Nature of ‘Geography’ (Series 2).

The subject by its nature is highly dynamic because it studies the earth’s surface, which is ever changing sometimes gradually and unnoticeably while at others speedily and noticeably, at the backdrop of changing relationship with unresting man. To elaborate:

It is a natural-cum-human science and is engaged in the study of factors and processes (both natural and human) which gives rise to different patterns at spatial as well as temporal scales.

It is interdisciplinary and integrative. On one hand, it uses information across various disciplines to analyse the emerging patterns and their implications for man while at the other provides information to other disciplines in their studies. For example,

The GIS gathers, integrates, analyse and interpret information from the domain of Space and Engineering technologies to disseminate the generated knowledge, principles and theories to various organisations and departments like the ONGC, OIL, Disaster Management Cells, Agriculture, Country and Town Planning, Transport and Communication etc.

The Geographic Information System (GIS), Land Information System (LIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) have started a new era of Spatial Information Technology (SIT) in the realm of the subject.

Geography, though an integrative science has a dichotomous character. Thus, the internal logic of geographical study has tended to split the subject into two major branches, viz.:
(a) Physical geography, and,
(b) Human geography.

Geography looks at earth’s surface from two different but interrelated perspectives, known as systematic and regional. Accordingly the:
(a) Systematic geography, and,
(b) Regional geography, has evolved in the process of its development.

It is a discipline which explains the ‘cause-effect’ relationship of the arrangements of various natural and cultural features of the earth surface that holistically existed before and exists even today.