Geography is a science which has many relationships with all distribution and composition of earth surface. Geography phrase was first introduced by a Greek scientist named Eratosthenes in 200 B.C. At the time, geography was only dominated by stories about journeys from the entire world (Logograph). According to Eratosthenes, geography was a science which describes the earth’s situation.
In 2 B.C. an Alexandria astronomer, Claudius Ptolomeus, made a book of Greek and Roman geography. According to him, geography was a description of half or entire of earth surface. In his Geographike Syntaxis, he proposed a new mapping method including projection and production of atlas. In the same time, Claudius Ptolomeus had also made an atlas named Atlas Ptolomeus.
After Claudius Ptolomeus, there are other geography scientists like German scientist, Bernhardus Varenius. His work (named Geographia Generalis) divided into three parts:
1. Absolute Geography which analyzes various mathematics facts related to the earth with all of its form, dimension, dynamics, measurement, etc.
2. Relative Geography which analyzes sun and star effect, climate, time difference, day duration difference, etc.
3. Comparative Geography which analyzes earth surface division, relative position of a place, map and globe design and navigation.
In 18th century, geography growth was affected by Physical Determinism. They believe that nature determines human being. Some scientists behind determinism were Karl Ritther, Friederich Ratzel and Elsworth Huntington. Karl Ritther said that geography was an analysis of earth as human habitat.
In 1800s, there was a famous France geography scientist named Paul Vidal de la Blache who introduced Possibility. He assumed that human had a great opportunity determining their life pattern. This concept was well known as Genre de Vie concept. It means life production mode was chosen by human from various existing possibility provided by the nature. He made human factor as the main actor in nature management.
So in your geography class now, I hope this intro to geography will help you understanding geography essence and its fundament through understanding of geography history review above. How do you think? Can you catch some clear description from our passage above? I, myself, can say that geography is a science which studies various earth situations including their interaction with human being.
Tags: intro to geography, geography class, geography history
