Geography is a very interesting and wide-ranging science. Its structure is simply huge. I became interested in geography at school. After graduating from school, I still continue to read various books and magazines on this topic. Therefore, I think that I have a sufficient amount of knowledge.

Geography as a science

Geography is a science that studies our planet and everything connected with it. It studies the surface of our Earth, and economic resources, and the distribution of the population, in general, there is not enough time to list everything. The term itself is of Greek origin, the literal translation is land description. People have been interested in geography for a long time, back in the days of Ancient Egypt. At that time, people went on various expeditions (to the central part of Africa, across the Mediterranean, etc.). Probably the most famous invention to which geographers had a hand is the map. It is impossible to even imagine how difficult it was to create it, because it was born more than 4000 years ago. The first map was created in Egypt on a piece of clay.

Who needs geography and why

Geography is used in many fields of activity. The list is also huge, so I'll list a few:

• economy;
• biology;
• story;
• engineering.

Economists need geographical data, they need this information in order to correctly calculate the economic growth rates of a particular state or any other territory.

Biology is needed in order to study the migration pattern of animals, genes, viruses, etc.

History itself is strongly intertwined with geography, the seizure of any territory is accompanied by a change in state borders.

This knowledge is also needed by engineers, especially transport workers, for laying various routes.

Geography in military affairs

When preparing any strategic or tactical operation, the military must take into account many different factors. One such factor is geographic space. For example, it may be impossible to use any weapon due to the terrain.

Textbook for grade 5

In preparing the textbook, the suggestions and recommendations of the teachers-geographers of the experimental schools were used:

Under the editorship of the candidate of geographical sciences I.P.Galay

Minsk, 2000

TO STUDENTS

Rules for working with the study guide

In geography lessons, while preparing homework, in addition to the textbook, you need to have a geography atlas and a set of contour maps for the 5th grade, a compass, a checkered notebook, colored pencils, compasses, and an elastic band.

Work at home on the paragraphs of the study guide in the following order:

Read the text.

Retell each part of the paragraph and then the entire paragraph.

Reading the text, find on the map all the geographical objects mentioned in it.

Answer the questions and do the tasks after each paragraph.

Write down in the dictionary all the words highlighted in the text of the paragraph (for example, geography) and remember how they are written.

If you don't understand any of the terms found in the text, refer to the concise dictionary of geographical concepts and terms (at the end of the tutorial).

Introduction &1. What does geography study

We remember: What do you know about our planet from the courses "Universe" or "Natural History"? Why is it warm in some parts of the world and cold in others? Why does it rain?

Keywords:geography, natural conditions, population, economy, nature protection.1. Geography as a science.G e o gr a ph i n- a science that studies the natural conditions of the earth's surface, the population of the Earth and its economic activity. This science is one of the most ancient.

Geography in translation from Greek means land description (in Greek “ge” - Earth, “grapho” - I write, describe).

* The name "geography" was first used by Eratosthenes before the beginning of our era in the book "Geography". It considered the shape and size of the Earth, oceans, land, climate, described individual countries, the history of geography .

For a long time (until the end of the 18th century), the main task of geography was the discovery and description of new lands, countries, peoples, the elimination of white spots on the geographical map. The names of the discoverers and explorers - brave and courageous people - are imprinted in geographical names on the map.

The first geographers were travelers and navigators. They discovered new lands, countries, peoples, continents, islands, oceans, seas, bays, mountains, plains, rivers and lakes, made maps showing travel routes and new lands, described natural conditions, life and occupations of the population. The routes of their travels and expeditions passed through sultry deserts and cold glaciers, in sky-high mountains, along swift rivers and stormy ocean waters.

** People learned about the most ancient travels not only from descriptions, but also from fragments of papyrus or a fragment of a clay tablet with signs printed on them.

Geographers have uncovered and continue to uncover many of the mysteries of nature. Thanks to their research and observations, we can already answer many questions. For example: why is it raining or wind blowing? In what areas of the Earth should one look for coal, oil or other minerals? But nature is still fraught with many mysteries, which geographers are working to solve together with other scientists.

Geography is divided into two major parts: physical and economic. Physical geography studies the nature of the surface of the globe; economic geography - the population, its economic activity, the patterns of distribution of the population and the economy.

2. Significance of geography. Descriptive geography was in the past. Now the main task of geography is to study the diversity of nature, population, its economic activity and explain their development and distribution.

Modern geography finds out the causes of processes and phenomena occurring on the surface of the globe, and the patterns of their change. One of the most important tasks of geography is the forecast of the development of phenomena. Since the nature of the Earth began to change extremely rapidly, it is necessary to foresee those changes in the environment that can occur as a result of human economic activity.

Any development of the territory and construction does not begin without a preliminary study of the area. So, when building a hydroelectric power station on a river, it is necessary to determine where to build a dam, to study what rocks the banks of the river are made of, what area after the construction of the dam will be flooded with water.

For example, a project was proposed for the construction of a very large hydroelectric power station on the Ob River, which flows through the West Siberian Plain. But, when this project was comprehensively considered by geographers, it turned out that as a result of the construction of a hydroelectric dam, a huge reservoir was formed, which would flood a significant part of the plain. Swamps are formed around the reservoir, which will lead to a change in the local climate and other adverse changes in nature. This project was not accepted.

3. Geography and nature protection. Geography provides answers to the questions of how best to use the wealth of nature, what to do so that nature does not become impoverished, so that forests do not disappear, fertile soils do not run out, rivers do not run dry, how to restore and transform nature in the interests of man and nature itself.

The need for rational use and protection of soils, subsoil, air and water basins is constantly emphasized in state documents of our country. It is necessary to strengthen the comprehensive research of nature for the purpose of rational management.

Features of nature, population and economy of many parts of the earth's surface are still insufficiently studied. It is not always possible for people to predict how nature will change as a result of their impact on it. Therefore, geographers continue to explore the surface of the Earth. They participate in various expeditions on land and in the oceans, conduct long-term observations at scientific stations.

1. What is called geography? 2. What two parts is geography divided into? 3. What does physical geography study? Economical geography? 4. What is the significance of geographical science?

Geography is a very unusual science that arose not in the silence of temples and monasteries and not in the dungeons of ancient laboratories. It appeared in antiquity, in the thick of life. And it was created not by priests, not by monks and not by scientists, but by those who, for one reason or another, embarked on a journey - sailors and merchants, diplomats and missionaries, warriors and naturalists. It was they who paved paths into the unknown, describing the lands they encountered.

Translated from Greek, "geography" means "description of the earth", and in this word there is an answer to the question of what geography studies. It arose from a pressing need. Rulers wanted to know how their countries and other states worked, merchants needed to explore new trade routes, and sailors tried to find new sea routes. That is why the first geographers were people of rather unusual professions that were completely far from science.

Years and centuries passed, and in geography, as in every science, specialization appeared. Having completed the accumulation of material, scientists-geographers took up its analysis and synthesis, proceeded to study the patterns of development of nature. Modern physical geographers are engaged not only in describing the terrain, studying not only the external side of phenomena, but also delving into their essence, striving to study the relationships and understand the causes of natural processes occurring in each locality.

In principle, this explains what physical geography studies. This is a science that studies the geographic shell of the Earth and its structural parts. So, for example, if we remember that the continents are part of the geographical shell, it becomes clear what the geography of the continents studies.

There are three main sciences in the composition of physical geography. This is geography, which studies the general patterns of the structure and development of the geographical shell, landscape science, which studies territorial natural complexes, and paleogeography. In turn, these sections have their own hierarchical structure according to the types of components, processes and phenomena being studied. Thus, individual components of the geographic envelope are studied by geomorphology, climatology, meteorology, hydrology, glaciology, soil geography, and biogeography. And at the junction with other sciences, such new areas of physical geography as medical geography and engineering geography were formed.

Physical geography is closely related to other geographical sciences - cartography, regional studies, historical geography, socio-economic geography.

Modern physical geography pays special attention to the study of the structure and dynamics of various systems, their origin, the processes of energy and mass transfer between the components of the physical shell of the Earth, the circulation of substances and energy flows, and the development forecast.

The methods that physical geographers use in their research are varied. These are traditional methods, such as expeditionary-descriptive, comparative-geographical, cartographic and descriptive. But scientists also came to the aid of methods based on the achievements of other sciences - mathematical, geophysical, geochemical.

Learning geography is a task that can be daunting. Geography is a vast discipline that includes many sections, and memorizing place names, especially out of context, can seem boring and difficult. However, mastering this science can give you a sense of deep satisfaction and help you better understand the world in which we live. It is possible that the study of geography will develop into a true passion for travel and acquaintance with new cultures!

Steps

Part 1

Start

Decide for what purpose you are teaching geography. The approach to learning will be determined by your goal. Whether you just want to learn more about the world around you or get better at answering geography questions in quizzes, the stakes are pretty low. If you plan to travel around several countries with a backpack and need to imagine the route, or if you slept through your geography class and now you need to study for an exam, a lot can be at stake.

• Ask yourself what you hope to achieve as a result of studying geography, and let the answer to that question help you determine your specific area and approach.
• For example, if you are going on a solo trip to Europe, you need to focus on the region you are going to and learn about its culture, currency, and languages ​​spoken in that area.

1. Define frames. It is impossible to learn everything about all the places in the world at once. Setting limits for yourself—exploring a small area thoroughly or gaining general knowledge of a much larger area—will help you decide on your next approach. Here are some examples of such frames:

   • Learn all the streets in your city
   • Learn all the main roads in your area
   • Learn all districts and district centers (or other administrative divisions) in the region (state, province)
   • Learn all the regions (regions) of your country
   • Learn all the countries of the world
   • Learn all the continents, oceans and most populated countries
   • Learn all the countries that speak English
   • Learn all the countries of Europe

2. Choose an approach. There are two main approaches to the study of geography: from small to large or from large to small. By moving from small to large, it means that you start with your local area and gradually expand the scope until you get a general idea of ​​​​the world. When moving from large to small, the study begins with a general picture of the world and then moves to deeper "layers" and narrow areas of knowledge.

   • If you're taking a "special-to-general" approach, start by exploring your city or area. Then learn about the neighboring districts, then about the region or region. Then study the regions bordering yours, then - bordering them. When you learn your country, move on to neighboring states. Continue to expand the boundaries of your study until you have a sufficient understanding of the geography of the whole world.
   • If you're taking a general-to-specific approach, start by exploring the continents and oceans. Then learn the countries. Then - the capitals of all countries. Then study the largest cities and regions of each state, then - who is the head of each of them. Continue until you reach the level of knowledge that is your goal. You can work in this way one continent at a time.

3. Study the cards. To learn geography you need maps. There are many geographic maps available on the Internet, but you can also use paper maps. Maps contain a variety of information and come in varying degrees of detail; choose one or those that provide all the information you need.

   • You can also find and print contour maps. Putting the names of cities, regions, countries on contour maps is a good way to learn them, as well as test yourself.

Part 2

Deepening knowledge

1. Study the culture and population. Just the name of the country and its position on the map are rather impersonal information, and memorizing them may seem meaningless if you do not make connections between the country and the people inhabiting it. Every place in the world is, first of all, people with its own unique culture and history, and getting to know the character of the place through getting to know the culture and people will breathe life into your study of geography.

   Read about border disputes. Borders between countries often have a long history of conflict and dispute. Learn about these conflicts so you can more easily remember who is on each side of the border. Similarly, if you read about how the names of countries and cities changed - not just about the fact of the renaming, but about who and why it was done - then you will better understand the history of the region and remember the modern names of countries or cities.

   Explore waterways. Civilizations have always sprung up near water. Most large cities, especially the old ones, are located near oceans, seas or large rivers. Learn about trade routes and imagine how shipping and sea travel was during the development or development of the mainland in order to better understand the current situation.

   Combine geography with other areas of interest to you. If you're trying to learn geography but find it boring or rote, try linking it to a topic or area that interests you. For example, if you're interested in climate, learning about each region's climate can help you memorize geography more effectively.

   Visit places that interest you. The best way to get to know a place is to visit it! You may find it counterintuitive to study the geography of a place after you've been there (if the purpose of your study is to plan your travels), but perhaps the details will be easier to grasp if they are based on experience.

   • For example, if you are trying to learn the most populated cities in your region, try to visit each one. Traveling from city to city, you will get an idea of ​​the distances between them, as well as what the cities themselves are notable for.

2. Ask questions about the current situation. Part of truly understanding a subject is the ability to think critically. In the case of geography, you might wonder who determines where the border will be, who makes the maps you use, or how political borders affect the local population, which may have had a hard time adapting to them in the beginning.

Geography is a rather interesting and unusual science that studies the Earth. Translated from Greek, the word "geography" means "description of the earth", it is from this that one can answer the question of what geography studies. Every year this science only improved, it conquered new heights, became more extensive and interesting, attracted attention.

Geography arose because the rulers were obsessed with finding out how various states, countries are arranged, how many sea and land routes are available for movement. Geography, as a science, has been developing for hundreds of thousands of years, bringing us only new and useful information.

General characteristics of geography

Geography deals with the study of the geographic shell of the Earth, as well as its structure. As part of geography, three main sciences can be noted that make it more interesting and complete.

1. Geography - it studies the development of the geographical shell, as well as the patterns of its structure.
2. Landscape science is the science of territorial natural complexes.
3. Paleogeography - studies the physical and geographical environment, as well as its dynamics.

Geography is a broad concept, it is directly related to other sciences that also study various earthly components, phenomena and processes.

Geography is the science of the earth

Starting to study the subject of geography, even a small child knows that, first of all, geography studies the whole Earth. But in fact, there are still many additional sciences that are also engaged in the study of living beings, organisms. We note the following sciences:

• Regional studies.
• Historical geography.
• Cartography.

Science Geography deals with the study of the water, air and solid shell of the Earth, as well as the interaction of living beings with nature, and also answers a number of other questions.

The earth's surface is quite diverse, it has areas of both land and water. The largest directly are the oceans and continents. It is natural for the earth to accept various weather conditions such as hail, rain, wind, snow, earthquake. All this is also studied by geography.

Recently, people have had a huge impact on the Earth, and it, unfortunately, is negative. Geography tries to study all the changes taking place on the Earth, no matter how negative they are.