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Humen Geography Notes
Humen Geography Notes
CONTENT
UNIT 1
MEANING
Human geography is the branch of geography which studies spatial (relative and absolute
location.) relationships between human communities, cultures, economies, and their
interactions with the environment,
Human geography studies the inter-relationship between the physical environment and
sociocultural environment created by human beings through mutual interaction with each other.
DEFINATIONS
Human geography is the synthetic study of relationship between human societies and earth’s
surface”. Ratze
“Human geography is the study of “the changing relationship between the unresting man and the
unstable earth”. Ellen C .Sample
Human geography is the "study of the nature and distribution of the relationships between
geographical environment and human activities and qualities.“ Elseworth Huntington
NATURE
1. Population Geography: This subfield delves into the study of human populations,
analyzing patterns of distribution, migration, demographics, and population growth. It
examines factors influencing these patterns, such as social, economic, political, and
environmental conditions.
2. Settlement Geography: This branch focuses on the location, form, function, and
evolution of human settlements, ranging from rural villages to megacities. It explores
factors like historical context, resource availability, and transportation networks that
influence settlement patterns.
3. Cultural Geography: This subfield explores the geographical variations in
cultures, languages, religions, ethnicities, and traditions. It examines how these
cultural elements shape landscapes, social practices, and identities across different
places.
4. Economic Geography: This area focuses on the spatial organization of economic
activities and systems. It analyzes the location of industries, agriculture, trade
patterns, and the development of markets across regions. It also explores the impact
of globalization on economic landscapes.
5. Political Geography: This subfield studies the geographical dimensions of
political systems and processes. It examines how borders are drawn, how power is
distributed across space, and how political ideologies influence territorial control.
6. Urban Geography: This branch focuses on the growth, structure, function, and
challenges faced by urban areas. It explores issues like urban planning,
transportation networks, social segregation, and the impact of urbanization on the
environment.
7. Social Geography: This subfield examines the spatial variations in social
structures, inequalities, and social processes. It analyzes factors like class, gender,
race, and ethnicity, and how they influence social interactions and access to
resources across different places.
8. Environmental Geography: This branch explores the interactions between
human societies and the natural environment. It examines issues like climate
change, resource depletion, pollution, and sustainability practices at different scales.
9. Development Geography: This subfield focuses on the geographical patterns of
development and underdevelopment. It analyzes factors like poverty, inequality,
access to resources, and the impact of development policies on different regions.
10. Geographic Information Systems (GIS): Human geographers increasingly
utilize GIS to analyze spatial data, visualize patterns, and create maps that enhance
understanding of human-environment interactions.
Space provides the stage: It's the physical canvas where places and
landscapes exist.
Places emerge from the interaction with space: Human activities, cultural
practices, and historical events imbue spaces with meaning, transforming
them into places.
Landscapes are the expressions of place on the ground: They reflect the
interplay between the physical environment and human actions over time.
Man and Nature Relationship: The relationship between the man and the nature has
been established in the early periods. Human beings live in the nature and interact
with it regularly. The influence of nature in the form of the air we breathe, the water
he drinks, the food he eats, and the flow of energy and information. Any change in
the environment can not only result in devastating effects, but can also become a
threat to the human race.
There are three concepts which explore the relationship between humans and their
neture or environment, particularly focusing on how much control humans have over
their choices and actions.
These concepts provide a framework for analyzing how humans and their
environment interact. While determinism focuses on the limitations imposed by the
environment, possibilism emphasizes human agency, and neo-determinism seeks a
middle ground, acknowledging both aspects. Understanding these concepts helps us
appreciate the complex interplay between humans and the world around them.
Human geography is a vast and multifaceted field that delves into the relationships
between humans and the spaces they inhabit. It encompasses a wide range of
subfields that focus on specific aspects of these interactions. Here's a breakdown of
the two:
Field:
Human Geography: This is the overarching field encompassing the entire
study of human-environment interactions. It considers the social, cultural,
economic, and political processes that shape how people live, interact, and
organize themselves in space. Human geography utilizes various approaches
and methodologies to analyze these interactions across different scales, from
local communities to global trends.
Subfields:
These are more specialized areas within human geography that focus on particular
aspects of human-environment interactions. Here are some prominent subfields:
There are many other subfields within human geography, each with its own specific
area of focus. Some emerging subfields include:
The population on the earth is more than six billion. It has grown to this size over
centuries. In the early periods population of the world grew very slowly. It is only
during the last few hundred years that population has increased at an alarming rate
After the evolution and introduction of agriculture about 8,000 to 12,000 years
ago, the size of population was small – roughly 8 million.
In the first century A.D. it was below 300 million.
The expanding world trade during the sixteenth and seventeenth century, set
the stage for rapid population growth.
Around 1750, at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, the world population
was 550 million. World population exploded in the eighteenth century after the
Industrial Revolution. Technological advancement achieved so far helped in
the reduction of Death rate and provided a stage for accelerated population
growth.
It took more than a million years for the human population to attain the one billion mark.
But it took only 12 years for it to rise from 5 billion to 6 billion. the world population is 8.1
billion in 2024
The term population distribution refers to the way people are spaced over the earth’s
surface. Broadly, 90 per cent of the world population lives in about 10 per cent of its land
area. The 10 most populous countries of the world contribute about 60 per cent of the
world’s population. Of these 10 countries, 6 are located in Asia. Identify these six countries
of Asia.
Factors Affecting Distribution: Several factors influence population
distribution, including:
o Climate: Favorable climates with moderate temperatures and reliable
rainfall tend to attract larger populations for agriculture and comfortable
living conditions.
o Topography: Flat, arable land is more suitable for settlements and
agriculture compared to mountainous or hilly terrains.
o Water Availability: Access to freshwater is crucial for human
settlements and economic activities, leading to higher populations near
rivers, lakes, and coastlines.
o Economic Opportunities: Areas with abundant resources, job
opportunities, and infrastructure attract people seeking a better
livelihood.
DENSITY OF POPULATION
This refers to the number of people living per unit area, usually expressed as people per
square kilometer.
High-Density Areas
Low-Density Areas:
While vast, these regions have very few people per square kilometer. Here are some
specific examples with data to illustrate the sparseness:
Deserts:
o Sahara Desert: This vast desert in North Africa has an average
density of less than 1 person per square kilometer.
o Gobi Desert: Spanning parts of China and Mongolia, the Gobi Desert
has an average density of below 2 people per square kilometer.
o
Polar Regions: Extremely cold temperatures and limited resources make
permanent settlements challenging:
o Arctic: The average density in the Arctic falls below 0.1 person per
square kilometer.
o Antarctica: Almost entirely uninhabited, with a very small, transient
research population, resulting in a density close to zero.
o
Mountainous Areas: Harsh weather and difficult terrain limit populations:
o Himalayas: The average density in the Himalayas falls below 5
people per square kilometer.
o Andes Mountains: Density varies by region, but generally
remains below 25 people per square kilometer. While there are
pockets of higher density in valleys, vast stretches remain sparsely
populated.
o Rocky Mountains: These mountains are sparsely populated with
some valleys having slightly higher densities. However, overall, the
density remains significantly lower compared to global averages.
MIGRATION
Migration, the movement of people from one place to another with the intention of
staying for an extended period or permanently. It's a fundamental human phenomenon that
has been happening for centuries, driven by various factors and shaping societies around
the world.
Causes of Migration:
Push Factors: These factors compel people to leave their place of origin,
often due to undesirable conditions. Examples include:
o Economic Factors: Poverty, unemployment, lack of economic
opportunities, or natural disasters can push people to seek better
livelihoods elsewhere.
o Political Factors: War, political instability, persecution, or violence can
force people to flee their homes.
o Environmental Factors: Natural disasters, environmental
degradation, or resource scarcity can push people to migrate to safer
or more resource-rich areas.
o Social Factors: Social unrest, discrimination, or lack of educational
opportunities can motivate people to seek a better life elsewhere.
Pull Factors: These factors attract people to a new destination, offering them
a perceived improvement in their lives. Examples include:
o Economic Opportunities: Job availability, higher wages, and better
living standards in the destination area can be a strong pull factor.
o Social Factors: Reuniting with family, seeking a better quality of life, or
a more desirable social environment can attract migrants.
o Political Stability: Safety, security, and political stability in the
destination area can be a major pull factor, especially for those fleeing
conflict or persecution.
o Environmental Factors: A more desirable climate, access to
resources, or better environmental conditions can attract migrants.
Types of Migration:
Migration can be classified in various ways, depending on the distance traveled and
the duration of the move:
Migration has wide-ranging consequences for both the origin and destination areas:
Positive Growth of Population: This happens when the birth rate is more than
the death rate between two points of time or when people from other countries
migrate permanently to a region.
MALTHUS THEORY
Malthusian theory was, developed by Thomas Malthus in the late 18th century,
argues that human population growth will inevitably outpace the growth of food
production, leading to poverty and famine.
Core Ideas:
Exponential Population Growth: Malthus believed that human population
tends to grow exponentially, meaning it increases at an increasingly rapid
rate. He envisioned population growth following a geometric progression (1, 2,
4, 8, 16...).
Arithmetic Food Supply Growth: In contrast, Malthus argued that food
production increases arithmetically, meaning it grows at a constant rate (1, 2,
3, 4, 5...). This linear growth wouldn't be enough to keep pace with the
exponential population boom.
Graphical Representation:
Consequences:
Malthus' theory has been heavily criticized over time for several reasons:
The demographic transition theory is a framework used to describe the historical shift
in population dynamics that societies experience as they develop economically and
socially. It outlines a series of stages that a population goes through, characterized
by changes in birth and death rates.