Chapter 1

Nature and scope

1. Find the correct answer from the following four options.

(i) Which of the following statements does not describe geography:-

a) An integrated learning subject,

b) the study of the interaction between man and the environment,

c) defeated by dualism, 

d) Not relevant for technological development at present.

Answer:  d) Not relevant for technological development at present.

(ii) Which of the following is not a source of geographical information: -

a) Traveler's Notes,    

b) Old maps,

c) Samples of rock material taken from Chand,

d) Mythological epics.

 Answer:  c) Samples of rock material taken from the Moon.

(iii) Which of the following is a very important factor for the interaction between man and the environment:-

a) Human intelligence, b) Human consciousness,

c) Technology, d) Brotherhood of man.

 Answer:  c) Technology 

(iv) Which of the following is not a method of judging human geography:-

a) regional heterogeneity, b) spatial organization,

c) Measurement revolution, d) Exploration and description.

Answer: c) Measurement revolution

2. Write the answers to the following questions in about 30 words.

(i) Define human geography.

Answer: Human geography is the synthetic study of the relationship between the land surface and human society. - Ratzel

    Human geography is the study of the continuous, changing relationships between people and the turbulent world. - Allen C. Sample .

(ii) Name some subfields of human geography.

Answer:  Behavioral geography, social reality geography, space geography, cultural geography, gender geography, historical geography, medical geography, electoral geography, military geography, resource geography, agricultural geography, industrial geography, market geography, tourism Geography, International Geography.

(iii) How is human geography related to other social sciences?

Answer: Human geography in general studies the relationship between man and the environment. The study of human geography involves many practical and educational issues. Many of the formulas and explanations of the social sciences are directly involved in human activities. Thus, human geography is related to various theories of sociology.

3. Write the answers to the following questions in about 150 words.

(i) Explain human naturalization.

Answer:  Human nature usually means that in the early days, people lived their lives according to what nature gave them and how they gave them. People had to rely on nature for everything, which made their way of life less developed. For example, nature's contribution is rain, as people in ancient times had to wait for rain before farming. And they thought that the rain, the gift of nature, was a gift from God. So from the above example we can see that in the beginning nature controlled man and this is called naturalization by man.    

(ii) Write a note on the scope of human geography.

Answer:   Human geography is the field that studies people.

    The natural environment varies from region to region of the world. As such, the problems are different. Human geography is the work of solving such problems with various techniques. The natural environment affects human life. The natural environment affects people. The natural environment influences human economic and social activities. The main purpose of human geography is to study such subjects logically.

        The relationship between human activity and the natural environment is the main theme of human geography. Since humans are dynamic and the environment is changing, human geography is the study of dynamic human and changing natural relationships. Different geographers have given different definitions of human geography. Some of them are mentioned below: 

    (1) Human geography is the synthetic study of the relationship between the land surface and human society.

   2. Human geography is the study of the continuous relationship between man and the turbulent world.

    (3) The relationship between the concepts derived from the many synthetic knowledge of the natural laws that dominate our Earth and the organisms that inhabit it.

Impotent Answer:

Q. Write about the geographical factors that affect population distribution?

Answer: (a) Water:  Water is an essential factor for life. People use water for various purposes. For example, water is needed for cooking, animal husbandry, agriculture and industry and shipping. For these reasons, river valleys have become the most densely populated areas in the world.

            (b) Climate:  Climate is an essential part of human beings as it is not comfortable for humans to live in extremely hot or cold climates. Comfortable climate-free areas where the weather doesn't vary much from season to season attract people more. Areas with the highest rainfall or extreme climates are less densely populated.

            (c) Soil:  Soil Fertile soil is required for agriculture and other formal activities. Fertile soil can support extensive agriculture. Therefore, such soil areas are densely populated.