Geography is divided into two main branches: human geography and physical geography. There are additional branches in geography such as regional geography, cartography, and integrated geography. Integrated geography combines physical and human geography by taking into account all natural systems, especially the interactions between them. Physical geography focuses on the inclusive processes that shape landform on Earth. Alternatively, human geography can include regions that are affected by humans only after the modification has started. Both of these definitions are encompassed by physical geographies.
1. Physical Geography
Physical geography is often conceived as a traditional branch of geography that uses the methods and perspective of physics, chemistry, and biology to study the works of God (natural beauty, outer space).
The Earth science of physical geography seeks to learn about the planet we inhabit and is derived from the old term “geography” that incorporates both cultural and physical geography under the scope of a modern discipline.
As our knowledge of the positions and circumstances themselves combine with spatial reasoning (or physical reasoning) and graphic representations (or maps), we become enabled to gain insights into very complex contemporary issues such as human migration patterns, urban expansion, or biodiversity loss.
Climatology encompasses the study of structure of atmosphere and elements of weather and climates and climatic types and regions.
Hydrology studies the realm of water over the surface of the earth including oceans, lakes, rivers and other water bodies and its effect on different life forms including human life and their activities.
Soil Geography is devoted to study the processes of soil formation, soil types, theirfertility status, distribution and use.
2. Human Geography
Social/Cultural Geography encompasses the study of society and its spatial dynamics as well as the cultural elements contributed by the society.
Human geography examines how social and physical aspects of our environment determine or contribute to human happiness, and how we can make our lives and the lives of other humans better.
The scope of human geography is wide; it encompasses but is not limited to studies of country towns, prison cells, nursing homes, highways, islands, small villages, remote wilderness areas and organized civilization.
Population and Settlement Geography (Rural and Urban). It studies population growth, distribution, density, sex ratio, migration and occupational structure etc. Settlement geography studies the characteristics of rural and urban settlements.
Economic Geography studies economic activities of the people including agriculture, industry, tourism, trade, and transport, infrastructure and services, etc.
Historical Geography studies the historical processes through which the space gets organised. Every region has undergone some historical experiences before attaining the present day status. The geographical features also experience temporal changes and these form the concerns of historical geography.
Political Geography looks at the space from the angle of political events and studies boundaries, space relations between neighbouring political units, delimitation of constituencies, election scenario and develops theoretical framework to understand the political behaviour of the population.
3. Biogeography:
Biogeography is the study of the distribution of living organisms across the surface of the Earth, with an emphasis on how living things are connected to one another and their physical environment.
“Biogeography” is also the name of the journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the British Malacological Society.
For most biologists, biogeography is a sub-discipline within Ecology that concerns itself with spatial patterns of distribution of life on the planet. Indeed, it is an interesting field that deals with both macro-ecology (the broad scale patterns) and micro-ecology (the details).
The interface between physical geography and human geography has lead to the development of Biogeography which includes:
- Plant Geography which studies the spatial pattern of natural vegetation in their habitats.
- Zoo Geography which studies the spatial patterns and geographic characteristics of animals and their habitats.
- Ecology /Ecosystem deals with the scientific study of the habitats characteristic of species.
