This document outlines the main branches or approaches of geography: 1) The systematic approach studies geographic phenomena worldwide and identifies patterns. It includes physical, human, environmental, cartography, and philosophical geography. 2) Physical geography deals with natural earth processes and patterns like landforms, climate, hydrology, oceans, and soils. 3) Human geography focuses on human activities and settlements, as well as their relationships with populations, cultures, economies, politics, and health. 4) The regional approach divides the world into natural or political regions and studies all geographic aspects within each region holistically.

1. Branches of
Geography
Mithun Ray
Department of Geography
Malda College (University of Gour Banga)
E-mail: mithun.ray147@gmail.com

3. 1. Based on Systematic Approach
1. Based on Regional Approach

4. Systematic Approach
● Introduced by Alexander Von Humboldt, a German
geographer (1769-1859)
● Phenomenon is studied world over as a whole and
then the identification of typologies or spatial
patterns is done.

5. An example of Systematic Approach

6. ● Physical Geography
● Human Geography
● Bio-geography
● Environmental Geography
● Philosophy of Geography / Geographical Thought
● Cartography
Based on Systematic Approach

7. Physical Geography
Deals with the study of processes and patterns in the natural environment such
as the atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere.
OR
Study of the processes that shape the Earth's surface, the animals and plants
that inhabit it, and the spatial patterns they exhibit.

8. Physical Geography
● Geomorphology
● Climatology
● Hydrology
● Oceanography
● Soil Geography

9. GeomorphologyThe study of landforms, their
processes, form and sediments at
the surface of the Earth (and
sometimes on other planets).

10. Climatology
The study of climate
and how it changes
over time. This
science helps people
better understand the
atmospheric
conditions that cause
weather patterns and
temperature changes
over time.
http://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/meteorology/

11. Hydrology
The study of the
distribution and
movement of water
both on and below the
Earth’s surface, as well
as the impact of human
activity on water
availability and
conditions.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-
biological-sciences/hydrologic-cycle

12. Oceanography
Concerned with all
aspects of the world’s
oceans and seas,
including their
physical and chemical
properties, their
origin and geologic
framework, and the
life forms that inhabit
the marine
environment.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/10977592826529533/

13. Soil Geography
● Studies the pattern
of distribution of
soils on the earth’s
surface.
● Studies the factors
that influence soil
formation and the
most general laws
of the geographic
distribution of soils
and types of soil
structure

14. Human
Geography
Deals with the
spatial
differentiation
and
organisation of
human activity
and with
human use of
the physical
environment.

15. Human Geography
● Social and Cultural Geography
● Population Geography
● Settlement Geography
● Historical Geography
● Political Geography
● Economic Geography
● Health / Medical Geography

16. Social and Cultural Geography
Cultural Geography
focuses upon the
patterns and
interactions of human
culture, both material
and non-material, in
relation to the natural
environment and the
human organization of
space.
Social geography concentrates on divisions within society, initially class, ethnicity,
and, to a lesser extent, religion; however, more recently others have been added,
such as gender, sexual orientation, and age.

17. Focuses on the
study of people,
their spatial
distributions, their
characteristics,
and their density.
It is the study of
the ways in which
spatial variations
in births, deaths,
and the
distribution,
composition,
migration, and
growth of
populations are
related to place. Population Geography

18. Settlement
Geography
Describes and explains the
settlements' location, substance,
form and structure, as well as
the functions and processes that
produced them over time
Rural Geography
&
Urban Geography

19. Historical Geography
Study of a place or region at a specific time
or period in the past, or the study of
geographic change in a place or region
over a period of time.

20. Political Geography
Concerned with the
study of both the
spatially uneven
outcomes of
political processes
and the ways in
which political
processes are
themselves affected
by spatial structures

21. Economic Geography
Concerned with describing and explaining the varied places and spaces in
which economic activities are carried out and circulate.
● Agricultural
● Industrial
● Tourism
● Transport

22. Health/ Medical Geography
Views health
from a holistic
perspective
encompassing
society and
space, and it
conceptualize
s the role of
place, location
and
geography in
health, well-
being and
disease.

23. Bio-geography
The study of the distribution of different species of organisms around the
planet and the factors that influenced that distribution.
● Plant Geography
● Zoo Geography
● Ecology

24. Environmental Geography
Understanding the
interactions between
humans and their
environment in space
and time

25. Cartography
The art and science of
graphically representing a
geographical area, usually on a
flat surface such as a map or
chart.
● Analogue Cartography
● Digital Cartography
https://www.jing.fm/iclipt/ombmxT/

26. Philosophy of Geography /Geographical Thought
Encompasses the
development of
geographic
knowledge in
particular places,
times, and
contexts.
মাইতি এবং মাইতি,২০১৪

28. Regional Approach
The world is divided into regions at different hierarchical
levels and then all the geographical phenomena in a
particular region are studied. These regions may be natural,
political or designated region. The phenomena in a region are
studied in a holistic manner
Regional geography approach was developed by German
geographer and a contemporary of Humboldt, Karl Ritter
(1779-1859).

31. Geography and its relation with other subjects

32. This Power Point Presentation (PPT) has
been prepared especially for Undergraduate
Students. The materials (Maps, Diagrams
and Images) used in this presentation were
collected and compiled mainly from variours
academic blogs, research papers, books etc.
The author has designed this PPT according
to his convenience to deliver the lecture.

33. Thank You