There is a natural urge in man to gain knowledge about the lands
and peoples living beyond his own territory. Such a curiosity creates the
thirst for geographical knowledge. History of geography is fundamentally
concerned with the development of human consciousness about the possibilities
and limitations that the external world of nature presents for man’s growth and
progress.
So geography as a study is focused on understanding the
relationship between man and nature.
The word geography was first used by the Greek scholar Eratosthenes
in the third century B.C. It is derived from the Greek words ‘ge’ means the
earth and ‘graphe’ means description, so that geography as a discipline is
focused on the description of the earth surface as the world of man.
The definition of geography has changed throughout the ages; here are
some definitions by different geographer.
- Ø Definition of geography by different geographers:
According to German philosopher Immanuel
Kant, 1781 “geography is an empirical science, seeking to present a ‘system of
nature’ and is a law finding discipline” “Geography is concerned to provide
accurate, orderly, and rational description and interpretation of the variable
character of the earth surface.” According to Richard Hartshorne,1959 "Geography is both
science and art" - H.C. Darby, 1962 "Geography is
fundamentally the regional or chorological science of the surface of the
earth." - Robert E. Dickinson, 1969 "Study of variations in
phenomena from place to place." - Holt-Jensen, 1980 "geography is concerned
with the locational or spatial variation in both physical and human phenomena
at the earth's surface" - Martin Kenzer, 1989 "Geography is the study
of earth as the home of people" - Yi-Fu Tuan, 1991 "Geography is the study
of the patterns and processes of human (built) and environmental (natural)
landscapes, where landscapes comprise real (objective) and perceived
(subjective) space." - Gregg Wassmansdorf, 1995 