Geography is the study of the Earth's surface, focusing on the description and explanation of natural and cultural features, addressing ‘what,’ ‘where,’ and ‘why’ these features exist. It has systematic and regional approaches, with branches including physical, human, and biogeography, each subdivided into various fields such as climatology and social geography. Methods employed in geography include statistical techniques, field surveys, and remote sensing.

2. 1.
GEOGRAPHY AS A DISCIPLINE

3. Geography is concerned with the
description and explanation of the areal
differentiation of the earth surface
Richard Hartshorne

4. ERATOSTHENESE
The term first coined Greek Scholar
The word geography derived from Greek language
GEO -- EARTH
GRAPHOS -- DESCRIPTION
Geography is the description of the earth

5. GEOGRAPHY AS A DISCIPLINE IS CONCERNED
WITH THREE SETS OF QUESTIONS
1. WHAT ?
2. WHERE ?
3. WHY ?

6. WHAT are the patterns of natural and
cultural features found over the surface of
the earth ?
WHERE are these features distributed
over the surface of the earth ?
WHY such relationships between
features, processes and phenomena
take place?

7. Geography as an integrating discipline -
spatial Synthesis
The shape of the earth is GEOID

10. BRANCHES OF GEOGRAPHY
 SYSTEMATIC APPROACH
 Alexander von Humboldt (German)
 systematic geography, concentrates on a specific
geofactor at the global level
 REGIONAL APPROACH
 Karl Ritter (German)
 It focuses on the interaction of different cultural and
natural geofactors in a specific land or landscape

11. SYSTEMATIC GEOGRAPHY
1. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
2. HUMAN GEOGRAPHY
3. BIOGEOGRAPHY

12. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
1. GEOMORPHOLOGY
2. CLIMATOLOGY
3. HYDROLOGY
4. SOIL GEOGRAPHY

13. HUMAN GEOGRAPHY
1. SOCIAL/ CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY
2. POPULATION AND SETTLEMENT
GEOGRAPHY
3. ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY
4. HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY
5. POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY

14. BIOGEOGRAPHY
1. PLANT GEOGRAPHY
2. ZOO GEOGRAPHY
3. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOGRAPHY
4. ECOLOGY

15. REGIONAL APPROACH
1. REGIONAL STUDIES - macro, meso and micro
2. REGIONAL PLANNING – rural and urban
3. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
4. REGIONAL ANALYSIS
Philosophy
Methods and techniques
statistical techniques
Field survey
Remote sensing, GIS, GPS

17. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
Lithosphere
(landforms, drainage, physiography......)
Atmosphere
(composition, structure, climate, wind,
precipitation .......)
Hydrosphere
(oceans, lakes, rivers ......)
Biosphere
(life forms, food chain, ecological balance ...)