importance of geography

1. Geography is derived from a greek word ‘geographia’, literally meaning “Description ofthe Earth”. Definition: It is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants (flora and fauna), and phenomena of the Earth and other planets. Geography has two branches namely: Physical Geography which studies various physical features of land, sea and the atmosphere. Human Geography which is concerned with people and their communities, their culture, economies and their interaction with the environment. CBSE has designed the Class 11 and 12 syllabus in line with these two branches i.e. in Class 11th, one will study about Physical Geography and in Class 12th one studies about Human Geography. Importance of Geography: Here are many reasons why geography is important: Geography describes the Earth It describes the Earth in the truest sense as it not only tells us about the physical phenomena like weather, seasons, oceans and such like but also about the Humans and other living beings inhabiting the Earth.Not only this,

2. Geography tells us about the interaction between the living beings and their surroundings. It teaches the skills that help us to describe the world from ancient maps, images, charts, etc. Geography involves different disciplines There are multiple disciplines linked to Geography. For example: Demographic Studies (Study of population) : Human Geography. Agricultural Sciences: Physical Geography. (Pedology) Geology: Physical geography Sociology: Human Geography Economics: Economic Geography Environmental Studies: Human & Physical geography. These are among a few examples stating Geography as a multidisciplinary subject. These multiple dimensions make Geography more interesting and ultimately increase its scope. Geography links the past to the present and the future It links to the past as geography helps us to understand how our past was developed and it helps us to plan our future. For example, humans have caused a lot of damage to the environment by unplanned developmental activities in the past. This has caused various disasters like floods and acid rains. Humans have realised the harshness of these events and have now started pursuing Sustainable Development which keeps the needs of the future generations in mind.

3. Navigation skills Geography helps people to improve their navigation skills as they would know whether they are going to North or South after studying geography. Although modern tools for navigation have been developed, but these have Geography at their base. Demographics Geography’s second branch i.e. Human Geography deals with study of Human Population and various dynamics associated with it. This is a growing field as the world societies are growing in numbers and becoming more complex. With India expected to be the world’s most populous country in this decade, the scope of Demography is immense. Career Prospects Students who study geography as their subject in college, they have big employment opportunities because this field is growing fast. Career opportunities for Geography students are as mentioned below: (The list may not be exhaustive though) Rural and urban planning Geographist (Core) Teaching in a school or University Researchers at research stations in Antarctica or the Arctic Environmentalists Geologists

4. Metrologists Space Scientists To put it in simple words, no subject is good or bad. It is just your interest in that subject which makes it good or bad. There may be some students who will find Geography as a challenging subject as they are not good at, let’s say Mapping or grasping the geographical concepts. For them this subject is not recommended. Given the multidimensional nature of the subject, it becomes more intriguing and attractive. There is no dearth of career opportunities in this domain too. So folks, don’t worry or avoid the ‘rat race’ of the masses if you have sincere inclination towards this subject. Go ahead. Listen to your heart. Good Luck!!.