Definition

Geography (from the Greek words Geo (γη) or Gaea (γαια), both meaning "Earth", and graphein (γραφειν) meaning "to describe" or "to write"or "to map") is the study of the earth and its features and of the distribution of life on the earth, including human life and the effects of human activity.[1] A literal translation would be "to describe the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes (275-195 BCE). 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. [2] 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 things are, but how they have changed and come to be. It is said to be the "mother of all sciences" and "the synthesizer of knowledge." As "the bridge between the human and physical sciences," geography is divided into two main branches, human geography and physical geography