SCOPE OR SUBJECT MATTER
Human geography is a very vast subject. It has
its origin in some countries from the social
sciences, studying people in relation to space
and place, and in others from physical sciences
and in still others from earth sciences focusing
on its links with the physical environment. The
American geographers, Finch and Trewartha,
divided the subject matter of human
geography into two broad sections: physical
or natural environment and cultural or manmade
environment.
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Physical or natural environment consists
of the physical or natural features and
phenomena such as surface configuration
climate, drainage and natural resources, such
as soils, minerals, water and forests. Cultural
environment includes man-made features and
phenomena on the earth such as population
and human settlements as well as features
associated with agriculture, manufacturing
and transportation etc.
According to Ellsworth Huntington (1956),
human geography is concerned with the
physical conditions and the human responses
to the physical environment.
Vidal de la Blache�s work on human
geography deals with the world-wide
distribution of population and settlements;
types and distribution of elements of
civilisation and development of various forms
of transportation. All these elements
profoundly modify the landscape. Jean
Brunhes in his book divided human geography
into a study of three groups and six types
of essential facts : those connected
with the unproductive occupation of the
soil (i) houses, and (ii) highways; those
connected with the conquest of the plant
and animal worlds (iii) cultivated plants, and
(iv) domesticated animals; and those
pertaining to destructive occupation of the soil
(v) destruction of plants and animals, and
(vi) exploitation of minerals.
Besides, the above stated essential facts,
human geography is also concerned with the
study of the following aspects of human
environment.
Geography of the First Vital Necessities:
Fundamental physiological needs � food,
shelter and clothing.
Geography of the Utilisation of the Earth
Resources : The material things which satisfy
the prime needs of human life � agricultural,
pastoral and industrial activities.
Economic and Social Geography :
Production, transportation and exchange of
goods and services and geography of the culture.
Political Geography and Geography of
History: Frontiers, territories, routes, groups
states etc.
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