Geographical characteristics of Russia. Geographical description of the area What is geographical description
Multidisciplinary- studies various phenomena (from geology to ideology).
Poly-scale- we can talk about phenomena of various scales. Geography is characterized by a "game of scales" - consideration at different levels.
Having your own language of geography. Cartographic language - The map language has the following advantages:
Expressiveness
Visibility
Imagery
Large information capacity
Geography cannot exist without a map.
"Any geographical research begins with a map and ends with a map."
(N.N.Baransky)
Three mistakes in the concept of geography:
- School subject only
- The object of study is nature
- Is descriptive only
Geography has many components, a ramified science. Geography not only describes and establishes patterns, but also strives to improve people's lives.
Goals and objectives of geography
The purpose of geographical science: the formation of a scientific picture of the world.
1. Exploring the device geographic envelope... Study of the interaction between its parts.
2. Revealing the features of the spread of various phenomena on the surface of the Earth.
3. Study of territorial differences in different phenomena.
4. Study of the interaction of territorial objects. Study of the interaction of various objects and phenomena on the surface of the Earth
5. Diagnosing problems. An applied task aimed at improving people's lives
6. Development of proposals for solving these problems
7. Geographic forecasting
8. Particular task - drawing up various maps
Methodological issues of geography
Geography object
This is what is being studied, is in the center, some system capable of falling apart. The concept is collective. Ecumene or geographic envelope, the surface of the Earth. Oikumena is a famous part of the land. Each separate part the geographic envelope is also an object. The combination of these objects within one layer is a system.
Geography is the science of territorial complexes and territorial systems.
2.1.1 Two approaches to the study of the geographic envelope:
Component or industry-specific. Consideration of a specific layer of the earth's surface (only the lithosphere or hydrosphere, etc.)
Regional. Consideration of a certain part of the earth's surface (for example: Eurasia) and the study of all layers in this area.
*PICTURE*
It follows from this that there are component geography and regional geography.
As part of separate layers, there is a group of separate objects - territorial / geographic systems. System (Greek) / Complex (Latin) - a whole fortune from parts. System is the interaction of homogeneous objects. Complex is the interaction of different objects. Objects can vary in size, from very large to very small (levels geographic sites).
I am familiar with more than one method of describing objects. One such method is - geographic description method... I'll tell you about it characteristic features and I will give an example of a description of a geographic object.
Geographic description method
The descriptive method is one of universal research tools in any science and boils down to a simple oral or written description external signs subject.
As for method of geographical description, then the term "geography" is translated from Greek literally as "to describe the earth." It differs from any other descriptive method and consists of the following:
- is an fundamental in geography;
- the subject of research, as a rule, has complex structure and significant scale;
- contains a large amount of work with different ways of describing items;
- wears systematic character- the description proceeds in stages, according to a certain scheme.
Geographical description of the object
Geographical description method the object was used by absolutely all researchers of our planet. I will make for you a geographical description of the pond, which is located not far from my place of residence.
Any geographic description begins with the position of an object on Earth - coordinates... The conditional coordinates of my lake are 42 degrees north latitude and 54 degrees east longitude. You can specify in which country, district or region the body of water is located.
Height above sea level my pond is 300 m.
Dimensions (edit) the pond is 1.5 kilometers long and 1 kilometer wide, respectively, its area is 1.5 square kilometers. Here you also need to indicate its average and maximum depth.
It is also worth describing the way the pond is formed, area its catchment and list the names of the rivers flowing into it. In addition, it is worth indicating for what purposes the water contained in it is used.
So, mgeographic description method consists in the most reliable way, by all known geography methods, to describe this or that object located in a certain place on the planet Earth.
Handout
by
geography
(standard plans descriptions of geographical objects)
2015 - 2016 academic year
Techniques for working with a map.
Read the name of the card.
Determine its scale.
Examine the legend and determine what is shown on the map and how.
Find a given territory on the map and, using the legend and nomenclature, tell us what is in this territory.
If the data on one card is not enough to answer, use the other cards you need.
Mountain characteristics plan.
Plain characterization plan.
On what continent, and in what part of it are located.
Extension in degrees and kilometers from west to east and north to south.
Prevailing heights. Where is tilted.
Highest height.
River description plan.
Geographical position.
The source of the river.
Direction of flow.
The nature of the river.
River regime (food, high water, low water, high water).
Tributaries of the river (left, right).
Place of confluence.
Human use of the river.
Ecological problems.
Lake description plan.
Geographical position.
Basin formation.
Waste or endless.
The greatest depths.
Salinity of waters.
Human use.
Ecological problems.
Sea characterization plan.
1 ... The ocean, to the basin of which the sea belongs.
2. The mainland and the country that is washed by the sea.
3. Average salinity.
4. Ice regime.
5. Average and maximum depth.
6. Ways of economic use.
Terrain relief characteristics plan.
1. Prevailing landforms.
2. Average, highest and lowest height of the territory.
3. Age of the largest landforms.
Ocean characterization plan.
Geographical location, boundaries, dimensions.
The ruggedness of the coastline, the sea.
Features of the bottom topography: a) shelf; b) continental slope; c) ocean bed (mountains and hollows); islands.
Currents
Mineral and organic wealth.
Human use of the ocean, its protection.
Contemporary research.
Description plan geographic location mainland.
The position of the mainland in relation to the equator, tropics, prime meridian.
Extreme points of the mainland and their coordinates; the length of the mainland in degrees and kilometers from north to south and from west to east.
Climatic zones crossing the mainland.
Oceans and seas washing the mainland.
The position of the mainland relative to other continents.
Natural area characterization plan.
Geographical position.
Features of the climate.
Inland waters.
Flora and fauna.
Human influence.
Territory climate characteristics plan.
In what climatic zone, and in what climatic region the territory is located.
Average temperatures in July and January. In which direction they change and why.
The prevailing winds are seasonal.
Annual precipitation and their regime.
A plan for characterizing the physical and geographical location of the country.
On which continent, and in which part it is located.
How it is located in relation to the equator, tropics, polar circles and prime meridian.
Extreme points and their geographic coordinates.
Extension in degrees and kilometers from north to south and from west to east.
Climatic zones in which the country is located.
What oceans and seas wash.
Border states.
The plan of the characteristics of the political and geographical location of the country.
1. Location of the country in the region. Border states.
Assessment of the political and geographical position of the country:
a) position in relation to surrounding countries;
b) position to transport routes of international importance;
c) position in relation to raw materials bases of international importance.
Conclusions: disadvantages and advantages of the country's political and geographical position.
A plan for characterizing the country's population.
Number and density.
Reproduction type. Age and gender composition.
National and religious composition.
The level and features of urbanization.
Features of labor resources.
Characterization plan of a branch of industry or agriculture.
Composition and manufactured products.
Significance in the national economy.
Factors of location of enterprises.
Geography of enterprises.
The role of an enterprise in the economy of a district, city, country.
Environmental protection measures carried out by the enterprise.
Plan characteristics of the transport highway
Direction and extent.
Assessment natural conditions for the development of the highway:
a) sea (the presence of ports, natural bays, freezing of the seas);
b) river (the presence of an outlet to the sea, freezing, branching of streams, the possibility of arranging connecting channels);
c) land (rugged terrain, swampiness, the presence of permafrost, especially the climatic conditions of the regions along which the highway passes).
Transport hubs.
Composition, direction of freight traffic.
Problems and development prospects.
Plan of characteristics of the economic and geographical location of the region
.
Position in relation to:
-state borders;
-seas;
- other economic regions;
- fuel and raw materials bases;
-transport routes.
Change in the economic and geographical position of the region over time.
Conclusions about the influence of the economic and geographical position on the economic development of the region.
PTK characteristics plan.
Geographical position.
History and results of geographical study and development of the territory.
Geological structure, relief.
Climate.
Inland waters.
Soils.
Flora and fauna.
Natural areas.
Natural resources, their use.
Environmental problems of the territory.
Plan of characteristics of the world economy.
The importance of the industry, its composition, the impact on scientific and technological revolution on its development
Raw materials and fuel and resource industries, their placement.
The size of production by distribution by major geographic regions.
Major producing countries.
Factors that determined the location of the industry in these areas.
Environmental and ecological problems industry.
Main countries of export and import of products. The most important cargo transportation.
Conclusion: prospects for the development and placement of the industry
Russia is the largest country in the world in terms of area (17075.4 thousand km 2), a democratic federal state with a republican form of government.
The first mentions of this country date back to about the 10th century, in ancient Russian monuments of the 10th – 15th centuries. these lands were called "Rus", "Russian land". In the 14th century. they began to be called the Moscow principality, in the 15th century. - Moscow state or Muscovy, from the 16th century. - Russia.
In 1721 the state was officially named the Russian Empire.
Until 1917, Russia was understood as a set of territories Russian Empire inhabited by both Russians and other peoples. After 1917, in connection with the establishment of Soviet power, the concept of "Soviet Russia" appeared, which could be called both Russia itself (and the RSFSR formed on its lands), and the entire Soviet Union formed in 1922.
After 1991 and the collapse of the USSR, "Russia" means The Russian Federation(proclaimed June 12, 1990).
The Russian Federation. Moscow the capital. Population: 143.78 million (2004). The population density is 8.6 people per 1 sq. km. Urban population - 73%, rural - 27%. Area: 17,075.4 thousand sq. km. Highest point: 5642 m above sea level (Elbrus). Lowest point: 27 m below sea level (Caspian Sea). Official language: Russian. Main religion: Orthodox Christianity. Administrative divisions: 21 autonomous republics, 49 regions, 6 territories, 10 autonomous regions, 1 autonomous region, the cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg. Monetary unit: 1 ruble = 100 kopecks.
Territory.
The Russian Federation is located in eastern Europe and northern Asia. The northernmost point on the mainland is Cape Chelyuskin (Taimyr Peninsula), on the islands - the north of Rudolf Island in the Franz Josef Land archipelago; the southernmost - in Dagestan, on the border with Azerbaijan; western - on the Baltic Spit in the Kaliningrad Bay; eastern - on about. Ratmanov in the Bering Strait.
The length of the land borders is 22,125.3 km, they divide Russia in the north-west with Norway, Finland, in the west - with Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus. The southwestern border is with Ukraine, the southern border is with Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The territory of Russia occupies 11 time zones.
Nature.
Most of Russia is located in a stable area of the upper solid part of the earth's crust (lithosphere) of the Eurasian continent with a low-contrast, flat, plateau relief. In terms of the height and nature of the relief in the continental part of the territory of Russia, 6 large regions are distinguished:
hilly-flat European part;
low-plain Western Siberia;
plateau-plateau Central Siberia;
mountains of southern Siberia;
mountains and plains of the North-East;
mountains and plains of the Far East.
The mountain systems of the Urals and the Caucasus, which are not part of them, delimit the European part and Western Siberia. In the South Urals there is one of the largest (over 2 km) natural monuments, the karst Kapova cave, where in 1959 the oldest wall paintings of a mammoth, horse, and rhinoceros were discovered for the Paleolithic.
In the Lateral Ridge of the Greater Caucasus there is the highest point of Russia and Europe, Mount Elbrus, a two-peaked cone of an extinct volcano (the height of the western peak is 5642 m, the eastern one is 5621) with 50 glaciers.
Elbrus region with Big and Small Azau, Irik, Terskol is one of the largest centers of mountaineering and skiing in Russia.
In the Sayan Mountains, in the Southern Urals, there are about 100 unique granite cliffs of bizarre shapes, incl. in the Stolby reserve in the Krasnoyarsk Territory - the highest (750 m.)
Water resources.
The shores of Russia are washed by 12 seas belonging to the basins of 3 oceans - the Atlantic (Baltic, Black, Azov Seas), the Arctic (Barents, White, Kara, Laptev Sea, East Siberian, Chukchi), Pacific (Beringovo, Okhotsk, Japanese) and drainless The Caspian Sea. The length of Russia's maritime borders is 38,807.5 km. It also has maritime borders with the United States and Japan.
The White Sea was mastered by the Russians as early as the 11th century. The oldest Russian settlement is Kholmogory, where the largest Russian scientist was born M. V. Lomonosov. From the end. 15 to early. 18th century the sea was the most important sea route connecting Russia with Western Europe. In the beginning. 18th century its transport role diminished due to Russia's accession to the Baltic. Since the 20s of the 20th century. a significant portion of Russia's maritime traffic is via Murmansk, an ice-free port in the Barents Sea. A transport artery runs along the coast of the Arctic seas of Russia, connecting European and Far Eastern ports from Novaya Zemlya to the Bering Strait. The seas of the Pacific Ocean - Bering, Okhotsk and Japanese - stretch along the Asian continent. The beginning of the development of this region by Russia was laid in the middle. 17th century expeditions I. Moskvitin and S. Dezhnev. Russia secured its access to the Baltic by winning the Northern War at the beginning of the 18th century by annexing to its territory the coast with the ports of Revel (Tallinn), Narva, Riga, and Vyborg. From the first third of the 18th century. Petersburg became the main foreign trade port, Kronstadt was the main naval base.
The Black and Azov seas are inland, interconnected by the Kerch Strait, and the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits with Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean... The development of this water area by Russia refers to the end of the 17th - beginning of the 20th century. 18th century
The world's largest closed body of water is the Caspian Sea ("sea-lake"). The largest Russian river, the Volga, flows into the Caspian. The largest in Europe and the fifth longest in the world, it is connected by canals to the Baltic, White, Azov and Black Seas, as well as to the Moskva River, the main river of the Russian capital.
In terms of water flow resources, Russia ranks second in the world after Brazil with its most abundant Amazon River. In terms of per inhabitant, the provision of resources for underground runoff, soil moisture, and full river runoff in Russia is 4 times the world average.
St. 2.5 million rivers. The most abundant of them is the Yenisei (according to this indicator, Russia ranks fifth in the world). Most of the Russian rivers carry their waters to the Arctic and Pacific oceans.
Russia is a lakes region, although there are few large lakes. The total number of Russian lakes exceeds 2.7 million, their area (excluding the Caspian Sea) is more than 400 thousand square meters. km. In the Asian part of Russia, in the south of Eastern Siberia, in a tectonic depression in a reef system surrounded by mountain ranges, there is Lake Baikal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lake Baikal is in first place in the world in terms of depth (1620 m.) And volume of fresh water (23 thousand sq. Km., Which is 1/5 of the world's fresh water reserves). The area of the lake is 31.5 thousand square meters. km, maximum length - 636 km, width - 48 km. The water level is raised by the dam of the Irkutsk hydroelectric power station by 0.8 m. There are 27 islands on the lake, 336 rivers flow into it and one river, the Angara, flows out. The Bratsk reservoir on the Angara, formed in 1967 by the dam of the hydroelectric power station of the same name (area 5470 sq. Km., Volume 169.3 sq. Km.) Is used for shipping and water supply.
In the north-west of Russia lies the largest of the European freshwater lakes, Ladoga (area - 17.7 thousand sq. Km, length 219 km, width 83 km, depth 230 m), it has 660 islands; 35 rivers flow into it, the Neva River flows out, on which at the beginning of the 18th century. St. Petersburg, which was the capital of Russia for more than two centuries, was erected. In the 9-12 centuries. the trade route “from the Varangians to the Greeks” (from the Baltic to the Black Sea) passed through Ladoga; from ser. 20th century Lake Ladoga is part of the Volga-Baltic and White Sea-Baltic waterways. (Volgo-Baltic waterway- the longest in Russia, about 1100 km - built in the early 19th century, reconstructed in 1964). During the Great Patriotic War on the ice of Lake Ladoga, the "Road of Life" was laid, saving the inhabitants of Leningrad besieged by the Nazis from hunger.
The structure of water use is dominated by production needs. The main water problem in Russia is the pollution of rivers and reservoirs with waste from economic activities, which is why large water bodies of the country do not meet European regulatory requirements. According to the Water Legislation, 76% of fresh groundwater is used for household and drinking water supply, and 24% is used for the needs of industry and irrigation with a special permit from environmental authorities. However, only 30% of cities and towns in Russia are fully provided with underground drinking water. The water supply of Moscow, St. Petersburg and a number of other large cities is based on surface waters unprotected from pollution.
In addition to industrial waters, the waters of Russia are also used for medical and resort needs. Mineral underground waters (carbonic, rhodonic, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen, siliceous) feed over 300 deposits, including such well-known deposits as Essentuki, Pyatigorsk, Zheleznovodsk, Kislovodsk (North Caucasus), Marcipal waters (Karelia), Matsesta (Black Sea coast of the Caucasus), Belokurikha (in Altai).
Climate. Russia is a country with a relatively cold climate, winter temperatures are negative. It is located in four climatic zones: arctic, subarctic (seas of the Arctic Ocean, arctic islands, northern mainland), temperate (most of the territory) and subtropical (a small area of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus). Almost everywhere the climate is continental, the degree of continentality increases in the direction from west to east as the influence of the Atlantic Ocean is weakening. In the same direction, cyclones bring the main precipitation. In winter, the continental air is quite cold.
According to climatic indicators, Russia is divided into a number of zones.
1) The Russian Arctic with a long sunny day (when the sun does not sink below the horizon from early April to mid-September) and an equally long polar night (when the sun does not rise above the horizon from mid-October to late February).
2) The European part of Russia with a tangible influence of the Atlantic - there is a transformation of marine temperate humid air into dry continental air, and the climate itself is rapidly changing from west to east.
3) West Siberian Plain with Altai and Sayans, where the continentality of the climate intensifies from north to south.
4) Eastern Siberia with a pronounced continental climate - cold winters, warm summers;
5) the Far East with a typical monsoon climate.
In winter, an area of high atmospheric pressure - the Asian anticyclone - regularly appears over Siberia, Central and Central Asia. The coldest month of the year in Russia is January, on the shores of the seas - February. The lowest temperatures are in Eastern Siberia (the cold pole of Eurasia is located there, the average monthly temperature in January is minus 50 ° C). The absolute minimum (-68 ° С) was observed in Verkhoyansk in 1892, where the Pole of Cold obelisk was installed. An increase in temperatures is observed from February to July-August, from August - a cold snap. Large damage to Russian agriculture is caused by spring and autumn frosts, which is why almost the entire territory of the country belongs to the zone of risky agriculture.
The current general warming of the climate in Russia has been noted since the 70s of the 20th century. and is unprecedented over the past 1000 years (0.9 ° C over 100 years). Major warming intervals: 1910–1945, 1970s and 1990s. 1998 is the warmest year of the 20th century. The most intense rise in temperature was observed in the Baikal and Transbaikal regions, the reasons for it are interpreted hypothetically.
On the total area of Russia in 17.1 million km 2, the soil cover is 14.5 million km 2 (the rest is accounted for by water bodies, rock outcrops, stony placers, disturbed and weedy lands). The soil cover is diverse: 90 natural soil types are supplemented by approximately the same number of anthropogenic transformation types with their characteristic communities of plants, animals and microorganisms. The standard of fertility (with a 16% humus-humus content) in the International Chamber of Weights and Measures is a cube of black soil carved in the feather-grass steppe near Voronezh and sent by the soil scientist V.V.Dokuchaev in 1900 to the World Exhibition in Paris. Russia accounts for about 9% of the world's arable land, over 20% of the world's forested area. Tundra and swampy areas play an important economic role. However, the use of soil cover, vast areas, highly fertile chernozems is difficult: 80% of the agricultural massif of Russia lies in the territory with low heat supply, 8% is occupied by swamps that require drainage, 7% are sands and stony soils.
The total area of the village - x. lands of the country - 2.21 million km 2. Land suitable for plowing is vast, but their share in the total area is lower than in other countries. Russian chernozems, intensively exploited for centuries, worsened their properties and now reduced productivity (the humus balance was disturbed, the water regime worsened). Plowed up in the last decades of the 20th century. exceeded the environmentally permissible norms and reached 70%, which led to the general degradation of chernozem. Forest gray, dark chestnut soils are plowed up by 40%, sod-podzolic and meadow-steppe soils - from 10 to 15%. The area of arable land by the 1980s was about 1.34 million square meters. km.
A large area of arable land on Tue. floor. 20th century supported by the use of low-fertile land in the outskirts, but this did not save it from a reduction of 100 thousand square meters. km. From the arable lands involved, marginal ones were excluded, which made it possible to improve the quality of sowing, especially on plots given for personal use. Their areas are growing: from 1.6% of the total land area (1998) to 6.1% (2002). The area of perennial plantings and non-sown arable land continues to grow: from 250 thousand km 2 (1996) to 372 thousand square kilometers. km (2002).
But ecologists are sounding the alarm about soil erosion: in the 1990s, the area of erosional soils doubled, in an unsatisfactory state - more than 7 thousand km. irrigated land. Soil productivity decreases, soil pollution causes deterioration in the quality of water, air, food. In some areas of the Belgorod region. soils washed away to chalk deposits; after an accident on Chernobyl nuclear power plant(1986) radioactive contamination of a number of nearby areas reached disaster proportions.
The soils used as forage lands occupy over 900 thousand km 2. The processes of their degradation are obvious in places of unsystematic grazing. The shallow, acidic, swampy soils of the tundra and taiga, used for reindeer pastures, are low resistant to mechanical stress (oil production, industrial enterprises). Their annual reduction reaches 20 thousand square meters. km.
About 70% of the area with a soil cover is occupied by forests, the main part of which is taiga. State nature reserves occupy 335 thousand square meters. km, national parks - 70 thousand sq. km. The most surprising in terms of the duration of operation (over 100 years) and scientific significance is the man-made Stony Steppe in the southeast of the Voronezh Region. (founded in 1892 by the expedition of V.V.Dokuchaev in the barren eroded steppe as a model of an ideal agricultural landscape).
Vegetable world.
The vegetation cover of the Russian Federation includes zones of arctic polar deserts, tundras, boreal (with significant temperature fluctuations) taiga forests, broad-leaved forests, steppes, and deserts. Huge areas are occupied by mountains (Siberia, Far East) with different altitudinal vegetation zones. The coasts of rivers, lakes and seas have a special vegetation. Lichens and mosses, hiding the tiny flowers of the Arctic polar deserts in the north, are strikingly different from the three - four-tiered forests in the taiga, and in the south - from the subtropical vegetation of the Caucasus.
Russia's forest resources account for 22% of the world's forest area and 1/4 of the world's timber reserves. The main forest-forming species and timber reserves (decreasing from the size of the occupied areas): larch, Scots pine, downy and weeping birch (drooping), spruce, silver cedar pine. Coniferous and deciduous forests, streltsy steppes, floodplain meadows, Kuban floodplains have long been exposed to human impact; deforestation and fires have reduced their areas, some forest and steppe areas have been turned into land and pastures.
Animal world.
The fauna of Russia is the fauna of the temperate and cold zones of the Northern Hemisphere. The distribution of animals, their species diversity, abundance, and ecological relationships are determined by latitudinal zoning. The structure of the fauna reflects its complex history, a variety of sources and ways of formation.
Species diversity implies the division into fauna into a number of zones:
representatives of the Arctic Ocean and high-latitude islands (polar bear, seagull, narwhal, beluga whale),
tundra zone (deer, loons, arctic fox, etc.),
inhabitants of the highlands (bighorn sheep, leopards, Caucasian tur),
taiga zone (brown bear, elk, wolverine, sable, lynx).
forests of the European part of Russia (European bison, European roe deer, mink, marten)
steppes and semi-deserts (saiga, manul, steppe gopher, marmot, polecat)
fauna of the Far East (tiger, black bear, Bengal cat, raccoon dog, sika deer).
The inhabitants of the Far Eastern seas and their coasts (fur seal, cormorant, sea otter, whale, sperm whale, etc.), as well as the basins of the southern seas (seal, shark, Russian sturgeon, stellate sturgeon, Volga pike perch, etc.) are diverse.
Russia occupies one of the leading places in the world in terms of resources of wild animals (commercial fish, mammals, game animals and birds, aquatic invertebrates). The exterminating nature of fisheries and the disappearance of natural habitats are the reasons for the decline in a number of species of wild animals and resources of the animal world. For more than 25 years in Russia, measures have been taken to restore the number of fauna, including the removal from economic use of some species of animals and their inclusion in the Red Book.
A fascinating subject, geography is a scientific field that studies the earth's surface, oceans and seas, the environment and ecosystems, and the interaction between human society and the environment. The word geography literally translated from ancient Greek means "description of the earth." The following is a general definition of the term geography:
"Geography - system scientific knowledge studying the physical features of the Earth and environment, including the influence of human activity on these factors, and vice versa. The subject also covers the patterns of population distribution, land use, availability and production. "
Scientists who study geography are known as geographers. These people are engaged in the study of the natural environment of our planet and human society. Although the cartographers of the ancient world were known as geographers, today they are a relatively independent specialization. Geographers tend to focus on two main areas of geographical research: physical geography and human geography.
History of the development of geography
The term "geography" was coined by the ancient Greeks, who not only created detailed maps the surrounding area, and also explained the difference between people and natural landscapes in different places on Earth. Over the years, the rich heritage of geography has taken a fateful journey into vibrant Islamic minds. The golden age of Islam has witnessed astounding advances in the geographical sciences. Islamic geographers have become famous for their pioneering discoveries. New lands were explored and the first grid base for the map system was developed. Chinese civilization also instrumentally contributed to the development of early geography. The compass, developed by the Chinese, was used by researchers to study the unknown.
A new chapter in the history of science begins with the period of great geographical discoveries, a period that coincides with the European Renaissance. A fresh interest in geography has awakened in the European world. Marco Polo, a Venetian merchant and traveler, spearheaded this new era of exploration. Commercial interests in establishing trade contacts with the wealthy civilizations of Asia such as China and India became the main incentive for travel in those days. Europeans have moved forward in all directions, discovering new lands, unique cultures, etc. The enormous potential of geography to shape the future of human civilization was recognized and, in the 18th century, it was introduced as a core discipline at the university level. Relying on geographical knowledge, people began to discover new ways and means to overcome the difficulties generated by nature, which led to the prosperity of human civilization in all corners of the world. In the 20th century, aerial photography, satellite technology, computerized systems, and sophisticated software have radically changed science and made the study of geography more complete and detailed.
Branches of geography
Geography can be viewed as an interdisciplinary science. The subject includes a transdisciplinary approach that allows you to observe and analyze objects in the space of the Earth, as well as develop ways to solve problems based on this analysis. The discipline of geography can be divided into several areas of scientific research. The primary classification of geography divides the approach to the subject into two broad categories: physical geography and socioeconomic geography.
Physical geography
Defined as a branch of geography that includes the study of natural objects and phenomena (or processes) on Earth.
Physical geography is further subdivided into the following industries:
- Geomorphology: is engaged in the study of topographic and bathymetric features of the Earth's surface. Science helps clarify various aspects of landforms, such as their history and dynamics. Geomorphology also tries to predict future changes in the physical characteristics of the Earth's appearance.
- Glaciology: a branch of physical geography dealing with the study of the relationship between the dynamics of glaciers and their impact on the ecology of the planet. Thus, glaciology involves the study of the cryosphere, including alpine and continental glaciers. Glacial geology, snow hydrology, etc. are some of the subdisciplines of glaciological research.
- Oceanography: Since the oceans contain 96.5% of all water on Earth, the specialized discipline of oceanography is devoted to their study. The science of oceanography includes geological oceanography (the study of the geological aspects of the ocean floor, seamounts, volcanoes, etc.), biological oceanography (the study of marine flora, fauna and ocean ecosystems), chemical oceanography (the study of chemical composition sea waters and their effects on marine life), physical oceanography (the study of oceanic movements such as waves, currents, ebb and flow).
- Hydrology: another important branch of physical geography, dealing with the study of the properties and dynamics of the movement of water in relation to land. She explores rivers, lakes, glaciers and underground aquifers planets. Hydrology studies the continuous movement of water from one source to another, above and below the surface of the Earth, through.
- Soil science: branch of science that studies different types soils in their natural environment on the surface of the Earth. Helps to gather information and knowledge about the formation process (soil formation), composition, texture and classification of soils.
- : an irreplaceable discipline of physical geography, which studies the dispersal of living organisms in the geographic space of the planet. She also studies the distribution of species over geological time periods. Everyone geographic region has its own unique ecosystems, and biogeography investigates and explains their relationship with physical and geographical features. There are different branches of biogeography: zoogeography (the geographical distribution of animals), phytogeography (the geographical distribution of plants), island biogeography (the study of factors affecting individual ecosystems), etc.
- Paleogeography: a branch of physical geography that studies geographic features at different points in time in the geological history of the Earth. Science helps geographers gain information about continental positions and plate tectonics, as determined by studying paleomagnetism and fossil records.
- Climatology: Scientific research climate, as well as the most important section of geographical research in modern world... Considers all aspects related to micro or local climate as well as macro or global climate. Climatology also includes the study of the influence of human society on climate, and vice versa.
- Meteorology: studies weather conditions, atmospheric processes and phenomena that affect local and global weather.
- Environmental geography: explores the interaction between people (individuals or society) and their natural environment from a spatial point of view.
- Coastal geography: a specialized area of physical geography, which also includes the study of socio-economic geography. It explores the dynamic interaction between the coastal area and the sea. Physical processes that form coasts and the influence of the sea on landscape change. The study also involves understanding the impact of coastal residents on coastal landforms and ecosystems.
- Quaternary geology: a highly specialized branch of physical geography dealing with the study of the Quaternary period of the Earth (the geographical history of the Earth, covering the last 2.6 million years). This allows geographers to learn about environmental changes that have occurred in the planet's recent past. Knowledge is used as a tool to predict future changes in the world's environment.
- Geomatics: the technical branch of physical geography, which includes the collection, analysis, interpretation, and storage of data on the earth's surface.
- Landscape ecology: a science that studies the influence of various landscapes of the Earth on the ecological processes and ecosystems of the planet.
Human geography
Human geography, or socio-economic geography, is a branch of geography that studies the impact of the environment on human society and the earth's surface, as well as the impact of anthropogenic activities on the planet. Socio-economic geography is focused on the study of the world's most developed creatures from an evolutionary point of view - people and their environment.
This branch of geography is divided into different disciplines depending on the focus of research:
- Geography population: deals with the study of how nature determines the distribution, growth, composition, lifestyle and migration of human populations.
- Historical geography: explains the change and development of geographic phenomena over time. While this section is viewed as a branch of human geography, it also focuses on certain aspects of physical geography. Historical geography tries to understand why, how and when places and regions of the Earth change, as well as what impact they have on human society.
- Cultural geography: explores how and why cultural preferences and norms change with space and place. As such, she studies the spatial variation of human cultures, including religion, language, livelihood choices, politics, etc.
- Economical geography: the most important section of socio-economic geography, covering the study of location, distribution and organization economic activity a person in a geographic space.
- Political geography: examines the political boundaries of the countries of the world and the division between countries. She also examines how spatial structures affect political functions and vice versa. Military geography, electoral geography, geopolitics are some of the sub-disciplines of political geography.
- Health geography: explores the impact of geographic location on human health and well-being.
- Social geography: studies the quality and standard of living of the human population of the world and tries to understand how and why such standards change depending on the place and space.
- Geography of settlements: deals with the study of urban and rural settlements, economic structure, infrastructure, etc., as well as the dynamics of human settlement in relation to space and time.
- Geography of animals: studies the fauna of the Earth and the interdependence between humans and animals.
