Geography is the study of Earth and its human and natural features. It is a social science that studies many aspects: physical, political, cultural, and historical.
What do you think of when a person mentions the word "Geography"? Many people imagine a map with squiggly lines and names of countries. However, it is much more than that!
The high school world geography is an important subject that looks at how humans live on Earth, both at present and historically, and geographers have always tried to understand "where" things are in space and "why" they are there.
Read on as we elaborate:
The Importance Of Geography As A Discipline?
Geographers are interested in where people live, why they live there, what resources are around them, how their homes have changed over time due to politics or natural disasters, and how different cultures interact with each other and the physical environment.
Some of history's greatest explorers undertook great journeys to the farthest reaches of the globe, including new poles, the summits of mountains, and the deepest depths of the ocean.
Similarly, modern technology, such as remote sensing, satellite photography, and radar, have improved our ability to understand how the Earth's system works.
In the United States, geography is one of the most popular degree majors. In the national ranking of degree programs, it is placed at number 107.
And according to a survey published in 2022, 268 colleges provide degree programs in geography, totaling 6,681 degrees.
This means that there are enough schools with geography programs to accommodate students interested in learning about geography and what geographers do.
Hence, getting admissions will be a breeze for them.
Every student must investigate the options accessible to them and determine which curriculum is the most similar to the one they desire.
Why Learn Geography?
One day, every person will travel beyond their own country and see how different it looks; things look more authentic when viewed from space.
Even though all countries are different visually, everybody speaks the same language – even if it isn't your first language.
The central goal of high school geography is to understand how humans fit into Earth's landscape, and because of its unique perspective of the planet, it has become one of the most challenging and rewarding subjects to learn in school.
Geography is the study of where things are and how humans move between them. Essentially, it satiates the human curiosity of the world.
Types Of Geometry
There are many different sub-sections to geography, and they are all important in their unique areas. Hence, geography can be broken down into four main categories; physical, human, theoretical, and environmental.
Let's take a look at each of them!
Physical Geography
Physical geography is a subdivision that studies in detail how different forces influence the face of Earth by causing changes in landforms, and this branch has subdivisions itself:
- Lithosphere Geography
- Hydrosphere Geography
- Atmosphere Geography
Physical geography focuses on the natural features of the planet like mountains, rivers, and seas; climate (tropical vs. arctic); tectonic plates; etc.
Physical geographers do not focus on human-induced changes to the environment. If you see studying Earth as learning about different countries worldwide, then physical geographers would be like experts who live in those countries.
Human Geography
In terms of human movement, geography can be divided into three specific categories: physical, mental, and society.
These divisions result from studying different aspects of what shapes today's world and how humans live with one another in it.
It focuses on studying groups of people (and whole cultures) in terms of their effects on human thought.
For instance, cultural geographers would look at how culture has influenced what kind of art or literature has been created by a group over time.
It might examine why some groups have produced certain types of artwork more than others throughout history.
Theoretical Geography
Theoretical geography is where many geographers are employed, especially those employed full-time.
The main focus in theoretical geography is researching and debating geographical ideas, concepts, and approaches. This leads to new theories and some fascinating arguments within this field.
Many sub-fields within geography use theories to investigate how things work or why they exist. Two popular theoretical approaches used by geographers are:
- Cultural geography
- Environmental determinism
These theories can be applied to many geographical areas throughout history because they are flexible enough to explain change over long periods and ongoing issues in today's society.
Environmental Geography
Environmental geography is a part of geography that specifically studies the relationship between humans and their environment.
It involves how people use natural resources for survival and economic demands, climate changes due to population growth, increasing air pollution due to industrialization, etc.
The main elements in environmental geography include:
- Landforms or terrain
- Land cover/use or plant life on Earth (trees)
- Water sources (lakes)
- Weather patterns (rainfall)
- Human activities, such as farming or deforestation, that can influence all other elements in an area
Benefits Of Studying Geography
No matter what you want to do in life, knowledge of our world is essential. Geography can give you an edge over others when applying for college and university, help you get better grades once there, and allow you to make connections that may help you later on in life.
Here are some of the significant benefits of the high school world geography curriculum:
Helps Increase Your Knowledge
We have heard thousands of times that "knowledge is power," as the old saying goes. And there's no better method to gather knowledge than studying geography when it comes to comprehending the complex dynamics of the globe.
The study of the physical and human terrain is known as geography. It helps us comprehend anything from the economic diversity of a region to why a country faces political difficulties.
Grasping a country's makeup allows us to gain a deeper understanding of its people, culture, and behavior.
It also allows us to put ourselves in the shoes of others, and when it comes to international relations, this can be beneficial.
Helps Understand Other Cultures
A range of characteristics, such as geography and climate, can aid in understanding a country's or region's culture.
People in a place with a hot, arid environment, for instance, will have a different culture than those in a country with a more relaxed, moist climate.
Geography can assist you in comprehending immigrants in your country. For instance, the immigrants from countries near the equator will be used to a drastically different temperature than those from countries further away from the equator.
This can help you understand why someone from a specific country acts the way they do. Hence, you will also become more accepting of people from different cultures.
Helps In Navigation And Map Reading
In a world where it is easy to track down locations on an electronic map, one may believe that advanced geography abilities are no longer required.
However, a thorough grounding in geography is still beneficial in other circumstances. For example, many occupations requiring map reading or navigation abilities require a solid understanding of geography.
For instance, cartographers use maps to show people where things are and highlight particular landscape elements they believe are significant.
They create a city map that depicts all of the distinct neighborhoods and produce a map that illustrates the locations of the company's stores.
Increases Job Prospects
Understanding how geography and location affect a company is one of the best ways to increase your job prospects in the business environment.
For instance, if you are familiar with a business's location and the surrounding neighborhoods, you will better understand how that business can succeed.
Hence, you can work with a company as an international business consultant to figure out how to stay competitive in the global market.
Gives Students A Global Perspective
Geography is all about seeing things from a global perspective. One great thing that geography does is challenge the way we look at our own country and culture.
It makes us realize that we can't possibly understand things like climate change without looking at it from a much larger scale than just what's going on in our area alone.
Learning about geography provides us with knowledge about our current landscape and also helps us understand changes that are happening around the world
This larger picture allows students to see how their community fits into society as a whole.
Develops Problem-Solving Skills
According to research, high school geography activities can also develop your problem-solving skills. For example, making a 'problem-solving map' regarding a specific location might be intriguing.
A problem-solving map is a tool for identifying and resolving problems in a given area. It's a diagrammatic representation of a location that incorporates pertinent features and data.
The map can be used to aid in identifying potential solutions to problems and the evaluation of their impact.
To solve problems, policymakers can use the problem-solving map, which can assist them in determining the best course of action.
It is also a proven method of determining the impact of several solutions on a given area and aids in the identification of potential roadblocks to solution implementation.
Career Outlook For Geographers
The job outlook for geographers, which includes cartographers, is projected to be average compared to most other professions.
However, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of geographers is expected to increase by 4% through 2022.
A recent BLS report revealed that there were 17,300 employed geographers in 2010. Their median salary was $72,730 per year. Most employed geographers worked for local governments in 2020 with 8,860 jobs.
The federal government accounted for 4,920 jobs while architectural and engineering services had 2,590 openings; local educational services provided 480; state government posted 390; management and technical consulting services hired 200; scientific research and development services oversaw 160 jobs.
Besides these benefits, professions in geography allow you to work on critical challenges, such as malnutrition, overcrowding, urban expansion, and climate change.
But, contrary to what some people believe, geography offers a range of careers. So, if you want to make a difference in the world as a young person, studying geography can give you an excellent outlook for the future.
Learn Geography With The Help Of A Professional
Every student learns differently, and studying in a high school classroom can cause you to lose out on complex topics to understand on your own.
Millions of teachers provide grouped and private classes to students who want to improve their skills on online learning platforms like Superprof.
Superprof has millions of tutors that deliver individual lessons adapted to your learning ability, whether you want to learn basic geographical terms or become an expert in Geography.
So, choose the Geography tutor you wish to study with and get yourself started immediately!
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Importance of geography