Information about Geography.

Geography ultimately deals with studying our world. From focusing on landscapes to human demographics, the essence of geography is beautiful. Also, it ought to be taken seriously. The climate change challenge going on in the world proves to everyone that we must take geography as an important form of study. Record temperatures are found worldwide. Many species of animals globally have found up dead or dying. Hurricanes are increasingly in their intensity or magnitude that has caused damage in places like the Bahamas and parts of America. When cities flood and the Amazon rainforest is burning up, then you know that our fight for environmental justice is more than a matter of solutions. It is a quest to save human life and animal life in general. We have only one Earth, and we are entitled to improve upon it in the best way possible. There are many applications and occupations as it relates to geography. The branches of geography are numerous like physical geography, human geography, geomatics, regional geography, and other related fields. I took many geography classes before in college years ago, and those classes certainly gave me more insights on the world society. Today, we live in a much different world than even 10 years ago. We should maintain our core principles while advancing compassion to fellow human beings.


One of the best applications of using geography is about the geographic information system (or GIS). The GIS is an advanced system that is created to capture, store, manipulate, manage, and present spatial or geographic data. GIS can help to analyze maps, to create interactive queries (user created searches), and using information about other applications. Today, advanced technologies and other methods relate to GIS. Longitude, latitude, elevation, x, y, and z coordinates are represented in that technology. Its history goes back long decades. Geographic information system was first known to be used by Roger Tomlinson by the year of 1968. He mentioned in in his paper called, “A Geographic Information System for Regional Planning.” The French geographer Charles Picquet represented the 48 districts of the city of Paris by halftone color gradient according to the number of deaths by cholera per 1,000 inhabitants. In 1854 John Snow determined the source of a cholera outbreak in London by marking points on a map depicting where the cholera victims lived, and connecting the cluster that he found with a nearby water source. This was one of the earliest successful uses of a geographic methodology in epidemiology. While the basic elements of topography and theme existed previously in cartography, the John Snow map was unique, using cartographic methods not only to depict but also to analyze clusters of geographically dependent phenomena. By the 20th century, more computer technology was formed to evaluate geographic information. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada was the place where the first operational GIS was instituted by 1960. It was created by the federal Department of Forestry and Rural Development. Developed by Dr. Roger Tomlinson, and it was called the Canada Geographic Information System (CGIS). Its purpose was used to store, analyze, and manipulate data collected for the Canada Land Inventory – an effort to determine the land capability for rural Canada by mapping information about soils, agriculture, recreation, wildlife, waterfowl, forestry and land use at a scale of 1:50,000. A rating classification factor was also added to permit analysis. Modern GIS technologies have digital information. With the wide availability of ortho-rectified imagery (from satellites, aircraft, Helikites and UAVs), heads-up digitizing is becoming the main avenue through which geographic data is extracted. Heads-up digitizing involves the tracing of geographic data directly on top of the aerial imagery instead of by the traditional method of tracing the geographic form on a separate digitizing tablet (heads-down digitizing). The GeaBios system uses geographical information as well. In local, state, and federal governments, they use programs that deal with public safety, parks and recreation, public works, economic development, and other aspects of society with the usage of geographic research.



Tons of occupations work with geography all of the time. These careers deal with researching weather and analyzing facts. There are cartographers who develop maps, charts, diagrams, travel guides, and spreadsheets. They can work for the government. Some survey lands. The field of cartography have existed for centuries and thousands of years. Others advance conservation. Some people are environmental consultants. They study the air, the water, and other ecosystems in finding ways to improve the environment. Some workers in geography are town planners. They work in management and development involved in the creation of villages, towns, cities, and other rural areas. Many of them have an extreme amount of qualifications. They not only create plans. They balance budgets, deal with zoning laws, and use tools to advance the tools that outline the necessity to enhance the environment. A geographic information system officer use the GIS computer system to analyze complex geographical information .The data can be applies such as meteorology, oil, gas, telecommunication, and environmental issues. There are recycle officers and landscape architects. Many places like stores and parks require architects to make sure that they are fundamentally sound and have powerful infrastructures. Many people are teachers of geography. They teach skills and knowledge to the youth in a secondary school, a college, and other educational services.  These teachers are mostly in middle and high school among secondary educations. Other geography teachers work in colleges including universities across the world. Therefore, careers are very diverse as it relates to geography.

There is new research and discoveries about geography all of the time. Recently in 2019, people found more meltwater lakes on the surface of the East Antarctic ice sheet. This is a study led by the Durham University, UK. They found more than 65,000 lakes found. There is a GIS and eDNA analysis system that has successfully used to discover new habitats of a rare salamander. Researchers identified an unknown population of the endangered Yamato salamander.


Geographic history is always part of human history. The history of geography is always long and complex. It differs from time, place, and culture. Today, people know about cartography from Muslims, Chinese people, Europeans, Africans, and other human beings throughout the world. Geography comes from the Greek word γεωγραφία or geographia. The word means “to describe or write about the Earth.” The scholar Eratosthenes (275-194 B.C.) was the first person to have used the word geography. During the time of ancient Egypt, the ancient Egyptians viewed the Nile River as the center of their power. There were many oases to the east and the west of the Nile. The ancient Egyptians viewed these regions as locations of various gods like Amon. The Kushitic region was to the south of Egypt. It was known as far as the 4th cataract. The ancient Egyptians and the ancient Kushites traded with each other, and in many cases intermarried with each other. . Punt was a region south along the shores of the Red Sea. Various Asiatic peoples were known as Retenu, Kanaan, Que, Harranu, or Khatti (Hittites). At various times especially in the Late Bronze Age Egyptians had diplomatic and trade relationships with Babylonia and Elam. The Mediterranean was called "the Great Green" and was believed to be part of a world encircling ocean. Europe was unknown to many ancient Egyptians thousands of years ago, although it may have become part of the Egyptian world view in Phoenician times. To the west of Asia lay the realms of Keftiu, possibly Crete, and Mycenae (thought to be part of a chain of islands that joined Cyprus, Crete, Sicily and later perhaps Sardinia, Corsica and the Balarics to Africa).


The oldest known world maps came from ancient Babylon form the 9th century B.C. The best known Babylonian world map was the Imago Mundi of 600 B.C. This map was reconstructed by Eckhard Unger. It showed Babylon on the Euphrates River being surrounded by a circular landmass showing Assyria, Uratu, and other cities. It was surrounded by a “bitter fiver” or Oceanus with seven island arranged around it to form a seven pointed star. The accompanying text showed the seven outer regions beyond the encircling oceans. The descriptions of the five of them survived. In contrast to the Imago Mundi, an earlier Babylonian world map dating back to the 9th century BC depicted Babylon as being further north from the center of the world, though it is not certain what that center was supposed to represent. The Greco-Roman world has many geographers.


By Timothy