Question

Answer the following questions in about 150 words.
(i) You observe every day in your surroundings that there is variation in
natural as well as cultural phenomena. All the trees are not of the same
variety. All the birds and animals you see, are different. All these different
elements are found on the earth. Can you now argue that geography is
the study of "areal differentiation"?

Answer 1

Answer:

Variations in the natural as well as cultural phenomena provides a clue in understanding the relationship between physical environment and cultural features.

The physical environment has provided the stage over which the human societies enacted the drama of their creative skills with the tools and techniques which they invented in the process of their development. It can be said that geography is the description of the earth. We know that the reality is always multifaceted and the earth is also multi-dimensional. This is why many disciplines from natural sciences and a number of sister disciplines in social sciences study different aspect of the earth's surface. Geography is different from other subjects but at the same time it is closely related to other disciplines. Geography derives its data base from all the natural and social sciences.

The existing variations over the surface of the earth in physical as well as cultural environment. A number of phenomena are similar and many are dissimilar. It is, therefore, logical to perceive geography as the study of a real differentiation.

Answer 2

Vast differences occur over the Earth's surface in both its physical and cultural climate, thus It is appropriate to say Geography is study of "areal differentiation.

• While not limited to the distinction of the areals, geography also focuses on the interaction with other variables that cause variability.
• It examines the patterns of space-over-space propagation, position and concentration of phenomena and interprets those that provide reasons for those patterns.
• This also takes account of the interactions and inter-relationships between the phenomena resulting in complex human contact with their physical environment.
• It further explores the spatial structure and integration of spaces and all the different elements found on earth.