UNIT 1: SPA SPATIAL ORGANISA O RGANISATION TION AND SOCIETY
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GEOGRA GEO GRAPHY PHY IS A SCIENCE SCIE NCE
Geography is the science of exploration that helps us learn about our physical surroundings and understand the phenomena that occur there. Geographers are experts who seek to explain transformations in the world using dier dierent ent techniq techniques ues and method methods. s. They They also also work work togeth together er to solve solve practi practical cal problems. PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
This branch studies the the Earth’s physicl environment environment including its ecosystems, with which humans interacts. pecialists in this branch! " " " "
#ana #anage ge and and org organ anis ise e natu natura rall ar areas. eas. $repa $repare re envir environ onme menta ntall impac impactt studie studies. s. $redi $redict ct and, and, if if posib posible, le, pre preven ventt natur natural al ha%a ha%ard rds. s. $rov $rovid ide e env envir iron onme ment ntal al edu educa cati tion on..
HUMAN GEOGRAPHY
This branch seeks to explain how, as humans, we adapt our activities to our surroundings and analyses the form of spatial organisation. pecialists in this branch! " " "
$repar epare e tra trans nspo port rt plan plans. s. &na &nalyse lyse the best best plac places es to loca locate te facto factori ries es and shopp shoppin ing g centres. Explai Explain n the caus causes es behind behind the the exi existe stence nce of of depriv deprived ed are areas as in cities.
REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY
This branch allows us to analyse the relationship relationship between speci'c geographic areas and society, and study any potential problems. pecialists in his branch! "
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(ork in in spatia spatiall planni planning ng and and decide decide whic which h geogra geographi phic c area areas s shou should ld be prot protec ecte ted d and and whic which h can can be used used for for cert certai ain n activities. )ecide )ecide where where to buil build d eleme elements nts of infra infrastr struct uctur ure. e.
CARTOGRAPHY CARTOGRAPH Y, LANDSCAPES LANDSCA PES AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES TECHNO LOGIES
CARTOGRAPHY
#aps are one of h basic componentsof any geographic study. They help us learn about our surroundings and the things that happen within them, and to analyse the distribution of variables. *eographers are involved in making and interpreting maps. LEARNING ABOUT OUR PHYSICAL PHYSICAL SURROUNDINGS
+. $anor anoram amic ic view views! s! *eographer *eographers s need to have visual visual knowledge knowledge of the geographic geographic area area they want to analse by studing its landscapes by using potos aken from the air. air. . ate atell llit ite e imag images es!! atellite images of the Earth’s surface have helped us improve cartography. cartography. -. Them Themat atic ic maps maps!! ymbols andor colours are used to represent the distribution of dierent phenomena within a geographic area /populaion density, weather, etc..0 1. Topogra opographi phic c and road road maps maps!! & toographic map is a graphic representation of cultural and natural features on the ground . 2oad maps enable us to orientate ourselves in space. GEOGRAPHY AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES
The relationship between *eography and new tecologies is not new. new. The 'rst *eographic 3nformation ystem /*30was created in teh +456s. +. (ha (hat ar are *3 *37 7 *eographic 3nformation ystems are computer systems that incorporate and relate dierent elements! users, data, software, software, etc. . (hat (hat are are the they y used used for for7 7 They allow us o create, analyse, store and presenta ll kinds of geographical data. 3n other words, they are like a database of geographical information. -. (hat (hat do they they used used for7 for7 The use big data represente represente don a digital mp o analyse spatial patterns and create predictive models. 1. (ho (ho us uses them them7 7 They are used by govermnets, intelligence services, large public sector and pr8vate 'rms, research centres, universities and geographers. They are even used by groups of people to create maps for the general public /9pentreet#ap,(iki#apia, etc.0 providing open and free &ccess to spatial data for any place in the world.
