In essence, many people think that geography is about remembering the names of countries, capital cities, cities, and towns. Primarily, while this knowledge is necessary, it not enough for a person to qualify as a geographer since it involves other significant phenomena. The term geography refers to the connections and linkages between events and places, regions, physical, human systems, the world in spatial terms, our surroundings, and the society as a whole. Principally, geographic knowledge helps us to have a better understanding of the world's history, international affairs, and global economics among others (Thomas-Brown186). For instance, geography affects every aspect of history because it explains why some countries lost or won the World Wars and how this shaped the world today. Primarily, this is so because all historical activities use the earth as the stage making it inevitable to mention the past even without mentioning where it took place.
Additionally, I believe that geography also helps to explain the formulation of various cultures, which is part of history. International Relation is the study of human interactions across borders and the factors that influence such interactions. In essence, this occurs when countries realize their differences concerning resources, cultures, and politics (Flint and Taylor 62). Lastly, it is true to point out that economic geography helps us to understand the availability of certain resources, location, and spatial organizations of various economic activities. Geography helps us to understand transport systems, industries, real estates, economies of urban formation among others.
Researchers claim that when people lack even the rudimentary knowledge about their surroundings, they are susceptible to ethnocentrism and limited point of views. As earlier mentioned, a deeper understanding of geography helps us to understand cultures and avoid biases. We get to know why people in a certain geographic location wear particular types of clothes, why they eat certain foods and use a certain language among others. The study of weather patterns, climate change, and temperatures help us to understand why various countries use certain educational systems and such knowledge helps countries not to blindly copy educational systems that do not suit their geographic location. Additionally, since the modern world is highly globalized, it is important that every person should acquire basic knowledge in geography. Primarily, this will give a clear understanding of how various nations are interconnected through entertainment, communication, politics, and industrial enterprises. For instance, when we understand how production in one country affects another, we shall be able to understand how today decline in China’s economic output affects the United States. Geography is an integral part of humanity and understanding of how one geographic phenomenon affects another is enough proof that it provides a context for constructing a broad and open mind.
Works Cited
Flint, Colin, and Peter James Taylor. Political Geography: World-Economy, Nation-State, and Locality. Pearson Education, 2007.
Thomas-Brown, Karen A. "Teaching For Geographic Literacy: Our Afterschool Geography Club." The Social Studies, vol.102, no.5, 2011, pp 181-189.
