HUMAN AND PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

PREPARED AND RESEARCHED BY: ROMEO MANALAYSAY II

I. WHAT IS GEOGRAPHY?

- It is the study of physical and biological components on the Earth's surface

and the inter-relation between them. It also involves exploring the variations
in Earth's surfaces, their interplay with mankind, and the implications of this
interaction on the future.

II. DIFFERENTIATE: HUMAN VS. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

- Have you ever stopped to consider the difference between physical

geography and human geography? While these two branches of geography
may seem similar, they represent two distinct areas of study. The main
distinction between physical and human geography is the focus on either
the physical features of the Earth or the human phenomena that inhabit it.

A.) PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY: focuses on the natural features of the Earth.

This branch of geography studies landforms, climate, bodies of water,
air, biomes, soils, natural vegetation and other aspects of the natural
environment. It also studies the impacts of humans on the environment
and ecosystems. In other words, physical geography seeks to
understand how physical processes drive change in the environment,
as well as how humans are interacting with these processes.

-Subcategories of Physical Geography:

-Geomorphology: the study of various landforms and the
processes that affect the topography of the Earth.
-Glaciology: the study of ice cover on the Earth’s surface and
the impact of the retreat of glaciers to the climate of Earth, and on
humans on them.
-Hydrology: the study of water itself and its resources.

B.) HUMAN GEOGRAPHY: is the interaction and interplay between

human activities and physical space. It includes the study of the network
of people, the impact of the environment on cultures and vice-versa, and
the behaviors and patterns of the political, social, and economic
variables across geographical spaces. The relationship between the
environment and health, the trade patterns throughout a region, the
impact of climate on agricultural practices, and the historical patterns of
 trade, food, and culture in a spatial context are explored under the
subject of human geography. Examples: Human-made dams,
immigration and settlements, population growth/decrease, technical
advancements, and so on.

-Subcategories of Human geography:

- Economic geography: This branch explores how the trade
patterns and the sources of livelihoods have been shaped by the
climate and landforms across a region and the impact on the
environment. Ex.; Import and export of products, goods, services,
technology, and so on.
-Cultural geography: This field makes the study of cultural
practices of a region and what will be its impact of sharing different
culture to other region on our climate or environment, and how will it
shape the humans in the future.
-Population geography: This field makes the study of
patterns and processes of a population across geographical space.
It tries to explain the similarities and differences in population growth
in a regional environment.
-Political geography: This field makes an inquiry into the
nature of politics and compares and contrasts the politics of regions
in a country. It tries to understand the influence of politics and the
environment on each other.
QUESTIONS (RECITATION NEXT WEEK, prepare your answers):
In your own words:
1. WHAT IS GEOGRAPHY?
2. WHAT IS PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY?
3. WHY DO WE NEED TO STUDY IT?
4. WHAT IS HUMAN GEOGRAPHY?
5. WHY DO WE NEED TO STUDY IT?