A
geographer is a
scientist whose area of study is
geography, the study of
Earth's physical
environment and human
habitat.
Though geographers are historically known as people who make
maps, map making is actually the field of study of
cartography, a subset of geography. Geographers study not only the physical details of the environment but also its impact on human and wildlife
ecologies,
weather and
climate patterns, economics, and culture. They are often especially focused on the spatial relationships between these elements.
Physical geographers identify, analyze, and interpret the distribution and arrangement of
landforms and other features of the earth's surface. Modern geographers are often involved in resolving
environmental problems. Many modern geographers are also the primary practitioners of
geographic information systems and
cartography. They are often employed by local, state, and federal government agencies as well as in the private sector by environmental and engineering firms.
There is a well-known painting by
Johannes Vermeer titled
The Geographer, which is often linked to Vermeer's
The Astronomer. These paintings are both thought to represent the growing influence and rise in prominence of scientific enquiry in Europe at the time of their painting, 1668–69.
Areas of study
There are two major fields of study, which are further subdivided:
While there are numerous areas of study within geography, specific importance is placed upon the human and social aspects of the natural environment. Core examples of this can be seen in fields such as
natural hazards, where, not only are the geophysical aspects studied in great detail (such as in geology), but also the human aspects.
The
National Geographic Society identifies five broad key
themes for geographers:
- human-environment interaction
See also
