processes that are effects of two large flows of energy; which are the flow of solar radiation that directs the surface temperatures together with the movements of fluids and the second, the flow of heat from the interior of the Earth, which originates in the materials of the upper layers of the earth's crust.
It should be noted that these flows influence and act on the earth's surface, that is, in what is the field of study for physical geographers.
Despite having a fairly pertinent concept, other competent authorities have their own concept of what physical geography is. Among the main ones, the dictionaries or study guides stand out:
- The one with the Rioduero Dictionary of Geography, which is limited to listing the topics included in the field of physical geography, such as climatology, geomorphology, oceanography, and continental hydrography, including glaciology.
- The Elsevier Dictionary of Geography stresses that physical geography deals with the components of the Earth's physical environment, that is, the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere. As well as the relationships between them, their distribution on the surface of the Earth and the changes over time that are products of natural causes or human impact. It states that the branches of physical geography are geomorphology, oceanography, climatology, terrestrial hydrology, glaciology, biogeography, paleogeography, edafogeography, geocriology and the study of the landscape. Making the note in turn that oceanography has progressed as an independent discipline, according to the recognition of the authors.
- For FJ Monkhouse's Dictionary of Geographical Terms, Physical Geography refers to the science that is based on those aspects of geography that are related to the shape and relief of the earth's surface, the configuration, extension and nature of the seas and oceans, the atmosphere that surrounds us and of the corresponding processes, the soil layer and the "natural" vegetation that covers it, that is, the physical environment of the landscape.
Regarding human geography
This includes the division of matter as such and it is from the branches of geography that is separated and that is responsible for (generalized concept) study human societies from a spatial scope, as well as the existing relationship between such groups and the physical environment in which they inhabit, the cultural landscapes and the human regions that are formed as they pass.
This brief conceptualization also includes that of being a study that allows the registration and observation of human activities from space, human ecology and the science of cultural landscapes.
It is characterized by studying in depth the difference rooted in the distribution of the population on the earth's surface, the causes of such distribution and its political, social, economic, demographic and cultural consequences in relation to the existing or potential resources of the geographical environment at different scales.
The study or development of the social processes of this branch led to the origin of various subdivisions that focus on some of these procedures. This series of systematic knowledge is analyzed or studied in more detail by the branches:
Of the population
It studies the distribution patterns of human beings on the earth's surface and the processes, whether temporary or historical, for what they have happened and consequently they have originated or modified.
economic
One of the branches of geography that is based on economic models and processes, expansion both in time and in terrestrial space. Economic geography is the discipline that studies the geographical distribution of economic factors; the implications of this on countries, regions and, in general, on human societies. It awaits a very pleasant relationship with the economy, but from the point of view of the geographical distribution of economic factors. According to one of its pioneering authors, Krugman, it is the "branch of economics" about the "location of production in space."
Consulting
It is an approach to human geography that studies the existing relationships between human beings and the landscape, which are observed from a possible perspective.
urban
This is one of the branches of geography that studies human meetings that are represented by cities, their population, characteristics, historical evolution, functions and relative importance.
Rural
It studies the rural world, agrarian structures and systems, rural spaces, the economic activities carried out in them, such as agriculture, livestock and tourism. Also the types of establishments and the problems that the areas of depopulation, aging, economic problems, environmental problems, among others, cause.
Politics
As its name indicates, it is responsible for investigating political spaces and how similar and related sciences can refer to both political science and geopolitics, as well as the multidisciplinary field of international studies.
Medical
This branch focuses on studies of results in charge of the impact of the environment on people's health. It also investigates the geographical distribution of diseases, without leaving out the investigation of the environmental factors that help in their spread. This in turn has an auxiliary science, which is nothing more and nothing less than medicine.
Of aging or gerontological
Analyzes the socio-spatial implications of the aging of the population through the understanding of the relationships between the physical-social environment and the elderly, at different scales, micro (housing), meso (neighborhood) and macro (city, region, country), among others.
Subbranches of natural geography and physics
- Geomorphology: This branch studies the genesis and evolution of the forms of landforms.
- Soil geography: This branch studies the origin, typification and distribution of soils
- Climatology: This branch analyzes climates, their varieties and distribution, it also studies their factors and regional differentiations.
- Biogeography: eThis branch studies biological landscapes, the distribution patterns of animals and plants
- Hydrography: one of the branches of geography that describes the phenomena or facts concerning terrestrial waters
- Of the population: This branch studies the quantity, composition and distribution of the human population with respect to the characteristics of the geographical landscape
- Social: eThis branch analyzes the social phenomena of human groups and their relationships within the social landscape
Other branches of geography no less important
Mathematical geography
Like all, this one also focuses on the earth's surface, but based on its mathematical aspect. And it also studies the relationships that it has with the moon and the sun, that no matter how isolated these two may seem, a plot can be made on the Earth's equator, the tropics, polar lines, geographical coordinates and even measure the size of the Earth through the investigation of the phenomena of the surface that are generated, product of the interaction of these two.
A curious fact is that it is one of the branches that originated at the same time that geography as such was determined and with its development derivatives have originated that include Topography, Cartography, Astronomical Geography, Geostatistics and Geomatics.
Another outstanding feature is that when introductory studies of geography are carried out, or when covering the location of the Earth in the universe and in the solar system, the earth's movements, the influence of the sun and the moon on the surface ( unavoidable and essential starting point in branches of geography such as Climatology and Hydrology) and the definition and understanding of location systems, as the basis of any geographical study, the contents, methods and information that mathematical geography propitiate are used.
This branch has evolved so much that today there is the possibility that you specialize only in such science.
Biological geography
This is in charge of or has the objective of explaining the geographical distribution of both plants and animals; looking for the connections that exist between these and the physical environment in which they live. It is up to this branch to investigate, for example, the reasons why conifers predominate in the taiga, xerophytes in the desert or exuberant vegetation in the jungle.
It is subdivided into Phytogeography, which studies the distribution of plants on earth, and Zoogeography, which studies the distribution of animals on earth. Another important characteristic is that botany, zoology and ecology derive from this science.
Political geography
This is the part that studies the distribution and political organization of the earth's surface, that is, it deals with how the territory is distributed in terms of the space occupied by the human being.
It should be noted that it is one of the branches of geography quite extensive, since its main object for analysis is the political institutions under study are political institutions and with this not only refers to an entity or physical establishment, but also They can range from a small group of individuals that is well trained and hierarchical to a large international economic or political bloc and be limited as they are only countries.
The conceptualization of this science is a bit complex, however, political geography is interested in all aspects related to its science, such as the political process, government systems, impact of political actions, among others.
Another object of interest or study for political geography is the geographic space, that is, populations, nations, territories, areas, and others. Since it deals with a factor that differentiates it from political science because in the same way the environment in which political institutions are developed is a subject of analysis.