GEOG 1HB3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Human Geography, Class Conflict, Bernhardus Varenius
11 Dec 2016
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Department
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Human Geography
Chapter 1:
• What is human geography?
o To comprehend contemporary human geography, it is essential to
grasp how it has changed through time
• Map is one essential tool for geographers
o Simple yet effective means of communicating spatial information
o Greek were the first civilization to become geographically mobile and
establish colonies
• The world first civilization emerged in Mesopotamia
• The Greek scholars initiated two major geographic traditions:
o The first is literary, involving written descriptions of the known world
o The second tradition is mathematical, calculated the circumference of
the earth
▪ A grid system of imaginary lines on the earth’s surface, based
on the poles and the equator; longitude and latitude, which
made mapping more considerably and accurate
▪ Latitude was relatively easy to calculate by using an early
version of a sundial to observe the angle of the sun’s shadow
▪ Longitude requires estimation since there is no way to
measure time precisely, especially at sea
• The term Geography did not exist until the sixteenth century
• The general assumption, inside and outside the monasteries, was that God
had designed the earth for humans, this doctrine is called teleology
o Teleology: the doctrine that everything in the world has been
designed by God; also refers to the study of purposiveness in the
world and to a recurring theme in history, such as progress or class
conflict
o As such, geography as such no longer existed during the Middle Ages
• Ancient Greek map was drawn by scholars with expertise in astronomy,
geometry, and mathematics
o However, the European map-makers were more interested in
symbolism than in scientific facts
▪ Less accurate and detailed map than those created by the
Greek
• T-O map was produce between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries, consist of
drawing a T and an O
o It shows the world as a circle divided by a T-shape body of water
o East is at the top of the map, Asia is above the T, below left is Europe
and below right is Africa
o
Asia
Evropa
Aphrica
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o The Cross of the T is the Danube-Nile axis
o The perpendicular is the Mediterranean
o The map is centred on Jerusalem
• The only medieval maps that served a practical purpose were the ones
known as Portolano (handy) charts
o Series of radiating lines from several centres on the map
o There are 8 or 16 such lines from each centre and these correspond to
the points of the compass
• Chinese geography differed from the European equivalent in one important
respect
o It is a difference of geographic perspective, a different way of looking
at the world
o Chinese culture has viewed the individual as a part of nature, whereas
the Greeks and subsequent European culture have typically viewed
the individual as apart from nature
• By the fifteenth century European scholars began to recognize this fact, and
the impact on geography was dramatic and significant
o All three components; mathematical, literary, cartographic-
underwent rapid change
o Although printing was first used for maps by the Chinese in 1155, in
1410 the Europeans went into a production for map
o Printing allowed information, including that contained on maps, to
diffuse rapidly
• The second additional factor was the establishment of what might be called
centres of geographic analysis
o Focus on key geographic questions such as the size of the earth and
the suitability of tropical environments for habitation
▪ Techniques of navigation were taught there
• By representing a sphere on a flat rectangle with grids of latitude and
longitude was extremely useful for the navigators/sailors on the sea
o Mercator’s (who first introduced and created the sphere on a flat
rectangle) map replaced all earlier charts used at sea
• Geographers now faced an enormous task, writing about all aspects of the
entire world
• Contemporary geography continues to be concerned with map-making and
description, but it also addresses many other questions
o Fundamental issues as the physical environment’s role as a cause of
the growth of civilization, the unity of the human race, and the
relationship between population density and productivity
• Following in the established tradition, this all-embracing study includes both
general and special geography as defined by Varenius
o Mathematical, physical, and political principles are discussed along
with physical phenomena, including animals and plants, and human
matters, including race, language, beliefs, and law
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