Definitions in geography "geographical concepts". Brief dictionary of geographical concepts and terms
Geographic concepts
Altitude is the vertical distance from sea level togivenpoints.A.v. points above sea level is considered positive,below - negative.
Azimuth is the angle between north anddirection toany subjecton the ground; calculated in degrees from 0 to 360° in the directionsentry movementsarrows.
Iceberg - a large block of ice floating in a sea, lake or aground
Antarctic belt - descends from the South Pole to 70°S.Anticyclone - area of high air pressure inatmosphere.area - the area of \u200b\u200bdistribution of a phenomenon or group of living thingsorganisms.
arctic belt - descends from the North Pole to 70°N.Archipelago - group of islands.
Atmosphere the air envelope of the earth.
Atoll - coral island in the form of a ring.
Beam - dry valley in the steppe and forest-steppe regions of the Russian Plain.
Barkhan - accumulation of loose sand blown by the wind and not fixed by vegetation.
Pool - an area of depression that does not have runoff on the surface.Shore - a strip of land adjacent to a river, lake, sea; slope descending to the water basin.
Biosphere - one of the shells of the Earth, includes all living organisms.Breeze - local wind on the shores of the seas, lakes and large rivers.daytime B. (or sea) blows from the sea (lake) to land.night B. (or coastal) -Withsushionsea.
"Brocken Ghost" (along the Brocken mountain in the Harz massif, Germany)- a special kind of mirage observed in clouds or fog whensunrise or sunset.
Wind - the movement of air relative to the ground, usually horizontal, is directed from high pressure to low pressure.direction B. determined by the side of the horizon, from wherehe blows.Speed B. defined in m/s, km/h, knots or approximately on the Beaufort scale.
Air humidity - the content of water vapor in it.
Watershed - boundary between watersheds.Elevation - an area elevated above the surrounding area.
Waves - oscillatory movements aquatic environment seasAndoceanscaused bytide-generating forces of the moon and sun(tidal V.), by the wind(wind V.), fluctuations in atmospheric pressure(anemobaric V.), underwater earthquakes and volcanic eruptions (tsunamis).
highlands - a set of mountain structures with steep slopes, pointed peaks and deep valleys; absolute altitudes over 3000m. The highest mountain systems of the planet:Himalayas, vertexEverest (8848 m) located in Asia; V Central Asia, in India and China -Karakoram, vertexChogori (8611 m).
Altitudinal zonality - change of natural zones in the mountains from the sole to the top, associated with climate and soil changes depending on the height above sea level.
Geographical coordinates - angular quantities that determine the position of any point on the globe relative to the equator and the prime meridian.
Geospheres - shells of the Earth, differing in density and composition.Hydrosphere - water shell of the Earth.
Mountain: 1) an isolated sharp elevation among relatively flat terrain; 2) a peak in a mountainous country.
Mountains - vast territories with absolute heights up to several thousand meters and sharp fluctuations in heights within their limits.
mountain system - a collection of mountain ranges and mountain ranges that extend in the same direction and have a common appearance.
Ridge - elongated, relatively low form of relief; formed by hills linedVa row and their merged bases.
Delta - the area of deposition of river sediments at the mouth of the river at its confluence with the sea or lake.
Longitude geographic - the angle between the plane of the meridian passing through the given point and the plane of the initial meridian; measured in degrees and measured from the prime meridian to the east and west.
Valley - negative linearly elongated relief form.
Dunes - accumulation of sands on the shores of seas, lakes and rivers, formed by the wind.
gulf - part of the oceanorlakes), which goes quite deep into the land, but has free water exchange with the main part of the reservoir.
Earth's crust - the upper shell of the earth.
Swell - small, with a calm uniform wave, the excitement of the sea, river or lake.
Ionosphere - high layers of the atmosphere, starting at an altitude of 50-60 km.
Source - the place where the river begins.
Canyon - a deep river valley with steep slopes and a narrow bottom.K. underwater -deep valley within the underwater margin of the mainland.
Karst - dissolution of rocks by natural waters and the phenomenon associated with it.
Climate - long-term weather pattern in a particular area.Local K., distributed over a relatively small area.Climate zone (or belt) - a vast region distinguished by climatic indicators.
Spit - a sand or pebble shaft, stretching along the coast or protruding in the form of a cape far into the sea.
Crater - a depression that arose after the explosion of a volcano.
A ridge is a sharply rising large uplift, one of the types of hills.
Avalanche A mass of snow or ice falling down a steep slope.Lagoon - a shallow bay or bay separated from the sea by a spit or coral reef.
landscape geographical - a relatively homogeneous area of the geographic envelope.
Glacier - a mass of ice moving slowly under the influence of gravity along the slope of a mountain or along a valley. The Antarctic glacier is the largest on the planet, its area is 13 million 650 thousand km 2 , the maximum thickness exceeds 4.7 km, and the total ice volume is about 25-27 million km 3 - almost 90% of the volume of all ice on the planet.
glacial period - a period of time in the geological history of the Earth, characterized by a strong cooling of the climate.forest-steppe - a landscape in which forests and steppes alternate.forest tundra - a landscape in which forests and tundra alternate.
Liman - shallow bay at the mouth of the river; usually separated from the sea by an oblique or embankment.
Lithosphere - one of the shells of the Earth.
Mantle - the shell of the Earth between the earth's crust and core.
Mainland - a large part of the land, surrounded on all sides by oceans and seas.Australia - in Yuzh. hemisphere, between the Indian and Pacific oceans (the smallest of the continents);Sev. and Yuzh. America - in Zap. hemisphere, between the Pacific and the Antlatic oceans;Antarctica - in the central part of the South. the polar region (the southernmost and highest continent on the planet);Africa - in Yuzh. hemisphere (the second largest continent);Eurasia - all in. hemisphere (the largest continent of the Earth).
Geographic meridians - imaginary circles passing through the poles and crossing the equator at right angles; all their points lie on the same geographic longitude.
World Ocean - all water space of the Earth.
Monsoons - winds that periodically change their direction depending on the time of year: in winter they blow from land to sea, and in summer from sea to land.
uplands - a mountainous country characterized by a combination of mountain ranges and massifs and located high above sea level. Tibet - in Central Asia, the highest and greatest plateau on Earth. Its base rests at absolute heights of 3500-5000 m and more. Some peaks rise up to 7000 m.
lowlands - bottom tier mountainous countries or independent mountain structures with absolute heights from 500 m to 1500 m. The most famous of them Ural mountains, which stretched for 2000 km from north to south - from Kara Sea to the steppes of Kazakhstan, the vast majority of the peaks of the Urals are below 1500 m.
Lowland - a plain that does not rise above 200 m above sea level. The most famous and significant among them is the Amazonian lowland with an area of more than 5 million km 2 in Yuzh. America.
Lake - a natural body of water on the surface of the land. The largest in the world is the Caspian Sea-lake and the deepest is Baikal.
oceans - parts of the World Ocean, separated from each other by continents and islands.Atlantic; Indian - an ocean of heated waters;Arctic - the smallest and shallowest ocean;Pacific Ocean (Great), the largest and deepest ocean on Earth.
Landslide - displacement down the slope of a mass of loose rock under the influence of gravity.
Island - a piece of land surrounded on all sides by the waters of the ocean, sea, lake or river. The world's largest island -Greenland with an area of 2 million 176 thousand km 2 .
Relative height is the vertical distance between the top of a mountain and its foot,
Geographic parallels - imaginary circles parallel to the equator, all points of which have the same latitude.
Greenhouse effect (atmospheric greenhouse effect) - the protective effects of the atmosphere associated with the absorption of reflected long-wave radiation.
trade winds - constant winds in tropical regions blowing towards the equator.
Plateau: 1) a high plain bounded by steep ledges; 2) a vast flat area on a mountaintop.P. scuba - elevation of the seabed with a flat top and steep slopes.
Plyos - a deep section of the river bed between riffles.
Plateau - a vast land area with a height of 300-500 m to 1000-2000 m or more above sea level with flat tops and deeply incised valleys. For example:East African, Central Siberian, Vitim plateau.
floodplain - part of the river valley, which is flooded in the flood.semi-desert - transitional landscape, combining the features of the steppe or desert.
hemisphere - half of the earth's sphere, allocated either along the equator or along the meridians of 160 ° E. and 20°W (Eastern and Western hemispheres), or on other grounds.
Geographic poles - points of intersection of the axis of rotation of the Earth with the earth's surface.
Magnetic points of the Earth - points on the earth's surface where the magnetic needle is located vertically, i.e. where the magnetic compass is not applicable for orientation to the cardinal points.
arctic circles (Northern AndSouthern) - parallels 66 ° 33 "to the north and south of the equator.
Threshold - a shallow area in a riverbed with a large slope and a fast current.
foothills - hills and low mountains surrounding the highlands.
prairies - vast grassy steppes in the North. America.
Ebb and flow - periodic fluctuations in the water level of the seas and oceans, which are caused by the attraction of the moon and the sun.
desert - vast areas with almost no vegetation due to the dry and hot climate. The largest desert in the worldSahara all in. Africa,
Plains - vast flat or slightly hilly expanses of land. The largest on earthEastern European, orRussian, with an area of more than 6 million km 2 AndWest Siberian in the north of Eurasia, with an area of about 3 million km 2 .
River - a constant stream of water flowing in a channel.Amazon - river in South America, the largest in the world in length (from the source of the Ucayali River more than 7000 km), in terms of basin area (7180 microns G) and water content;Mississippi - the largest river Sev. America, one of the greatest on Earth (length from the source of the Missouri River 6420 km);Nile - a river in Africa (length 6671 km).
Relief - a set of various irregularities of the earth's surface (forms of R.) of various origins; are formed by a combination of impacts on the earth's surface of endogenous and exogenous processes.
channel - deepened part of the valley floor, occupied by the river.
Savannah - the landscape of the tropics and subtropics, in which grassy vegetation is combined with individual trees or their groups.
North Pole - the point of intersection of the earth's axis with the surface of the Earth in the North. hemisphere.
sel - a mud or mud-stone stream, suddenly passing through the valley of a mountain river.
Tornado (American name for a tornado) is a whirling movement of air in the form of a funnel or column.
Middle mountains - mountain structures with absolute heights from 1500 to 3000 m. There are the most mountain structures of medium height on Earth. They spread over the vast expanses of the south and northeast of Siberia. Almost all of them are occupied Far East, East End China and the Indochina Peninsula; in northern Africa and the East African Plateau; Carpathians, mountains of the Balkan, Apennine, Iberian and Scandinavian peninsulas in Europe, etc.
Slope - a sloping area on land or the bottom of the sea.Windward S. - faces the direction from which the prevailing winds blow.Leeward S. - Facing away from the direction of the prevailing winds.
Steppe - treeless spaces with an arid climate, which are characterized by grassy vegetation. In Eurasia, the steppes stretch in an almost continuous strip from the Black Sea to Northeast China, and in North America occupy vast expanses of the Great Plains, joining in the south with the savannahs of the tropical belt.
Stratosphere - layer of the atmosphere.
subtropical belts (subtropics) - located between the tropical and temperate zones.
Subequatorial belts - located between the equatorial belt and tropical belts.
Taiga - zone of coniferous forests of the temperate zone. The taiga covers the northern part of Eurasia and North America in an almost continuous belt.
Typhoon - the name of tropical cyclones of storm and hurricane force in Southeast Asia and the Far East.
Takyr - a flat depression in the desert, covered with a hardened clay crust.
Tectonic movements - movements earth's crust that change its structure and shape.
Tropics: 1) imaginary parallel circles on the globe, spaced 23°30° north and south of the equator:Tropics of Capricorn (N. T.) - tropics of the North. hemisphere andTropics of Cancer (South t.) - tropics South. hemispheres; 2) natural belts.
tropical belts - located between the subtropical and subequatorial belts.
Troposphere - the lower layer of the atmosphere.
Tundra - treeless landscape in the Arctic and Antarctic.
temperate zones are located in temperate latitudes.
temperate latitudes - located between 40° and 65° N and between 42° and 58° SHurricane - a storm with a wind speed of 30-50 m/s.
mouth - the place where a river flows into a sea, lake or other river.
front atmospheric The zone separating warm and cold air masses.
Fiord (fjord) - a narrow deep sea bay with rocky shores, which is a glacial valley flooded by the sea.
Hill - small in height and sparing gently sloping hill.Cyclones - area of low atmospheric pressure.
Tsunami - Japanese name huge waves resulting from underwater earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Parts of the world - regions of the Earth, including continents (or parts thereof) with nearby islands. Australia, Asia, America, Antarctica, Africa, Europe.
Shelf - continental shelf with prevailing depths up to 200 m (more in some cases).
Geographic latitude - the angle between the plumb line at a given point and the plane of the equator, measured in degrees and measured from the equator to the north and south.
Squall - a sharp short-term increase in wind before a storm.
Calm - Calm, stillness.
Storm - Very strong wind accompanied by strong seas.
Equator - an imaginary line connecting points on the globe that are equidistant from the poles.
Exosphere - layer of the atmosphere.
Ecosphere - an area of outer space suitable for the existence of living organisms.
Erosion, destruction of soils and rocks by flowing waters.
South Pole, the point of intersection of the earth's axis with the earth's surface in South. hemisphere.
core of the earth, the central part of the planet with a radius of approx. 3470 km.
Model plans for describing geographical objects
Geographic location of the mainland
1. The location of the mainland relative to the equator, the tropics (polar circles) and the zero meridian.
2. extreme points mainland, their coordinates and the length of the mainland in degrees and kilometers from north to south and from west to east.
3. In what climatic zones is the mainland located?
4. Oceans and seas washing the mainland.
5. The location of the mainland relative to other continents.
The relief of the territory
1. What is the general nature of the surface? How can it be explained?
2. How are the landforms located in the study area?
3. What are the highest and prevailing heights?
Climate
1. In what climate zone And in what area is the territory located?
2. Average temperatures in July and January. Direction and reasons for their change.
3. Prevailing winds (by season).
4. Annual amount of precipitation and their regime. Reasons for the difference in rainfall.
River
1. In what part of the mainland does it flow?
2. Where does it start? Where does it fall?
3. In which direction does it flow?
4. Explain the dependence of the nature of the flow on the relief.
5. Determine the sources of food for the river.
6. What is the regime of the river and how does it depend on the climate?
1. Geographical location of the zone.
2. Geology, tectonics, relief.
3. Climate.
4. Internal waters.
5. Soils.
6. Vegetation.
7. Animal world.
Population of the country
1. Number, type of population reproduction, demographic policy.
2. Age and sex composition of the population, availability of labor resources.
3. National (ethnic) composition of the population.
4. Social and class composition of the population.
5. The main features of the distribution of the population, the impact of migration on its distribution.
6. Levels, rates and forms of urbanization, main cities and urban agglomerations.
7. Rural resettlement.
8. General conclusion. Prospects for population growth and labor supply.
EGP of the country (region)
1. Position in relation to neighboring countries.
2. Position in relation to the main land and sea transport routes.
3. Position in relation to the main fuel and raw material bases, industrial and agricultural regions.
4. Position in relation to the main sales areas.
5. EGP change in time.
6. General conclusion about the impact of EGP on the development and location of the country's economy.
Industry
1. The importance of the industry and the size of its products.
2. Natural prerequisites for the development of the industry.
3. The structure of the industry.
4. The main factors influencing the location of the industry, and the main features of its geography; sectoral industrial areas.
5. Dependence of the industry on exports and imports.
6. General conclusion. Prospects for the development of the industry.
Agriculture of the country
1. The importance of the industry and the size of the products.
2. Natural conditions for the development of the industry.
3. Features of agrarian relations.
4. The structure of the industry, the ratio of crop and livestock.
5. Geography of plant growing and animal husbandry, agricultural areas.
6. Dependence of the country on the export and import of agricultural products.
7. General conclusion. Prospects for population growth and labor supply.
Territory of the economic region
1. EGP of the district.
2. Natural conditions, resources of the region and their economic assessment.
3. Labor resources and opportunities for their use.
4. Historical background of development National economy economic region.
5. Specialization of the economy (industry and agriculture).
6. Relationships between industries and territories within the region, forms of production location (TPK, nodes, centers).
7. Cities.
8. Prospects for the development of the region.
Lesson topic: Geography is the science of the earth.
Main goals and objectives: to form in 5th grade students an understanding of what geography does, to form an initial interest in this science and a desire to study it.
Lesson Plan:
- Definition of geography
- Subsections of geography
- Where do geographers get their information from?
During the classes
1. Definition of geography
As already mentioned, geography is the science of the earth. She comprehensively studies our planet. In Greek, the word "geography" means "description of the earth". Yes, and this word consists of two simple Greek words: "ge" (which means Earth) and "grafo" (which translates as I write).
The development of geography took place in parallel with the development of mankind. Remember, from the very beginning, people believed that the Earth stood on three elephants, which, in turn, were placed on a huge turtle? Then the description of the Earth was different. An ancient man, not having sufficient tools, described what he could see with the naked eye - forests and fields, rivers and lakes, people and their customs. Since it was proved that the Earth is a round planet, the methods of studying it have changed dramatically. Modern geographers will never live without various artificial assistants that allow them, first of all, to overcome significant distances (for example, cars with off-road capability). In addition, they will need binoculars, rangefinders, but also microscopes.
Where will the study of geography begin for you, students of grade 5? Of course, it will be the general geography. You will learn about the nature of your native land, study what features of the relief are present here, what plants grow and what animals live. So next year you will go further - and now you will find out what a geographical shell is, what it consists of, how it was formed. Surely you will be interested to know what the lithosphere or atmosphere is. Maybe you yourself can guess what the hydrosphere is for and what the biosphere includes. And you will also learn that humanity lives precisely in a geographical shell, and its influence on it is enormous.
So speaking of geography, we will mean a complex of sciences that studies the geographical shell, within which the interaction between nature and man living in society takes place.
2. Subsections of geography
Like any other science that studies phenomena in a complex and system, geography has several subsections, each of which deals with its own separate issues. In total, more than 80 interconnected sciences that relate to geography are known. The most famous and popular among them:
- Oceanology is a science that studies the processes that take place in the oceans.
- Demography - explores the population of the globe, its qualitative and quantitative composition. It is this science that says that 7.5 billion people currently live on Earth. Unfortunately, demography cannot answer the question of how many people our planet can support.
- Engineering geography - within the framework of this science, the soils on which various structures are erected are subject to study. Specialists in these matters make sure that the constructed building, for example, does not slip into the sea due to unstable soils.
- Climatology is, as the name implies, and it's very easy, the science of the planet's climate. Main question- does it exist Greenhouse effect or it was invented by evil scientists.
- Geology - explores the earth's crust, its structure and composition. What if in the place where the construction of a skyscraper is planned, there is a seismically dangerous zone and there is a high probability of earthquakes?
- Geomorphology - deals with the study of the relief of the earth's surface.
- Medical geography - for it, the issues of the influence of various features of territories on the health status of those people who live there are important.
- Cartography is the science of making maps and reading them.
Like biology, the efforts of geography and scientists working in this field are aimed at preserving nature in its original form, as well as economically and carefully using the wealth that it provides us.
All sciences working under the "auspices" of geography belong to one of two classes:
- Physical geography - they are dedicated to the study of the surface of our planet.
- Socio-economic - in the focus of her attention is the diversity of manifestations of the world in which people live, as well as the economic activity they are leading.
Practical task:
Divide the above subdivisions of geography between these two classes.
3. Where do geographers get their information from?
study geography at initial stage not very difficult - there are a lot of geographical maps, dictionaries, textbooks and encyclopedias that tell about geographical achievements of various prescriptions. First of all, you need to learn to read geographical map- this skill can have and practical application, for example, will help you on a hike or travel.
In addition, watching TV and a computer with an Internet connection in this case more than welcome - at the moment, many TV channels in the world (for example, the BBC) have their own programs dedicated to geography. Well, you should not forget about books (first of all, textbooks) - they contain the quintessence of the knowledge that is now available to you.
Evaluation: Since there were few practical tasks within the lesson, it is necessary to evaluate students according to the final check of the level of mastering the material. You should ask a few of the questions listed in the “Lesson Outcomes” section to understand how the material was learned.
4. Lesson summary:
During the course, the students learned:
- What is geography? What differences in the study of our planet in the past and in the present can you note?
- What are the divisions of geography and what does each of them do? What is physical and social economical geography?
- What is the source of information for studying geography?
Homework:
As part of the creative task, you can advise students:
- Supplement the list of divisions of geography - given in paragraph 3 is not final.
- To understand how theoretical studies in the field of geography affect practical activities human - for example, help in construction or medicine.
- Find one video on the Internet devoted to geographical issues, watch it and retell in writing what was discussed there in your own words.
To learn to distinguish Austria from Australia, north from south, dune from dune - you should learn geography well. You will find the definition of the word and its meaning in this article. In addition, you will learn what one of the oldest sciences studies, and what are its main features.
What is geography: definition and meaning of the term
Geography is the oldest of the existing scientific disciplines. Its foundations were laid back in the Hellenistic era. In the sphere of her interests - the seas and oceans, mountains and plains, as well as society. More precisely, the features of human interaction with the environment.
The definition of the concept of "geography" is impossible without the interpretation of the word itself. It is of ancient Greek origin and is translated as "description of the earth". The term consists of two Greek words: “geo” (earth) and “grapho” (I write, describe).
In the third century BC (when geography was born as a science), this term was quite consistent with the essence. Ancient Greek thinkers were really engaged in "description of the earth", without going too far into the intricacies of natural processes and phenomena. However, the current definition of geography cannot be reduced to such a narrow interpretation.
What is science doing at the present stage? To answer this question, you need to understand what geography is. You will find the definition of this scientific discipline later in our article.
Early history of geographical science
So, as we have already figured out, the term "geography" was coined by the ancient Greeks. They also created the first detailed maps of the area. Actually, the foundations of this science were laid precisely in the Hellenic era. Later, the center of its development gradually moved to Arab world. Islamic geographers not only explored and mapped a lot of new lands, but also made many important innovative discoveries.
The Chinese civilization also greatly contributed to the development of geographical science. Particularly instrumental. It was the Chinese who developed such a useful thing as a compass, which is actively used in the 21st century.
Most famous representatives early period in the history of geographical science:
- Eratosthenes ("father of geography").
- Claudius Ptolemy.
- Strabo.
- Muhammad al-Idrisi.
- Ibn Battuta.
The development of geography in the XVI-XX centuries
In the era of the European Renaissance, the vast empirical heritage accumulated by geographers of previous generations and cultures was systematized and rethought. The so-called period of the Great Geographical Discoveries set completely new tasks and goals for the "science of land description", and a fresh and genuine interest in the profession of a geographer arose in society.
In the 18th century, this science began to be studied at universities as a separate discipline. In the first half 19th century Alexander Humboldt and Karl Ritter laid the foundation for modern academic geography as we know it today. Nowadays, thanks to satellite technologies and the latest geographic information systems, geography is included in a completely new stage of its development.
Scientists who have made a significant contribution to the development of European geographical science:
- Gerhard Mercator.
- Alexander von Humboldt.
- Carl Ritter.
- Walter Crystaller.
- Vasily Dokuchaev.
Definition of geography as a science
"Linear image of the entire known part of the Earth, with everything that is located on it - bays, major cities, peoples, significant rivers. This definition of geography was given by Claudius Ptolemy in the second century. Thanks to this science, as the famous ancient Greek astronomer said, we get a unique opportunity to "view the entire Earth in one picture."
IN early XIX century, the German geographer Karl Ritter proposed to replace "description of the earth" with the term "geography". By the way, it was he who first divided geography into two independent branches: physical and social (political). “The territory influences the inhabitants, and the inhabitants influence the territory” - Ritter expressed this fair thought back in 1804.
Another German scientist Hermann Wagner gave the following definition of geography: it is the science of the power of space, which is manifested in local differences in its material filling. Wagner was quite close in his scientific views to Karl Ritter.
An interesting definition of geography was given by the famous Soviet soil scientist Arseniy Yarilov. According to him, this is the science that should orient a person within the limits of the dwelling allotted to him by nature.
There are many other interesting interpretations of this scientific discipline. To summarize all of the above, a modern definition should be given: geography is a science that studies the so-called geographical shell of the Earth, in all its natural and socio-economic diversity. We will go into more detail about what this is in the next section.
The geographic area is...
Under the geographical shell is meant the shell of the planet Earth, consisting of four structural layers:
- Troposphere.
- Earth's crust.
- Hydrospheres.
- Biosphere.
At the same time, all these "spheres" are in close interaction, intersecting and penetrating each other. The essence of the concept of the geographic shell of the Earth was first described in 1910 by the Russian scientist P. I. Brounov.
Within geographical envelope there is a constant and continuous process of movement of matter and energy. Thus, water from rivers and lakes constantly enters the lower layers of the atmosphere, as well as into the earth's crust (through cracks and pores). In turn, gases and solid particles from the troposphere enter the water bodies.
The boundaries of the geographic envelope are not clearly defined. Most often, its lower line is drawn along the sole of the earth's crust, the upper one - at an altitude of 20-25 kilometers. Thus, the average thickness of the geographic envelope of the Earth is approximately 30 km. Compared to the parameters of our planet, this is minuscule. But it is precisely this thin "film" that is precisely the main object of study for geographical science.
Structure of geographical science
Modern geography is a complex and very voluminous science, which includes dozens of particular disciplines. As a rule, it is divided into two large blocks - physical and social (or socio-economic). The first studies the general patterns of development and existence of the geographic shell and its individual parts, and the second deals with the study of the processes of interaction between society and the natural environment.
Among the physical and geographical disciplines, the following stand out:
- Geodesy.
- Geomorphology.
- Hydrology.
- Oceanology.
- Landscape science.
- Soil science.
- Paleogeography.
- Climatology.
- Glaciology, etc.
Among the public geographical sciences It is customary to distinguish the following disciplines:
- Demography.
- Economical geography.
- Geopolitics.
- Geography of culture.
- medical geography.
- Geourbanistics.
- Political geography.
- Country studies, etc.
The main problems and discussions of modern geography
Oddly enough, the question “what is geography?” remains one of the most complex and controversial among representatives of this science. What geography should study, what goals it should set for itself - these problems still cannot be solved by the minds of the present generation of geographers.
In addition, theoretical geography is trying today to solve a number of other pressing problems. The most important ones include the following:
- The problem of the loss of interest in geography in society.
- The problem of "withering away" of such purely practical disciplines as land reclamation, land management, soil science.
- The problem of the general classification of geographical science.
- Row definition key concepts: "geographical shell", "landscape", "geosystem", etc.
IN Lately such a fresh direction as "constructive geography" is gaining popularity. First of all, due to the strategic nature of their research. This discipline can transform traditionally descriptive and theoretical geography into a practical and useful one.
Finally
Geography is one of the oldest sciences. It originated in the 3rd century BC. Today, geography is an independent scientific branch that is engaged in a deep and comprehensive study of the geographic envelope of the Earth, from processes in the thickness of the earth's crust to human production activities.
Fascinating and very interesting activity- learn the meanings of words, especially polysemantic and foreign ones. For example, what is geography? What does this familiar school bench word? Let's try to figure this out.
Meanings of the word "geography"
- Geography is a science. To understand what she is studying, let's turn to the etymology of the word. WITH Greek, "geo" - earth, "graphics" - writing, that is, this is a land description. Geography studies and describes the distribution of something on the earth's surface, namely: natural conditions, climate, various minerals, terrain features, world population, economic, geopolitical development of various countries and continents. Thus, the subject of studying geography as a science is very broad. Geography is economic, physical, mathematical. For example: "Geography shows how diverse and beautiful our planet Earth is."
- Geography is also a school subject in which students receive basic, general knowledge of this science, study geographical position Russia, other countries, see how diverse our planet is. For example: "In geography lessons, the teacher talked interestingly about the continents of the Earth, their location, showing it on a geographical map."
- Geography is also the distribution of something. For example: "The geography of the habitat of the Amur tigers has been studied quite well."
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What is Geography? Meaning and interpretation of the word geografija, definition of the term
Geography- (from geography ... and ... graphy) - a science that studies the geographic shell of the Earth, its structure and dynamics, interaction and distribution in space of its individual components. The main goals are the geographical research and scientific substantiation of the ways of rational territorial organization of society and nature management, the creation of the foundations of a strategy for the environmentally safe development of society. The most important subject of geographic study is the processes of interaction between man and nature, the patterns of placement and interaction of components of the geographic environment and their combinations at the local, regional, national (state), continental, oceanic, global levels. The complexity of the object of study led to the differentiation of a single geography and a number of specialized scientific disciplines, which reason to consider modern geography as a system of sciences in which natural, or physical-geographical, and social geographical sciences are distinguished. The physical and geographical sciences include complex physical geography (includes general geography, landscape science, paleography) and geomorphology, climatology, land hydrology, oceanology, glaciology, soil geography, biogeography, bordering on other sciences, economic geography, social geography, population geography, cultural geography , political geography. The system of geographical sciences also includes country studies and complex applied disciplines (medical geography, military geography, recreational geography, etc.). Cartography occupies a special place in the system of geographical sciences. Geographic Knowledge, the ability to ""read"" a map is one of the necessary elements of culture and a scientific outlook. Geography is one of the oldest sciences, the initial attempts to explain geographic phenomena in the natural sciences belong to the ancient Greek philosophers of the Milesian school of the 6th century. BC e. (Thales, Anaximander).
Geography
(from geography ... and ... graphy) - a science that studies the geographic shell of the Earth, its structure and dynamics, interaction and distribution in space of its individual components. The main goals are the geographical research and scientific substantiation of the ways of rational territorial organization of society and nature management, the creation of the foundations of a strategy for the environmentally safe development of society. The most important subject of geographic study is the processes of interaction between man and nature, the patterns of placement and interaction of components of the geographic environment and their combinations at the local, regional, national (state), continental, oceanic, global levels. The complexity of the object of study led to the differentiation of a single geography and a number of specialized scientific disciplines, which reason to consider modern geography as a system of sciences in which natural, or physical-geographical, and social geographical sciences are distinguished. The physical and geographical sciences include complex physical geography (includes general geography, landscape science, paleography) and geomorphology, climatology, land hydrology, oceanology, glaciology, soil geography, biogeography, bordering on other sciences, economic geography, social geography, population geography, cultural geography , political geography. The system of geographical sciences also includes country studies and complex applied disciplines (medical geography, military geography, recreational geography, etc.). Cartography occupies a special place in the system of geographical sciences. Geographical knowledge, the ability to ""read"" a map is one of the necessary elements of culture and scientific outlook. Geography is one of the oldest sciences, the initial attempts to explain geographic phenomena in the natural sciences belong to the ancient Greek philosophers of the Milesian school of the 6th century. BC e. (Thales, Anaximander).
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