Geography

Geography, science that deals with the distribution and arrangement of all elements of the earth's surface. The word geography was adopted in the 200s bc by the Greek scholar Eratosthenes and means “earth description.” Geographic study encompasses the environment of the earth's surface and the relationship of humans to this environment, which includes both physical and cultural geographic features. Physical geographic features include the climate, land and water, and plant and animal life. Cultural geographic features include artificial entities, such as nations, settlements, lines of communication, transportation, buildings, and other modifications of the physical geographic environment. Geographers use economics, history, biology, geology, and mathematics in their studies.