It is always a difficult proposition to define a subject. With the passage of time, as knowledge grows and culture advances, the meaning of the subject also changes.The term ‘Geography’ was first used by Eratosthenes, a Greek geographer who lived in Alexandria, Egypt during 276-192 BC.
Literally, the term ‘geography’ means ‘description of the earth’ ('geo'--> earth and 'graphos' --> description). Though several definitions of the term have been given, the most important in vogue is that given by Hartshorne in his monumental work – ‘Perspective on Nature of Geography’ in which he stated:
“Geography is concerned to provide accurate, orderly and rational description as well as interpretation of the variable character of the earth’s surface”.
Ellen C. Semple defined the subject as:
“Geography is the study of the changing relationship between the unresting man and the unstable earth.”
Semple’s definition though sounds simple, cut across the disciplines of cosmology; pure sciences; earth sciences; atmospheric sciences; oceanography; mathematics; engineering; biological, environmental and social sciences and the IT ……etc. to understand three key areas of the:
- unstable earth….?
- unresting man….?
- and, the ever changing relationship between the two….?
In simple language,
Geography is a natural-cum-human science which is engaged in the study of factors and processes, both natural and human that shapes the earth’s surface and gives rise to different cultures and civilizations. It is a science that studies the spatial arrangement of things on the surface of the earth resulting from a dynamic interaction between the nature and humans.
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