ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT

ENV 203/GEO 205: INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHY

LECTURE 01

PROFESSOR DR. MD. MIZANUR RAHMAN (RMR)

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 TODAY’S LECTURE CONTENT…

THIS LECTURE WILL COVER…

1. Geography: Introductory Video.

2. Geography: Definition
3. Subject Matter
4. Branches of Geography

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 TODAY’S LECTURE CONTENT…

LECTURE 01

INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHY…

A video on Geography

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 GEOGRAPHY

WHAT IS GEOGRAPHY?

GENERAL CONCEPTS…

1. Deals about making Maps.

2. Study about the Universe and Space.
3. Study about the round-shaped Earth.
4. Physical features of the Earth.
5. Earth Systems.
6. Weather and Climate.
7. Spatial Characteristics and Issues.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 GEOGRAPHY

WHAT IS GEOGRAPHY?

MISCONCEPTIONS…

1. School geography may have left many with bad memories of learning
the names of capitals, rivers and towns.
2. It is still common to meet people who think that geographers must
have to learn the population of towns all over the world.
3. And name and locate all the states, rivers in Africa as well as the
whole world.
4. Geographers write travel descriptions.
5. Geographers are thought to be people who know how to draw maps.
6. That means Geography derives as an encyclopaedic knowledge of
places.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 GEOGRAPHY

WHAT IS GEOGRAPHY?

ORIGIN OF THE WORD…

Geography is from two Greek words…

GEO : Earth
Graphien : to Write

It is simply the study of the earth, and everything that goes on,
on it.
Geography is the one of the oldest and most diverse fields of
study.
Geography asks the following questions:
Where, What, When, Why and Why there?

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 GEOGRAPHY

WHAT IS GEOGRAPHY?

DEFINITION…

Geography, the science of place, i.e., the study of the surface of

the earth, the location and distribution of its physical and
cultural features, and the interrelationship between man and
environment over time and space.

Four Key Concepts…

• Man
• Environment
• Time
• Space

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 GEOGRAPHY

WHAT IS GEOGRAPHY?

Time

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 GEOGRAPHY

GEOGRAPHY AS A DISCIPLINE…

Geography is the science that studies the

interdependence of geographic areas, places, and
locations; natural systems; processes; and societal
and cultural activities over Earth's surface.

• It’s about writing the earth.

• The Language for our landscape.
• It’s a combination of physical science with social impact.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 GEOGRAPHY

GEOGRAPHY: SUBJECT MATTER AND SCOPE…

The relationship
between
systematic
geography,
regional
geography and
the systematic
sciences

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 GEOGRAPHY

GEOGRAPHY: SUBJECT MATTER AND SCOPE…

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 GEOGRAPHY

BRANCHES OF GEOGRAPHY…

Two main branches of Geography…

• Physical Geography (Science)

• Human Geography (Social Science)

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 BRANCHES OF GEOGRAPHY

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY…

Physical
Geography
is the study
of the
world’s
physical
features,
it’s
landforms,
bodies of
water,
climates,
soils and Physical Geographers ask…
plants.
• Where do mountains come from?
• Why do rivers flow in certain places?
• Weather/climate patterns, etc?

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 BRANCHES OF GEOGRAPHY

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY…

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 BRANCHES OF GEOGRAPHY

USES OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY…

Geographers study the physical world—to

learn how it works.
Studying the changes that take place on our
planet can help us prepare to live with those
changes.
Physical geographers help us to aware and
adjust to the dangers and changes of our world.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 BRANCHES OF GEOGRAPHY

EXAMPLES OF WHAT PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHERS DO:

Question:
How might a physical geographer analyze
water pollution in the Great Lakes?
Answer:
Geographers for example can describe the lake elevations,
flows, volumes and annual mixing patterns as temperatures
change seasonally.
They can locate population centers and point sources of
pollution using population concentrations estimate non-point
sources of pollution.
They can map published data of water chemical analyses.
They can use a Geographic Information System (GIS) model
develop a composite overlay of all the above elements.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 BRANCHES OF GEOGRAPHY

HUMAN GEOGRAPHY…

Human
geography is
the study of
the world’s
people,
communities,
and
landscapes.
Human
geographers
study the
Human Geographers ask…
world’s people,
past, present • What crops will grow there?
and future. • What makes people migrate?
• What types of houses do they build? Etc.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 BRANCHES OF GEOGRAPHY

HUMAN GEOGRAPHY…

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 BRANCHES OF GEOGRAPHY

USES OF HUMAN GEOGRAPHY…

Identify systematic processes and patterns that have shaped

human understanding, use and alteration of Earth’s surface.
Possible to know spatial concepts and landscape analysis to
examine human social organization and its environmental
consequences.
To know the details about Society and Cultural diversity.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 BRANCHES OF GEOGRAPHY

EXAMPLES OF WHAT HUMAN GEOGRAPHERS DO:

Question:
Why highly vegetated area became a desert or how
people use and alter their environments?

Answer:
When people allow their animals to overgraze a region, the soil
erodes and grassland is transformed into desert.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 GEOGRAPHY

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 CONCLUDING REMARKS

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 CONCLUDING REMARKS

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
 GEOGRAPHY

GEOGRAPHY…

A video on Geography

Assessment of Class Participation

List the focusing areas of Geography that you have

just seen in this video and classify them according to
the broad disciplines/subjects/events/themes under
the major branches of Geography (i.e. human
geography and physical geography).

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
Department of Environmental Science and Management
Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University