Читать книгу Geography For Dummies - Jerry T. Mitchell - Страница 9

Part 1

Getting Grounded: The Geographic Basics

IN THIS PART …

Each and every academic discipline has its own particular and peculiar subject matter. Geography is no exception, but my, how things have changed!

For the longest period, geography was concerned primarily with mapping the world and acquiring facts about places. It has since become a much more analytical pursuit. Thus, the time-honored imperative to know where things are located is complemented by an equally strong (if not stronger) desire to know why they occur where they do. Geography is an applied discipline, seeking to identify the best, efficient, and fair locations for all sorts of human activities. Importantly, geography also works to understand places of difference and inequity with an eye toward making life better there — for people and the environment.

In this part, you will discover the key concepts and methods of contemporary geography as well as the principal tools and techniques of the trade. Among other things you will see how exciting technologies are giving geographers unprecedented perspectives on where and why.