Geography Grade 9 2222222222

Beteseb Academy Jimma Branch
Subject :- Geography Grade:- Nine Quarter:- First

Instructor Name:- Dejene Negash Date:- September /22/2020
INTRODUCTION TO THE CONCEPT OF GEOGRAPHY
 specific objectives
At the end of this section, you will be able to:
i. define the term geography;
ii. describe the development of geography as a discipline;
iii. determine the scope of geography;
iv. identify the branches of geography; and
v. identify the characteristics that make the subject of geography a science.
Meaning of Geography
From the ancient Greeks to modern-day geographers, geography has been defined
differently.
Here are some of the most important definitions that geographers have proposed:
i. Eratosthenes (276-196 BC) – Geography is the description of the earth.
ii. Concise Oxford Dictionary (1964) – Geography is the science of the earth’s
surfaces.
iii. Hartshorne, R. (1899-1992) – Geography is a branch of knowledge that is
concerned with the provision of an accurate, orderly and rational description
of distributions on the surface of the earth.
iv. Yeates, M. (1968) – Geography is a science that is concerned with the rational
development and testing of theories that explain and predict the spatial
distribution and locations of (things and) phenomena on the surface of the
earth.
Generally in the modern-day geographers,define geography as a branch of science
that studies the earth’s surface and the distribution, arrangement and interaction of
natural and human features and their causes and effects.
The Scope of Geography
Scope means the range and variety of contents which are included in a subject or
field of study.
Geography’s scope is very wide.
Geography studies a great many physical and human features of the world. Its focus
includes their causes, effects, and interactions.
The subjects that geography examines include features in the hydrosphere,
atmosphere, lithosphere and biosphere.
Geography has undergone profound changes in its scope and focus:
I. In ancient times, geography was considered to be the mother of many other
sciences, including philosophy and the earth sciences.
II. In the 16 th century, geography began to emphasize location, focusing on
questions of where, why and what.
III. In the mid 18th century, European geographers, especially Germans,
considered the relationship between geography with philosophy. This approach
caused geography to focus on the relationship between human and the natural
environment. Alexander Von Humboldt and Carl Ritter were among the major
contributors to this approach.
IV. In the 19 th century, geographical societies and research groups formed. They
enhanced the role of geography as a discipline.
V. In the late 20 th century, geography became a spatial science.
The earth’s surface consists of:
I. Hydrosphere – It includes all the bodies of water, i.e., oceans, rivers, lakes and
others.
II. Biosphere – This refers to all living organisms in and on the earth’s surface.
III.Atmosphere – It includes all aspects of air composition surrounding our
planet.
IV. Lithosphere – It is the solid layer of rocks which covers the entire surface of
the planet.
Branches of Geography
There are two major brancges of geography;They are:
1) Physical geography
2) Human geography
Physical Geography: This branch of geography studies the distribution of the
natural features of the world, such as climate, landforms, soil, vegetation, and
drainage systems and also considers causes, effects and interactions of these
features.
It includes the following specialized fields of study:
1) Climatology: studies factors that create climate and examines the variation
and distribution of climate and related causes and effects.
2) Geomorphology: studies the distribution of landforms (such as mountains and
plains) and the forces that change them.
3) Soil geography: studies the distribution of soils and their characteristics.
4) Biogeography: studies the distribution of plants and animals in relation to the
environments that they inhabit.
5) Oceanography: studies the location, causes and effects of ocean currents,
waves and tides.
Human Geography: This branch of geography studies the distribution and influence
of human aspects of our world, including cultures, population settlement, economic
activities and political systems.
It includes these specialized fields of study:
1) Cultural geography: studies the distribution and interactions of cultures,
including peoples’ beliefs and customs. It also examines the movement,
expansion and interaction of cultures on the surface of the earth.
2) Population geography: studies the distribution, growth and structure of
population.
3) Economic geography: studies production, consumption and exchange and the
spatial distribution of goods and services and factors affecting them.
4) Political geography: studies the distribution of political systems and the ways
people use them to exercise power and make decisions.
5) Urban geography: studies the development and characteristics of towns, cities
and other urban centers.
6) Historical geography: is the study of the geography of the past and how places
or regions change over time.
Geography as a Science
Science is a system of acquiring knowledge through scientific methods.
These methods involve observation, identification, description, experimental
investigation, and theoretical explanation of phenomena.
Geography investigates facts and relationships related to physical and social
phenomena, and examines their distribution across the world and changes over time.
The main tools geography uses to gather and analyze information are observation,
systematic description, systematic recording and mapping.

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Beteseb Academy Jimma Branch

Subject :- Geography Grade:- Nine Quarter:- First

INTRODUCTION TO THE CONCEPT OF GEOGRAPHY

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