Geography is far more than a school subject; it's a fascinating field that explores the diverse and complex relationships between people, places and the environment. This article delves into the three main branches of geography
- Human Geography
- Physical Geography
- Environmental Geography
Each branch offers unique insights into different aspects of our world, overlapping and interacting to help us understand everything from the earth's natural processes to the social and economic activities of human populations. In this article, we will delve into these three types of geography illustrated in the diagram below. This diagram highlights how each branch overlaps to help us better understand the complex relationships between the Earth, its people, and the environment.
By blending the physical, human, and environmental geography definitions, this helps us to paint a picture of the discipline, inviting readers to understand the intricate relationship between our planet's landscapes and its inhabitants.
What Does Geography Mean?
Geography is the academic study of the Earth's landscapes, environments, and the relationships between people and their environments. It helps us understand the physical features of our planet, such as mountains, rivers, and climates, as well as human activities, like cities, cultures, and economies.
Geography combines knowledge from the natural sciences and social sciences to explore how we interact with the world around us and how we can manage our resources sustainably.
Many people think of geography as simply being able to read a map, memorising countries by heart, or just being knowledgeable about different places in the world. But in reality, there is much more to the subject of geography…
Overview: The 3 Types of Geography
So much so that Geography can’t even be categorised as a single area of expertise, nor can the title ‘Geographer’ be described by one job description.
In this article, we’ll explore the idea that there are more than one or two types of geography and how these fields overlap and interact with one another and lead to different careers and experiences for those who choose to study them.
We’ll be looking at three main branches of geography: Human, Physical and Environmental Geography, as well as Cartography.
| Type of Geography | Description | Key Areas of Study | Examples of Topics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical Geography | Physical geography is the branch of geography dealing with natural features and processes. | - Landforms and landscapes - Climate and weather patterns - Hydrology - Biogeography | - Volcanology - Glaciology - Coastal erosion - River systems |
| Human Geography | Human geography focuses on the study of human activities, cultures, economies, and interactions with the environment. | - Urban development - Population studies - Economic activities - Cultural landscapes | - Migration patterns - Urbanization - Agricultural practices - Tourism |
| Environmental Geography | Environmental geography examines the interactions between the natural environment and human societies, emphasizing sustainability and environmental impact. | - Environmental management - Conservation - Resource use - Pollution | - Climate change - Deforestation - Sustainable development - Environmental policies |
| Cartography | Cartography is the study and practice of making maps and visual representations of geographical information. | - Map design - Geographic Information Systems (GIS) - Spatial data analysis - Thematic mapping | - Topographic maps - Digital cartography - Map projections - Interactive web maps |
Let’s dive right into them, starting with Human Geography.
Get ready for a wild ride of exploring our beautiful planet!
Human Geography
Geography is an essential branch of geography that studies people, cultures, economies and the interactions that they have with the environment.
Human geography is the study of the human race. Like all significant sectors of geography, human geography has various subsections that we need to understand.
Branches of Human Geography
| Branch of Human Geography | Description | Key Topics |
|---|---|---|
| Economic Geography | Aims to understand the way products are created and distributed. This branch also examines how wealth is distributed across the planet. | Transportation, International trade, Globalisation, Development, Real estate, Gendered economies, Access to resources |
| Population Geography | Mainly deals with the demographic distribution in a specific country, city, town, or other geographic location. Studies patterns of a group in connection to birth, marriage, and death. | Birth rates, Marriage patterns, Death rates, Migration, Population density |
| Medical Geography | Studies diseases in specific areas around the world, researching epidemics to discover their causes and origins. | Disease spread, Epidemics, Public health, Correlation between geography and health |
| Cultural Geography | Examines cultural values, practices, material expressions, and artifacts of people in various regions. | Language, Religion, Cultural landscapes, Ethnicity, Heritage |
| Urban Geography | Focuses on the study of cities and urban processes. | Urban development, City planning, Urbanization, Housing, Urban infrastructure |
| Political Geography | Studies the spatial distribution of political processes and how they impact regions. | Geopolitics, Borders and boundaries, Electoral geography, State and nation, Governance |
| Social Geography | Explores the relationship between society and space, focusing on social phenomena and issues. | Social inequality, Community, Gender, Race, Social networks |
| Development Geography | Investigates economic development and quality of life across regions. | Development theories, Economic disparity, Globalization, Sustainability, Poverty |
| Environmental Geography | Analyzes human interactions with the environment and environmental issues. | Sustainability, Natural resource management, Climate change, Conservation, Environmental policy |
| Rural Geography | Studies rural areas and their development, activities, and lifestyle. | Agriculture, Rural development, Land use, Rural-urban migration, Rural economies |
| Transport Geography | Focuses on the movement of people and goods and its impact on regions. | Transportation networks, Logistics, Urban transport, Mobility, Accessibility |
Human Geography Examples
History is a compass that you locate yourself on the map of human geography, politically, culturally, financially.
John Henrik Clarke
Economic Geography aims to understand the way products are created and distributed. This branch also examines how wealth is distributed across the planet.
These professionals discuss matters like transportation and international trade; globalisation and development. They also consider issues like real estate, gendered economies and access to resources.
Population Geography mainly deals with the demographic distribution in a specific country, city, town, or other geographic location. Often confused with demography, population geographers study the patterns of a group in connection to birth, marriage, and death.
Demographers are comparable as a statistical field; population geography dives deeper into those aspects of the human experience. Many population geographers spend their entire careers researching a single community or region in exquisite detail.
Medical Geography studies diseases in specific areas around the world. Ebola, the Zika virus, and the Asian flu; all are viruses or outbreaks that have affected millions and originate from a single location. Medical geographers research these epidemics to discover their causes and origins. In the hunt for the origins of the recently infamous COVID-19, medical geographers would have been called upon to seek out the answer.
Medical geography involves the study of how diseases spread. They create charts, graphs, and maps; they also generate reports to show the correlation between geography and public health. Medical geography is the perfect career for altruistic individuals who want to apply their knowledge to a wider field.
These are three of the most popular branches of human geography with the most diverse types of geographers; they help us better understand the field of geography as a whole. But did you know that there are five themes of geography? Check out our informative article on that subject.
Physical Geography
Sir Roderick Murchison was a Scottish geologist who served as the British Geological Survey's director-general in the late 19th Century. He's one of the world's most famous geographers, renowned for exploring and describing the Devonian, Permian, and Silurian geologic periods. He stated that “Physical geography and geology are inseparable scientific twins.”
Physical geography studies the physical characteristics of the earth. That refers not only to the earth's surface, but what is under and around the exterior of the planet. Physical geography is a significant sub-discipline of two broader academic subjects, geography, and earth sciences.
Physical geography is also called ‘geosystems’ or ‘physiography’. This branch of study includes many subunits you can explore during your university geography studies. Let's consider some noteworthy physical geography examples of subdisciplines.
Branches of Physical Geography
| Branches of Physical Geography | Description | Key Topics |
|---|---|---|
| Climatology | Studies the climate, defined as weather conditions averaged over a period of time. | Climate patterns, Weather systems, Climate change, Atmospheric processes, Meteorology |
| Biogeography | Examines the distribution of species and ecosystems in geographic space and through geological time. | Species distribution, Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Conservation, Habitat fragmentation |
| Geomorphology | Studies the physical features of the surface of the Earth and their relation to its geological structures. | Landforms, Erosion, Sedimentation, Tectonic processes, Glaciation |
| Hydrology | Examines the distribution, movement, and quality of water on Earth. | Water cycles, Rivers and streams, Groundwater, Hydrological modeling, Flooding |
| Glaciology | Studies glaciers and ice sheets, their processes, and impacts on the landscape. | Glacier dynamics, Ice cores, Polar regions, Climate interactions, Permafrost |
| Oceanography | Explores the physical and biological aspects of the ocean. | Marine ecosystems, Ocean currents, Tides and waves, Marine geology, Ocean circulation |
| Pedology | Studies soils in their natural environment. | Soil formation, Soil classification, Soil chemistry, Soil erosion, Soil conservation |
| Volcanology | Focuses on the study of volcanoes, lava, magma, and related geological phenomena. | Volcanic activity, Eruption prediction, Lava flows, Pyroclastic flows, Volcanic hazards |
| Meteorology | Studies the atmosphere and its phenomena, especially with weather and weather forecasting. | Weather patterns, Atmospheric dynamics, Severe weather, Climate modeling, Meteorological instruments |
| Seismology | Examines earthquakes and the propagation of elastic waves through the Earth. | Earthquake dynamics, Seismic waves, Fault lines, Earthquake prediction, Seismic hazard assessment |
| Environmental Geography | Analyzes interactions between humans and the natural environment, emphasizing sustainability and environmental impact. | Human-environment interaction, Resource management, Pollution, Environmental policy, Conservation |
Examples of Physical Geography
Alfred Russel Wallace pioneered studies in biogeography. His work paralleled his contemporary, Charles Darwin. Often, these two scientists drew from one another to further their studies. This discipline is a subunit of physical geography that examines the patterns of species distribution and the effects that occur from this process.
Water Resource Geography is the study of how water resources are distributed and divided in specific geographic locations. Water resource geographers have a profoundly important job, particularly in times when water is more scarce, such as our increasingly hot summers. They study human-developed water systems and maximise the efficiency of water collection and distribution worldwide.
Climate Geography is the branch of physical geography that deals with the study of weather patterns. Meteorologists are climate geographers. They study how weather patterns affect the overall climate of a country, continent, or another geographic region.
Geomorphology studies the surface of the earth. A geomorphologist examines how our planet was formed and the processes that land formations continuously go through. When you read about tectonic plate shifts and how Mount Everest is getting taller, you're enjoying the fruits of geomorphologists' labour.
These four subsections of physical geography are just a crumb of all the fascinating concepts and fields of study considered in physical geography. They give us many geography facts to enrich our knowledge of our living environment. Each sub-discipline includes studies in hydrology, glaciology, meteorology, coastal geography, oceanography, orology, and potamology.
That's a lot of '-ologies' but don’t be intimidated. Take some time to consider other subdivisions of physical geography. You'll develop an appreciation for geography and, more importantly, become a better informed custodian of your natural environment.
Environmental Geography
Environmental geographers raise awareness of human impacts on the environment and emphasise the need for change. Now more than ever, we need to understand how human activity affects our planet.
"In our changing world nothing changes more than geography."
Pearl S. Buck
Environmental geography is also known as integrated geography or human-environment geography. It is the study of the interactions between humans and the natural environment, focusing on the impact of human activities on natural systems and the development of sustainable practices to manage and conserve natural resources.
Environmental Geography Branches
| Subsection | Description | Key Topics |
|---|---|---|
| Sustainability Science | Studies how to maintain ecological and human health over the long term. | Sustainable development, Renewable energy, Resource management, Sustainable agriculture, Green technology |
| Conservation Geography | Focuses on protecting natural environments and biodiversity. | Wildlife conservation, Habitat preservation, Conservation policies, Endangered species, Protected areas |
| Environmental Management | Deals with managing human impact on the environment. | Pollution control, Waste management, Environmental impact assessment, Environmental regulations, Natural resource management |
| Climate Change Studies | Examines the causes and effects of global climate change. | Greenhouse gases, Global warming, Climate policy, Carbon footprint, Climate resilience |
| Urban Ecology | Studies the relationship between living organisms and their urban environment. | Urban green spaces, Urban biodiversity, Ecosystem services in cities, Urban planning, Sustainable cities |
| Environmental Policy | Focuses on the development and implementation of policies aimed at protecting the environment. | Environmental laws, Regulatory frameworks, Policy analysis, International agreements, Environmental justice |
| Environmental Ethics | Explores the moral relationship of human beings to the environment and its non-human contents. | Ethical principles, Animal rights, Ecocentrism, Biocentrism, Environmental philosophy |
| Ecological Economics | Integrates ecological and economic principles to address environmental issues. | Valuation of ecosystem services, Sustainable economics, Environmental accounting, Resource allocation, Economic policies for sustainability |
| Environmental Health | Studies how environmental factors affect human health. | Pollutants and health, Occupational health, Epidemiology, Environmental risk assessment, Public health interventions |
| Landscape Ecology | Examines the patterns and interactions between ecosystems within a landscape. | Landscape patterns, Habitat connectivity, Land use change, Landscape conservation, Ecological processes |
| Geographic Information Systems (GIS) | Uses spatial data to analyze and manage environmental information. | Spatial analysis, Remote sensing, Cartography, Environmental modeling, Data visualization |
Examples of Environmental Geography
We hardly need to be clubbed over the head to realise how urgent our climate situation is. Nor should we need to witness more statistics and reports about species headed for extinction to start cleaning up our act. Our world is sick, and in the academic discipline of geography, climate change is our most pressing issue.
Environmental geography studies environmental hazards. They may be human-made or natural hazards that result in ecological disasters. Hazards include fire, drought, earthquakes, floods, volcanoes, and tornados. Researchers study these disasters to calculate the risks they pose and try to find solutions.
Environmental geography examples include the incorporation of political, economic, cultural, and social systems into the study of environmental change. This branch of study is called Political Ecology. Political ecologists work to determine the adverse effects humans have on the environment and possible political solutions for change.
Systems theory, environmental perception, Marxian environmental geography, and environmental governance are areas of study in Environmental Geography. This branch isn't as well-developed or complete as human or physical geography, but that doesn't mean it's of lesser importance. We need to know where we can improve and how we can save our planet before there is nothing left.
Cartography
Cartography is the branch of geography that focuses on the creation, design, and interpretation of maps, providing visual representations of spatial information and geographic data.
Welsh film director Peter Greenaway wasn't wrong in saying that a map tells you where you've been, where you are, and where you're going. Cartography is the study and practice of mapping or making maps; it is both a science and an art. The term 'cartography' first appeared in 1859, from 'carta' (card) and the Greek word, ‘graphie’ (write or draw). Maps have played a key role in global navigation for thousands of years.
Famous cartographers from history include Ptolemy, Eratosthenes, Al Idrisi, Fra Mauro, Nicolas de Fer, and Henry Pelham. Many navigators used these cartographers' maps over the centuries. Modern-day cartographers have much more advanced tools, but they still draw on the mapping principles those men established.
The best cartographers know that a well-designed map must be easy to use; no one wants to use a map that is difficult to follow or understand. Maps must also be clear, with well-drawn lines and well-labelled features to avoid confusion.
Finally, the map must be accurate in its translation of physical space to a different medium, such as paper or an electronic format.
Through the centuries, cartographers have adapted their mapping methods to various technological changes, showing people the way from one place to another. Perhaps unfortunately, we now have global positioning satellite (GPS) systems; a new challenge for map-makers. I firmly believe that my father would have loved to be a cartographer; I've never seen a person use Google Maps so much.
A budding cartographer studies different types of maps such as road atlases, city maps, contour maps and electronic maps. They also explore geological maps, reversed maps and topographic maps. You probably don't need a geography glossary to understand those terms, but celestial and planetary cartography might pose a challenge. Those two are considered subtopics of cartography too.
Geography is more than just knowing where France, Australia, or Canada are. This science is a fascinating academic subject that covers many essential aspects of our earth and its people. You can follow in famous geographers' footsteps and dedicate yourself to a rewarding career as a geographer.
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