What is Geography

  • Geography is more than the study of the physical features of the planet
  • It is also the study of people and how their activities have affected the planet
  • It is about the cultural landscape of an area
  • It is about how the interactions of all things on the planet create diverse and unique places
  • The term geography came from the ancient Greeks
      * Geo means earth and graphy means to write
      * The Greeks created an understanding of their home in relation to other places and compared their own location and people to other environments and people
  • In the Middle Ages, advances were made in Geography
      * This is when the first grid map was made
      * A grid map uses intersecting lines to pinpoint a location
  • In 271 CE, the Chinese invented the compass
  • During the Age of Discovery, the printing press was invented by Johannes Gutenberg
      * This gave people more access to maps and charts
  • People were excited to travel and find new lands leading to colonies around the world