Geography (
Greek Geo (
γη) or
Gaea (
γαία), meaning "Earth", and
graphein (
γράφειν) meaning "to describe" or "to write") is the study of the
earth and its features, inhabitants, and phenomena. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was
Eratosthenes (275-195 B.C.). Four historical traditions in geographical research are the
spatial analysis of natural and human phenomena (geography as a study of distribution), area studies (places and regions), study of man-land relationship, and research in
earth sciences. Nonetheless, modern geography is an all-encompassing discipline that foremost seeks to understand the world and all of its human and natural complexities-- not merely where objects are, but how they have changed and come to be. As "the bridge between the human and physical sciences," geography is divided into two main branches - human geography and physical geography.
