Geography as science originated ancient. §2.

The first ideas about the earth's surface were in primitive hunters and collectors. Transmitting future generations information about the world around the world, the ancients left drawings on the stone and bones, on the bark of trees and skin of animals. So the initial foundations of geographical knowledge were laid.

Birth of earth science

Geography is one of the oldest sciences. Her name comes from two Greek words: GEO - Earth, Grapho - I write (description). Arriving in deep antiquity, geography first really had a descriptive character. Travelers and navigators, commander and merchants took with them scientists so that they constitute the descriptions of new lands and peoples. Greek scientist more than 2,200 years ago first collected these descriptions in treatise On the nature of the Earth and called him "Geography".

About 500 years ago - in the era of great geographical discoveries - geography during the two centuries was the Queen of Sciences. Monarchs and rich merchants were personally discussed with geographers' plans for future expeditions and generously financed their travel in the hope of obtaining reasonable treasures. For short historic period PA appeared most of the oceanic spaces and inhabited lands. At this time, geography was a set of a wide variety of information. She gave answers to questions "What is it?" And "where is it located?", indicating the location of various objects on the surface of the Earth. However, the Arctic, Australia, many internal areas of the mainland remained white heels on maps, even in the 18th century.

Nowadays the geography of its main task was the study of laws, but which our planet lives and develops. The geography began to turn from the descriptive discipline to the science that answers the question "Why?". For this, geographers had the need to understand and explain the causes of the emergence and change of objects and phenomena of nature.

Geographic Sciences

Modern geography is a complex branched system, or "Tree" of sciences. Geography is the only science that combines a variety (knowledge of nature and people. All geographical objects And the phenomena created by nature studies physical geography. The population and the activities created by the activities of people are studying public geography. One of the most important tasks of modern geographic science as a whole is a study of the diverse interaction of nature and society to solve the global (world) problems facing humanity, for example, the problems of providing the population with food, natural riches, including fuel and water. The objectives of the World Ocean and Cosmos are very important. A special place among geographic sciences is the science of geographic maps. Closely connected with geography related to her science geology.

Geographers today are specialists of many professions. Water sushi explores the hydrologist, ice - glaciologist, irregularities of the earth's surface -, animal and vegetable world Planets - biyograph. Geoecologists predict the effects of human impact. A practical disciplines are also included in the geographic science system, such as medical and military geography.

where and when did the first geography appeared? And got the best answer

Answer from Lenuska [Guru]
GEOGRAFIA (Greek. Earthworks)
Traditionally, geography was considered to be a science studying the surface of our planet. The discovery and study of this surface began on the earliest stage of civilization.
Geography arose in deep antiquity due to practical activities People - hunting, fishing, nomadic cattle breeding, primitive agriculture. Circle of actual knowledge primitive man Determined by the nature of its activities and the immediate natural environment. Observing is closely connected and the ability to navigate in space.
For primitive-free system and slave-owned states The tasks of geography were reduced to expanding the spatial outlook. There was a globility of a person in the space of its residence. Primary geographical motifs were represented by existential geography that came to this day, but lost their position in scientific geography. It was based on the concept of "place" or topos (from Greek - a place, plot of land), ideas about good and bad places, good and bad hunt, friendly and bad peoples.
Geography, like all other sciences ancient Mira, developed initially inside philosophy. The philosophers viewed the world as natural unity, and all the activities of people as one of the manifestations of things, some speculative ideas (about the shag of the Earth and its spheres, the dependence of the person from nature), for many centuries "freshen" the path of development of geography. There was a unique method of empirical generalizations and geographic information transmission - cartographic.
The most success was achieved by the ancient Greeks, who managed to operate not only by empirical data, but also their ideal images (models), which made it possible to scientifically Ancient Greece.
The most ancient map (on the clay plate) is known from 3800 BC. e.
The development of navigation and trade led to the appearance of the first geographical descriptions. They were called periplam and periegias. The first was described by the coast and were a prototype of modern locations. The second - land plots and were primary form Countryed descriptions. The authors of such descriptions were called logographers. The famous logograph was chasing from the Mileta (546-480 g BC), which summarized the recipe and perieghesis and compiled a description of all famous countries.
Herodotus (485-425 BC. Er) gives full description The world known to the Greeks.
Eucdox Book (approx. 480-355 BC. Er) justified the idea of climatic belts. He first applied the gnomon to determine the latitudinal position of geographic objects.
In the writings of Aristotle (384-322 BC. E.) The world surrounding the world has four primary elements: fire, air, water and land. The source of movement is the ether, the gorgeous sky. It was already an approach of component geography. The combinations of these elements form spheres: the external celestial, the sphere of fire (the upper atmosphere), the lower (air), the scope of water and the earth (center). Thus, he recognized the idea of \u200b\u200bthe shag-likeness of the Earth. Aristotle also systematized the views of their predecessors regarding thermal belts.
Eratosthene Kirensky (276-194 BC), first applied the term "latitude" and "longitude" and when building a card, used 7 parallels and perpendicular meridians. And his work "Geographical Notes" was the first to be mentioned by the term "geography" (instead of Periplov and Periizov).
In the era of the flourishing of the Roman Empire (I-II century. In. N. Er) prevailed the geographical descriptions of a country plan, often associated with history. The largest work belongs to Strabo, Greek from Amasia (64 BC. E. - 23 N. E.). They are written "Geography" in 17 books. In the West in the Middle Ages, Strabo was not known. "Geography" appeared in the press in 1472. First in the Latin translation made by bad manuscript. The first edition of the Greek text appeared in 1516 by Alde Manuction (on the basis of a bad manuscript).
Claudius Ptoleum (90-160 g.) The last of the great scientists of the antiquity that paid attention to the geographical problem
Horror!!

Answer from Yerik Twebbergen[active]
in the middle of the 15th, 16th centuries ... When the great geographic discoveries began .... and so, it exists from the ancient centuries! ...

Answer from Elena.[guru]
In IV century BC e. - V c. n. e. Ancient scientist-encyclopedists tried to create the theory about the origin and structure of the world around the world, to portray the countries known to them in the form of drawings. The results of these surveys were a speculative understanding of the Earth as a ball (Aristotle), creating cards and plans, definition geographic coordinates, Introduction to the use of parallels and meridians, cartographic projections. Mallian craft, philosopher, studied the structure globe And created the globe model, it expected how the weather conditions of the Northern and South Hemispheres should relate.
"Geography" in the 8 volumes of Claudia Ptolemy contained information about more than 8,000 geographical names and coordinates of almost 400 points. Eratosthene Kirensky for the first time measured the arc of Meridian and appreciated the size of the Earth, he also owns the term "geography" (Entheothing). Stragone was a height of country studies, geomorphology and paleogeography. In the writings of Aristotle, the foundations of hydrology, meteorology, oceanology are stated and the separation of geographic sciences is planned.
It is believed that the foundations of modern geography laid Alexander von Humboldt.

Geography is one of the most interesting and fascinating sciences. After all, it is directly related to travel and adventures. But what's the point in itself carries the term "geography"? The meaning of the word is very interesting. And we will try to explain it in our article.

Science of Earth

One of the oldest is geography. The meaning of the word we will look a little later, and now we will get acquainted with the history of this discipline. It is known that the foundations of modern geography were laid during the times of the ancient Ellinons. Their research summarized and systematized the ancient Greek scientist Ptolemy in the first century of our era. It was in Greece that the geography developed by seven-year steps. In parallel, the study of the Earth was also interested in ancient Egypt. Already in 3 millennia BC, the first maritime expeditions on the waters of red and Mediterranean Seas. Separate elements of geographical descriptions can be found in the ancient books of India - "Vedas" or "Mahabharat".

How in subsequent centuries a geography developed? The meaning of this science was particularly increased in the XVI century, in the so-called Columbus and Magellan, James Cook and brought many new information and facts about our planet from their swimming, which were required to study and systematize in detail. Geography in its modern academic form was laid in the first half of the XIX century Alexander Humboldt and Carl Ritter. To date, mankind has already conquered the moon, plans to fall on Mars in the very near future. However, there are still many unexplored sites on Earth - "white spots", according to which the leg of a person did not go. Therefore, geographers in the XXI century will take themselves on this planet.

Geography: the meaning of the word, the origin of the term

When did the term "geography" arose? Who came up with and consolidated for this science? Let's try to explain the meaning of the word "geography". This term of female genus comes from two ancient Greek words: "Geo" (Earth) and "Grafo" (I write, describe). That is, it can be translated into Russian as follows: "Entry".

The term "geography" came up with and introduced into science another ancient Greek philosopher and scientist Eratosthen. It happened approximately in the third century to our era. How and when is the term "geography"? The meaning of the word in our days can be viewed in two aspects. It can be used:

1. As a science that combines many smaller disciplines. They study the earth, nature features, localization of the population, minerals, etc., and so on.
2. As the distribution area on the territory of any phenomenon or process. For example, oil reserves or general literacy of people.

What studies science geography?

According to universal definition, geography is a science studying the so-called land. The latter, in turn, includes four sections: litto, atmo-, hydro and biosphere. But that's not all. Sometimes they add to the technosphere, that is, everything that is created by the hands of a person on the planet.

The main object of studies of science can be called natural laws and patterns of distribution and interaction of various components of the geographic shell (soil, rock, vegetation, water, etc.). Modern science It is divided into three large blocks: the physical, social and the first is studying nature, the second is the population and living conditions of people, the third - features and patterns economic Development territories and countries.

The meaning of the word "historical geography". Features of scientific discipline

As mentioned above, geography is a complex science. It includes many different disciplines in its composition. One of them is just historical geography. What does she study?

Historical geography is a special section that is trying to explain various historical processes and events through knowledge of geographic. In other words, this science studies history through space. And a special place in it is paid precisely geographical (territorial) factors.

Finally

One of the oldest sciences on Earth is precisely geography. The meaning of this term is very interesting. The word was invented in ancient Greece. And you can translate it into Russian as "earthworking". The term introduced in the third century to our era an ancient Greek scientist Eratosthen. By the way, it was he who first measured the parameters of our planet. And made it quite accurately, without having modern devices and technologies at hand.

Geography (translated from Greek - "Entry") - science, originated at the dawn of the development of human civilization. Its origins go deep into centuries much further than, for example, physics, chemistry, biology, geology and many other sciences. But at different stages of a long historical path, the contents and goals of geography did not remain unchanged. That is why we say that geography - the science of ancient and at the same time young: now it solves completely different tasks than in the past.

For centuries, it was a descriptive-cognitive science, whose tasks were reduced to the discovery and description of previously unknown and lands. Geography of the centuries accumulated facts; Her main task was to step by step to recreate the picture of the surface of the globe, i.e. Apply and describe the banks of the continents and islands, mountains, rivers, lakes, etc. For a long time, geography was a kind of encyclopedic arch of a wide variety of information and gave an answer to questions "Where?" So what?" - i.e. pointed out the location of various objects on the ground surface. Strictly speaking, she was not yet science in the full sense of the word, for science should answer questions "How?" and why?". Real science Explains the facts, formulates laws, has its own theory.

It should not, of course, think that in the past were only collectors of facts, among them there were outstanding thinkers. Already in deep antiquity, people tried to explain the spills, the origin and flows and many other geographic phenomena. But general level Science was such that scientists could not experimentally explore the observed phenomena and they had to guess their essence and origin, relying on their intuition or fantasy.

Only by the end of the last century geography was able to rely on the basic laws of physics, chemistry and biology, to proceed with the study of complex patterns that act in close interlacing natural phenomena Ground surface. As for, it began to acquire a genually scientific character to acquire only the laws of classical political economy.

Thus, only during the last century, the geography began to turn from the descriptive ("collective") discipline into the theoretical science; In essence, she began to revive and acquire a new content.

Modern geography is a complex branched system, or a "family" of science - natural (physico-geographical) and public (economic and geographical), related general origins and common goals. One of the most important tasks of modern geography is the study of the processes of interaction between nature and society in order to scientific justification rational use natural resources and preserving favorable conditions for the life of a person on our planet.

Past geography, if we consider it as a history of ideas, and not just travel, also no less rich in events than the history of any other science. In the history of geography alternate periods of take-off and stagnation, steep fractures and crises. This story is full of hot disputes, acute ideological struggle and sometimes genuine drama. To defend new ideas, no less than courage and heroism were required than in order to go swimming for unknown shores.

Each schoolboy knows the names of the creators of mechanics, astronomy, chemistry and other sciences. Who did not hear about N. Copernicus, I. Newton, Ch. Darwin, D.I. Mendeleev, A. Einstein? But not every educated person knows, for example, the names of one of the founders of the Patriotic theoretical geography V.N. Tatishcheva (1686-1750) or K.I. Arsenyeva (1789-1865), which stood at the origins of economic geography in Russia.

Geography

science (more precisely, the system of natural and public Sciences) studying functioning and evolution geographic shell, interaction and distribution in the space of its individual parts and components - in order to scientific substantiation of the territorial organization of the Company, the placement of the population and production, effective use of natural resources, the preservation of human habitat, creating the basics of the strategy of environmentally friendly sustainable development of society. The word "geography" occurred from Greek. GE - - "Earth" and "Grapho" - I write. The most important subject of geographical study is the processes of interaction of man and nature, the patterns of placement and interaction of components geographical environment and their combinations on the local, regional, nat. (state), continental, oceanic, global levels. The complexity of the object of the study led to a differentiation of a single geography into a number of specialized scientific disciplines, which gives reason to consider modern geography As a complex system of sciences, in which natural (physical and geographical), public (socio-geographical and economic and geographical) sciences, applied geographic sciences and geographic sciences, wearing integral (border) character.
physical geography Includes comprehensive sciences about geographic shell In general: landography (general physical geography), landscape studies (Regional physical geography), paleogeography (Evolutionary geography). In the process of long-term development of geography, private sciences were formed about the components of the geographic shell - geomorphology, Geocryology, Climatology and meteorology, hydrology (with a division to sushi hydrology, oceanology, Limnology),glyciology, soil geography, biogeography.
IN socio-economic geography Common Sciences: social geography and economical geography, as well as geography of world economy, Regional socio-economic geography, political geography. Private socio-geographical sciences: geography of industry, geography of agriculture, geography of transport, geography of the population, the geography of the service sector. Integrated geographic sciences include cartography, country studies, historical geography. The development of the geographic science system led to the formation of applied geographic sciences and directions - medical geography, recreational geography, military geography et al. They also perform binders between geography and other scientific disciplines. The desire to identify the generalographic patterns in the development of all or many components of the geographic shell, to simulate them led to the formation of theoretical direction in geography.
Geography as the system of sciences was formed not by the rapprochement of isolated geographic sciences, and by the autonomous development of the once unified geography and its dismemberment on specialized scientific disciplines - in components, their combinations, levels of research and the degree of generalization, target installations and practical needs. Therefore, all private geographic sciences, no matter how far they went away from each other, kept common features geographical approach (territoriality, complexity, concreteness, globality) and the overall specific language of science - card.
During its development, geography was not isolated from other scientific disciplines. As an ideological science, it is closely related to philosophy and history; In the study of natural components of the geographic shell, geography with physics, chemistry, geology and biology was strengthened, and in the study of the sociosphere - with economics, sociology, demographics, etc. In turn, geography enriches their theory and methodology related sciences; There is a process of geographicization of scientific knowledge, expressed, in particular, in the arms of geography with other sciences of such dynamically developing scientific trends, as ecology, Demogeography, Ethnic Geography, District layout, regional economy.
The technique of geographical studies is a complex system, including: general scientific approaches and methods (mathematical, historical, environmental, modeling, systemic, etc.); Specifically scientific approaches and methods (geochemical, geophysical, paleogeographic, technical and economic, economic and statistical, sociological, etc.); Working techniques and operations for obtaining information (balance method; remote methods, including aerospace; laboratory methods, for example, spore-pollen analysis, radiocarbon method; questionnaire; selective method, etc.); Methods of empirical and theoretical generalization of information (indicative, evaluative, analogs, classifications, etc.); Methods and techniques for storing and processing information (on electronic media, cardiac cards, etc.).
Special function of geography - receipt, generalization and dissemination of knowledge about our planet and the patterns of its natural historical development, countries, regions, cities, localities and their people inhabiting their people, on the history of the opening and mastering of the world, about knowing it with the help of space funds. An important aspect of universal culture over the centuries was geographical discoveries that are not stopped so far. Geographical and cartographic knowledge serve as an indispensable element general Education; Geography is taught in primary and cf. schools of all countries of the world.
Geography is one of the oldest sciences. In the process of development, its content, as well as the very concept of geographic discovery, has repeatedly changed. Over the centuries ch. The content of geography was the discovery and description of new lands and ocean expanses. The tendency to fix individual phenomena on the surface of the Earth led to the establishment of country studies and regional approaches. At the same time, the desire to identify and explain the features of their similarities and differences, to combine into similar categories, classify laid the foundations of general, or systemic, geography. Already antique Mediterranean civilization is characterized by fundamental achievements in geography. The initial attempts of naturally scientific explanation of geographical phenomena belong to the ancient Greek. philosophers of Miret School Falesu and Anaximandra (6 V. BC); Aristotle (4 in. BC. Er) introduced an idea of \u200b\u200bthe softenness of the Earth; Eratosthene (3-2 centuries. BC) quite accurately determined the length of the circumference of the globe, formulated the concepts of "parallels" and "meridians", introduced the term "geography"; Strabo (1 V. BC. E. - 1 century. N. E.) In 17 volumes summarized country-house knowledge of geography; Ptolemy (2 century n. E.) In his "Geography Guide" laid the foundations for building a land map. In the Middle Ages, the Arabic Scientific and Encyclopedists Ibn Sina (Avicenna) played a significant role in the development of geography. Biruni., traveler . Epoch Great geographic discoveries expanded the horizons of scientific thinking and approved the ideas about the integrity of the world. In 17-18 centuries. Along with the continuation of the geographical discoveries and the descriptions of the Earth, theoretical activities are developing. B. Varmenius In the "General Geography" (1650) and I. Newton in the "Mathematical Benefits of Natural Philosophy" (1687) laid the foundations of physical thinking in geography. M. V. Lomonosov all R. 18 V. The first expressed the idea of \u200b\u200bthe role of the time factor in the development of nature and introduced into science the term "economic geography". Generalization of these field expeditions led by German naturalist A. Humboldt (1845-62) to the classification of climate climates, justification of the latitudinal zonality and vertical explanation; He became a proclaimer of an integrated approach in geography.
In the 2nd floor. 19th century widespread ideas geographic determinism, Approved that geographical factors play a decisive role in the socio-economic development of peoples and countries. With the enhancement of human impact on the environment, these ideas lose their attractiveness; Now their echoes are preserved in environmentalism. At the turn of 19 and 20 centuries. There have been concepts geographical instability, Found from the recognition of a variety of forms of human interaction with a homogeneous passive environment, and the teaching A. Gener About geography as "khorological science" studying in the OSN. Only spatial relations of objects and phenomena on the earth's surface, without deepening in the study of the inner essence of these phenomena and their development. At the same time in the work of V. I. Vernadsky The planetary role of the anthropogenic factor was substantiated; He argued that the transformation biosphere Under the influence of conscious human activity will lead to the formation noospheres. Development of geography in con. 19-20 centuries. associated with the names K. Ritter, P. P. Semenova-Tian-Shanskaya, A. I. Warikova, F. Richtgofen, D. N. Anuna, V.V. Dokuchaev, A. A. Grigorieva, L. S. Berg, S. V. Kesleck, K.K. Markov, V. B. Ochava, V.N. Sukachev, N. N. Barano, I. P. Gerasimova. The specificity of the development of geographic science in the 20th century. It was determined largely by the traditions of NAC. schools - such as french School human geography with its sustainable social orientation; German school with traditions of in-depth theoretical analysis, regional planning and geopolitics; Anglo-American and Swedish school of theoretical geography and widespread use of quantitative methods. Russian geographic School formed under the influence of Dokuchaev teachings about natural zones, Vernadsky about the role of a living matter in the formation of the modern nature of the Earth and the evolutionary-stadium development, Grigoriev about the geographical shell and its dynamic processes, Berg about the landscape device of earthly nature, Baransky about geographical separation Labor as a spatial form of public division of labor and the objective nature of the formation of economic r-new.
In con. 20 V. The symptoms of the environmental crisis were manifested on Earth: the drainage and erosion destruction of the territory, the reduction of forests and desertification, the exhaustion of mineral reserves, environmental pollution. Anthropogenic contribution to the turnover of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur was compared with natural, and in places began to prevail over it. A significant part of the sushi surface is irreversibly converted by a person. Amplifying in the world globalization Along with positive trends, increases the gap between the poor and rich countries, aggravates the old and generates new global problems mankind. All this puts the relevant tasks before geography: the study of the dynamics of natural, socio-economic and geopolitical processes, forecasting global and regional socio-economic and political situations, Develop recommendations for guard ambient , optimal device and functioning of natural technical systems in order to improve the safety of human existence and quality of people's lives. A special role in this approach is the ecology and science of environmental management Forming at the junction of physical and socio-economic geography with economies and technology.
Possessing a huge integration potential, geography brings together a variety of sectors of knowledge and research methods in order to help solve the most important problem of our time - to ensure sustainable socio-economic development of both humanity and individuals, in whatever country of the world they live.

Geography. Modern illustrated encyclopedia. - M.: Rosman. Edited by prof. A. P. Gorkina. 2006 .