Introduction to Geography
Geography SSS1 First Term
Week 1
Introduction to Geography
Performance Objective
The student should be able to:
- Definition of Geography
- Scope of Geography
- Importance of Geography
Definition of Geography
The word geography is coined from two Greek words geo, meaning the earth and graph meaning describe. So, geography can simply be defined as the description of the earth. Geography is better defined as the study of the people, their activities, places and physical things within the earth.
Nature of Geography
Geography deals with the study of different people from different locations of the earth which include: agriculture, mining, fishing, trading, manufacturing and construction. It also involves the study of places like the U.S.A, China, Nigeria, Kano, South Africa, Ghana etc.
Geography also deals with the study of physical things within the earth such as rocks, mountain, plains, oceans, rivers, climate, vegetations etc
Scope of Geography
Geography is a social science and subject while deals with the study of man and his activities within his environment. Geography ideas are real, practical and easy to understand because they are relevant to our everyday life. Geography touches many other spheres such as agriculture science, government, history, economics etc. It is a subject that cut across the field of human study.
Value or Importance of Geography
- It enables us to study the way of life of other people in other parts of the world.
- It enables us to study physical things around us like soil, vegetation, climate, rivers, oceans, mountains etc.
- It enables us to know the relevance of these physical things around us and how they can be harnessed for human use
- It enables us to choose a career from which we earn a living and contribute to the economic development of our country.
It enables us to understand certain areas of other subjects like vegetation and soils in agriculture, ecology and food chain in Biology, population, industries and trade in economics.