Geography is the scientific study of the Earth and its features. It has two main branches: physical geography, which examines the natural environment, and human geography, which studies human activities and settlements. Geography is important as it helps explain world events, understand people's ways of life, and develop skills in map reading and data analysis. It also fosters international cooperation and contributes to environmental conservation and development efforts. Geography relates to other disciplines like mathematics, history, biology, chemistry, agriculture, meteorology, demography and medicine.