Outline of geography
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The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to geography:
Geography Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, an ...
– study of earth and its people.


Nature of geography


Geography as

* an
academic discipline An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, ...
– a body of knowledge given to − or received by − a disciple (student); a branch or sphere of knowledge, or field of study, that an individual has chosen to specialize in. Modern geography is an all-encompassing discipline that seeks to understand the Earth and its human and natural complexities − not merely where objects are, but how they have changed and come to be. Geography has been called 'the world discipline'. * a
field of science The branches of science, also referred to as sciences, scientific fields or scientific disciplines, are commonly divided into three major groups: * Formal sciences: the study of formal systems, such as those under the branches of logic and mat ...
– widely recognized category of specialized expertise within science, and typically embodies its own terminology and nomenclature. This field will usually be represented by one or more scientific journals, where peer-reviewed research is published. There are many geography-related scientific journals. ** a natural science – field of academic scholarship that explores aspects of the natural environment (physical geography). ** a
social science Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of so ...
– field of academic scholarship that explores aspects of human society (human geography). * an
interdisciplinary field Interdisciplinarity or interdisciplinary studies involves the combination of multiple academic disciplines into one activity (e.g., a research project). It draws knowledge from several other fields like sociology, anthropology, psychology, ec ...
– a field that crosses traditional boundaries between academic disciplines or schools of thought, as new needs and professions have emerged. Many of the branches of physical geography are also branches of Earth science


Branches of geography

As "the bridge between the human and physical sciences," geography is divided into two main branches: *human geography *physical geography Other branches include: *integrated geography *technical geography *regional geography All the branches are further described below...


Physical geography

*
Physical geography Physical geography (also known as physiography) is one of the three main branches of geography. Physical geography is the branch of natural science which deals with the processes and patterns in the natural environment such as the atmosphere, ...
– examines the natural environment and how the climate, vegetation & life, soil, water, and landforms are produced and interact.


Fields of physical geography

* Geomorphology – study of landforms and the processes that them, and more broadly, of the processes controlling the topography of any planet. Seeks to understand why landscapes look the way they do, to understand landform history and dynamics, and to predict future changes through field observation, physical experiment, and numerical modeling. *
Hydrology Hydrology () is the scientific study of the movement, distribution, and management of water on Earth and other planets, including the water cycle, water resources, and environmental watershed sustainability. A practitioner of hydrology is call ...
– study the movement, distribution, and quality of water throughout the Earth, including the hydrologic cycle, water resources and environmental watershed sustainability. **
Glaciology Glaciology (; ) is the scientific study of glaciers, or more generally ice and natural phenomena that involve ice. Glaciology is an interdisciplinary Earth science that integrates geophysics, geology, physical geography, geomorphology, c ...
– study of glaciers, or more generally ice and natural phenomena that involve ice. ** Oceanography – studies a wide range of topics about oceans, including marine organisms and ecosystem dynamics; ocean currents, waves, and geophysical fluid dynamics; plate tectonics and the geology of the sea floor; and fluxes of various chemical substances and physical properties within the ocean and across its boundaries. * Biogeography – study of the distribution of species spatially and temporally. Over areal
ecological Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overlaps wi ...
changes, it is also tied to the concepts of species and their past, or present living ' refugium', their survival locales, or their interim living sites. It aims to reveal where organisms live, and at what abundance. *
Climatology Climatology (from Greek , ''klima'', "place, zone"; and , ''-logia'') or climate science is the scientific study of Earth's climate, typically defined as weather conditions averaged over a period of at least 30 years. This modern field of study ...
– study of
climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologi ...
, scientifically defined as weather conditions averaged over a period of
time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...
. *
Meteorology Meteorology is a branch of the atmospheric sciences (which include atmospheric chemistry and physics) with a major focus on weather forecasting. The study of meteorology dates back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did no ...
is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere that focuses on weather processes and short term forecasting (in contrast with climatology). *
Pedology Pedology (from Greek: πέδον, ''pedon'', "soil"; and λόγος, ''logos'', "study") is a discipline within soil science which focuses on understanding and characterizing soil formation, evolution, and the theoretical frameworks for modeling ...
– study of soils in their natural environment that deals with
pedogenesis Soil formation, also known as pedogenesis, is the process of soil genesis as regulated by the effects of place, environment, and history. Biogeochemical processes act to both create and destroy order ( anisotropy) within soils. These alterations ...
,
soil morphology Soil morphology is the study of the formation and description of soil types within various soil horizons. C.F. Marbut championed reliance on soil morphology instead of on theories of pedogenesis for soil classification because theories of soil gen ...
, and
soil classification Soil classification deals with the systematic categorization of soils based on distinguishing characteristics as well as criteria that dictate choices in use. Overview Soil classification is a dynamic subject, from the structure of the system, ...
. *
Palaeogeography Palaeogeography (or paleogeography) is the study of historical geography, generally physical landscapes. Palaeogeography can also include the study of human or cultural environments. When the focus is specifically on landforms, the term pal ...
– study of what the geography was in times past, most often concerning the physical landscape, but also the human or cultural environment. * Coastal geography – study of the dynamic interface between the ocean and the land, incorporating both the physical geography (i.e. coastal geomorphology, geology and oceanography) and the human geography (sociology and history) of the coast. It involves an understanding of coastal weathering processes, particularly wave action, sediment movement and weather, and also the ways in which humans interact with the coast. *
Quaternary science Quaternary science is the study which represents the systematic study of the Quaternary Period commonly known as the ice age. The Quaternary Period is a time period that started around 2.58 million years ago and continues today. This perio ...
– focuses on the Quaternary period, which encompasses the last 2.6 million years, including the last ice age and the Holocene period. *
Landscape ecology Landscape ecology is the science of studying and improving relationships between ecological processes in the environment and particular ecosystems. This is done within a variety of landscape scales, development spatial patterns, and organizatio ...
– the relationship between spatial patterns of urban development and ecological processes on a multitude of landscape scales and organizational levels.Wu, J. and R. Hobbs (Eds). 2007. Key Topics in Landscape Ecology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.


Approaches of physical geography

*
Quantitative geography Quantitative geography is a subfield of geography that develops, tests, and uses mathematical and statistical methods to analyze and model geographic phenomena and patterns. It aims to explain and predict the distribution and dynamics of human and ...
Quantitative research tools and methods applied to geography. See also the quantitative revolution. * Systems approach


Human geography

*
Human geography Human geography or anthropogeography is the branch of geography that studies spatial relationships between human communities, cultures, economies, and their interactions with the environment. It analyzes spatial interdependencies between social i ...
– one of the two main subfields of geography, it is the study of human use and understanding of the world and the processes which have affected it. Human geography broadly differs from physical geography in that it focuses on the
built environment The term built environment refers to human-made conditions and is often used in architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, public health, sociology, and anthropology, among others. These curated spaces provide the setting for human a ...
and how space is created, viewed, and managed by humans as well as the influence humans have on the space they occupy.


Fields of human geography

*
Cultural geography Cultural geography is a subfield within human geography. Though the first traces of the study of different nations and cultures on Earth can be dated back to ancient geographers such as Ptolemy or Strabo, cultural geography as academic study first ...
– study of cultural products and norms and their variations across and relations to spaces and places. It focuses on describing and analyzing the ways language, religion, economy, government, and other cultural phenomena vary or remain constant from one place to another and on explaining how humans function spatially. **
Children's geographies Children's geographies is an area of study within human geography and childhood studies which involves researching the places and spaces of children's lives. Context Children's geographies is the branch of human geography which deals with the stud ...
– study of places and spaces of children's lives, characterized experientially, politically and ethically. Children's geographies rest on the idea that children as a social group share certain characteristics which are experientially, politically and ethically significant and which are worthy of study. The pluralization in the title is intended to imply that children's lives will be markedly different in differing times and places and in differing circumstances such as gender, family, and class. The range of foci within children's geographies include: *** Children and the city *** Children and the countryside *** Children and technology *** Children and nature, *** Children and globalization *** Methodologies of researching children's worlds *** Ethics of researching children's worlds ***
Otherness of childhood The otherness of childhood describes the substantial differences between the lived worlds of children and adults, and the otherness of the former from the perspective of the latter. These differences are suggested to emerge from complex outcomes of ...
**
Animal geographies Animal geography is a subfield of the nature–society/human–environment branch of geography as well as a part of the larger, interdisciplinary umbrella of human–animal studies (HAS). Animal geography is defined as the study of "the complex ent ...
– studies the spaces and places occupied by animals in human culture because social life and space is heavily populated by animals of many different kinds and in many differing ways (e.g. farm animals, pets, wild animals in the city). Another impetuses that has influenced the development of the field is ecofeminist and other environmentalist viewpoints on nature-society relations (including questions of animal welfare and rights). **
Language geography Language geography is the branch of human geography that studies the geographic distribution of language(s) or its constituent elements. Linguistic geography can also refer to studies of how people talk about the landscape. For example, toponymy ...
– studies the geographic distribution of language or its constituent elements. There are two principal fields of study within the geography of language: **# Geography of languages – deals with the distribution through history and space of languages, **#
Linguistic geography Language geography is the branch of human geography that studies the geographic distribution of language(s) or its constituent elements. Linguistic geography can also refer to studies of how people talk about the landscape. For example, toponymy i ...
– deals with regional linguistic variations within languages.Trudgill, P. (1983). ''On dialect: social and geographical perspectives.'' Oxford: Basil Blackwell; New York: New York University Press.Trudgill, P. (1975). ''Linguistic geography and geographical linguistics.'' Progress in Geography 7, 227-52Withers, Charles W.J.
981 Year 981 ( CMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events Births * Abu'l-Qasim al-Husayn ibn Ali al-Maghribi, Arab statesman (d. 1027) * Giovanni Orseolo, Venetian ...
(1993). Johnson, R.J. ''The Dictionary of Human Geography'', Gregory, Derek; Smith, David M., Second edition, Oxford: Blackwell, 252-3.
**
Sexuality and space Sexuality and space is a field of study within human geography. The phrase encompasses all relationships and interactions between human sexuality, space and place, themes studied within cultural geography, i.e., environmental and architectural psyc ...
– encompasses all relationships and interactions between human sexuality, space, and place, including the geographies of LGBT residence, public sex environments, sites of queer resistance, global sexualities, sex tourism, the geographies of prostitution and adult entertainment, use of sexualised locations in the arts, and sexual citizenship. ** Religion geography – study of the influence of geography, i.e. place and space, on religious belief. *
Development geography Development geography is a branch of geography which refers to the standard of living and its quality of life of its human inhabitants. In this context, development is a process of change that affects peoples' lives. It may involve an improvement ...
– study of the Earth's geography with reference to the standard of living and quality of life of its human inhabitants. Measures development by looking at economic, political and social factors, and seeks to understand both the geographical causes and consequences of varying development, in part by comparing More Economically Developed Countries (MEDCs) with Less Economically Developed Countries (LEDCs). *
Economic geography Economic geography is the subfield of human geography which studies economic activity and factors affecting them. It can also be considered a subfield or method in economics. There are four branches of economic geography. There is, primary secto ...
– study of the location, distribution and spatial organization of economic activities across the world. Subjects of interest include but are not limited to the location of industries, economies of agglomeration (also known as "linkages"), transportation, international trade and development, real estate, gentrification, ethnic economies, gendered economies, core-periphery theory, the economics of urban form, the relationship between the environment and the economy (tying into a long history of geographers studying culture-environment interaction), and globalization. **
Marketing geography In marketing, geomarketing (also called marketing geography) is a discipline that uses geolocation (geographic information) in the process of planning and implementation of marketing activities.
– a discipline within marketing analysis which uses geolocation (geographic information) in the process of planning and implementation of marketing activities."Recommending Social Events from Mobile Phone Location Data"
Daniele Quercia, et al., ICDM 2010
It can be used in any aspect of the marketing mix – the product, price, promotion, or place (geo targeting). **
Transportation geography Transport geography or transportation geography is a branch of geography that investigates the movement and connections between people, goods and information on the Earth's surface. Aims and scope Transportation geography detects, describes, and ...
– branch of economic geography that investigates spatial interactions between people, freight and information. It studies humans and their use of vehicles or other modes of traveling as well as how markets are serviced by flows of finished goods and raw materials. *
Health geography Health geography is the application of geographical information, perspectives, and methods to the study of health, disease, and health care. Medical geography, a sub-discipline of or sister field of health geography, Oxford Bibliographies entry of ...
– application of geographical information, perspectives, and methods to the study of health, disease, and health care, to provide a spatial understanding of a population's health, the distribution of disease in an area, and the environment's effect on health and disease. It also deals with accessibility to health care and spatial distribution of health care providers. **
Time geography Time geography or time-space geography is an evolving transdisciplinary perspective on spatial and temporal processes and events such as social interaction, ecological interaction, social and environmental change, and biographies of individuals. T ...
– study of the temporal factor on spatial human activities within the following constraints: # Authority - limits of accessibility to certain places or domains placed on individuals by owners or authorities # Capability - limitations on the movement of individuals, based on their nature. For example, movement is restricted by biological factors, such as the need for food, drink, and sleep # Coupling - restraint of an individual, anchoring him or her to a location while interacting with other individuals in order to complete a task *
Historical geography Historical geography is the branch of geography that studies the ways in which geographic phenomena have changed over time. It is a synthesizing discipline which shares both topical and methodological similarities with history, anthropology, eco ...
– study of the human, physical, fictional, theoretical, and "real" geographies of the past, and seeks to determine how cultural features of various societies across the planet emerged and evolved, by understanding how a place or region changes through time, including how people have interacted with their environment and created the cultural landscape. * Political geography – study of the spatially uneven outcomes of political processes and the ways in which political processes are themselves affected by spatial structures. Basically, the inter-relationships between people, state, and territory. **
Electoral geography Electoral geography is the analysis of the methods, the behavior, and the results of elections in the context of geographic space and using geographical techniques. Specifically, it is an examination of the dual interaction in which geographic ...
– study of the relationship between election results and the regions they affect (such as the environmental impact of voting decisions), and of the effects of regional factors upon voting behavior. ** Geopolitics – analysis of geography, history and social science with reference to spatial politics and patterns at various scales, ranging from the level of the state to international. **
Strategic geography Strategic geography is concerned with the control of, or access to, spatial areas that affect the security and prosperity of nations. Spatial areas that concern strategic geography change with human needs and development. This field is a subset of ...
– concerned with the control of, or access to, spatial areas that affect the security and prosperity of nations. **
Military geography Military geography is a sub-field of geography that is used by the military, as well as academics and politicians, to understand the geopolitical sphere through the military lens. To accomplish these ends, military geographers consider topics fro ...
– the application of geographic tools, information, and techniques to solve military problems in peacetime or war. *
Population geography Population geography relates spatial variations in the distribution, composition, migration, and growth of populations to the terrain. Population geography involves demography in a geographical perspective. It focuses on the characteristics of po ...
– study of the ways in which spatial variations in the distribution, composition, migration, and growth of populations are related to the nature of places. *
Tourism geography Tourism geography is the study of travel and tourism, as an industry and as a social and cultural activity. Tourism geography covers a wide range of interests including the environmental impact of tourism, the geographies of tourism and leisure ec ...
– study of travel and tourism, as an industry and as a social and cultural activity, and their effect on places, including the
environmental impact of tourism Tourism brings both positive and negative impacts on tourist destinations. The traditionally-described domains of tourism impacts are economic, socio-cultural, and environmental dimensions. The economic effects of tourism include improved tax re ...
, the geographies of tourism and leisure economies, answering tourism industry and management concerns and the sociology of tourism and locations of tourism. *
Urban geography Urban geography is the subdiscipline of geography that derives from a study of cities and urban processes. Urban geographers and urbanists examine various aspects of urban life and the built environment. Scholars, activists, and the public have ...
– the study of urban areas, in terms of concentration, infrastructure, economy, and environmental impacts.


Approaches of human geography

* * * * * * * * – * Qualitative geography
qualitative research Qualitative research is a type of research that aims to gather and analyse non-numerical (descriptive) data in order to gain an understanding of individuals' social reality, including understanding their attitudes, beliefs, and motivation. This ...
tools and methods applied to geography.


Integrated geography

*
Integrated geography Integrated geography (also referred to as integrative geography, environmental geography or human–environment geography) is where the branches of human geography and physical geography overlap to describes and explain the spatial aspects of int ...
– branch of geography that describes the spatial aspects of interactions between humans and the natural world. It requires an understanding of the dynamics of geology, meteorology, hydrology, biogeography, ecology, and geomorphology, as well as the ways in which human societies conceptualize the environment.


Technical geography

*
Technical geography Technical geography is one of three main branches of geography and involves using, studying, and creating tools to obtain, analyze, interpret, and understand spatial information. The other two branches, human geography and physical geography, can ...
– branch of geography and the discipline of studying, developing, and applying methods to gather, store, process, and deliver geographic or spatially referenced information. It is a widespread interdisciplinary field that includes the tools and techniques used in land surveying, remote sensing, cartography, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Global Navigation Satellite Systems, photogrammetry, and related forms of earth mapping.


Fields contributing to technical geography

* * * * * * * *
Global navigation satellite system A satellite navigation or satnav system is a system that uses satellites to provide autonomous geo-spatial positioning. It allows satellite navigation devices to determine their location (longitude, latitude, and altitude/elevation) to high pr ...
s represented by – Any system that uses satellite radio signals to provide autonomous geo-spatial positioning ** * * * * *


Regional geography

Regional geography – study of world regions. Attention is paid to unique characteristics of a particular region such as its natural elements, human elements, and regionalization which covers the techniques of delineating space into regions. Regional geography breaks down into the study of specific regions.
Region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics ( physical geography), human impact characteristics ( human geography), and the interaction of humanity an ...
– an area, defined by physical characteristics, human characteristics, or functional characteristics. The term is used in various ways among the different branches of geography. A region can be seen as a collection of smaller units, such as a country and its political divisions, or as one part of a larger whole, as in a country on a continent.


Continents

Continent A continent is any of several large landmasses. Generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, up to seven geographical regions In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas t ...
– one of several large
landmass A landmass, or land mass, is a large region or area of land. The term is often used to refer to lands surrounded by an ocean or sea, such as a continent or a large island. In the field of geology, a landmass is a defined section of continenta ...
es on
Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
. They are generally identified by convention rather than any specific criteria, but seven areas are commonly regarded as continents. They are: ::''1.'' Africa   ( outline) – ::''2.''
Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest cont ...
– ::''3.'' Australia   ( outline) – : The Americas: ::''4.'' North America   ( outline) – ::''5.'' South America   ( outline) – : Eurasia: ::''6.'' Europe   ( outline) – ::''7.'' Asia   ( outline) –


= Subregions

=
Subregion A subregion is a part of a larger region or continent and is usually based on location. Cardinal directions, such as south are commonly used to define a subregion. United Nations subregions The Statistics Division of the United Nations (UN) ...
(list)


Biogeographic regions


= Biogeographic realm

= The
World Wildlife Fund The World Wide Fund for Nature Inc. (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the Wo ...
(WWF) developed a system of eight
biogeographic realm A biogeographic realm or ecozone is the broadest biogeographic division of Earth's land surface, based on distributional patterns of terrestrial organisms. They are subdivided into bioregions, which are further subdivided into ecoregions. De ...
s (ecozones): *
Nearctic The Nearctic realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting the Earth's land surface. The Nearctic realm covers most of North America, including Greenland, Central Florida, and the highlands of Mexico. The parts of North America ...
22.9 mil. km2 (including most of North America) * Palearctic 54.1 mil. km2 (including the bulk of
Eurasia Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelago ...
and
North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...
) *
Afrotropic The Afrotropical realm is one of Earth's eight biogeographic realms. It includes Africa south of the Sahara Desert, the majority of the Arabian Peninsula, the island of Madagascar, southern Iran and extreme southwestern Pakistan, and the island ...
22.1 mil. km2 (including Sub-Saharan Africa) *
Indomalaya The Indomalayan realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms. It extends across most of South and Southeast Asia and into the southern parts of East Asia. Also called the Oriental realm by biogeographers, Indomalaya spreads all over the Indi ...
7.5 mil. km2 (including the South Asian subcontinent and
Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainlan ...
) *
Australasia Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologi ...
7.7 mil. km2 (including Australia,
New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torr ...
, and neighboring islands). The northern boundary of this zone is known as the
Wallace line The Wallace Line or Wallace's Line is a faunal boundary line drawn in 1859 by the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace and named by English biologist Thomas Henry Huxley that separates the biogeographical realms of Asia and Wallacea, a trans ...
. *
Neotropic The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone. Definition In bioge ...
19.0 mil. km2 (including
South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...
and the Caribbean) *
Oceania Oceania (, , ) is a geographical region that includes Australasia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Spanning the Eastern and Western hemispheres, Oceania is estimated to have a land area of and a population of around 44.5 million ...
1.0 mil. km2 (including
Polynesia Polynesia () "many" and νῆσος () "island"), to, Polinisia; mi, Porinihia; haw, Polenekia; fj, Polinisia; sm, Polenisia; rar, Porinetia; ty, Pōrīnetia; tvl, Polenisia; tkl, Polenihia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, made up of ...
, Fiji and
Micronesia Micronesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, consisting of about 2,000 small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It has a close shared cultural history with three other island regions: the Philippines to the west, Polynesia to the east, and ...
) * Antarctic 0.3 mil. km2 (including
Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest cont ...
).


= Ecoregions

=
Ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of ...
Biogeographic realms are further divided into ecoregions. The World has over 800
terrestrial ecoregion An ecoregion (ecological region) or ecozone (ecological zone) is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than a bioregion, which in turn is smaller than a biogeographic realm. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of l ...
s. ''See
Lists of ecoregions by country __NOTOC__ A * List of ecoregions in Afghanistan * List of ecoregions in Albania * List of ecoregions in Algeria * List of ecoregions in Andorra * List of ecoregions in Angola * List of ecoregions in Argentina * List of ecoregions in Armen ...
.''


Geography of the political divisions of the World

* Geography of Africa   ( Outline) ** West Africa#Geography and climate ***
Geography of Benin Benin, a narrow, key-shaped, north–south strip of land in West Africa, lies between the Equator and the Tropic of Cancer. Its altitude ranges from 6°30′ N to 12°30′ N and its longitude from 1° E to 3°40′ E. It is bounded b ...
  ( Outline) *** Geography of Burkina Faso   ( Outline) ***
Geography of Cape Verde Cape Verde (formally, the Republic of Cabo Verde) is a group of arid Atlantic islands which are home to distinct communities of plants, birds, and reptiles. The islands constitute the unique Cape Verde Islands dry forests ecoregion, accordi ...
  ( Outline) *** Geography of Côte d'Ivoire   ( Outline) *** Geography of Gambia   ( Outline) ***
Geography of Ghana Ghana is a West African country in Africa, along the Gulf of Guinea. Ghana encompasses plains, low hills, rivers, Lake Volta, the world's largest artificial lake, Dodi Island and Bobowasi Island on the south Atlantic Ocean coast of Ghana. Gh ...
  ( Outline) ***
Geography of Guinea Guinea is a country on the coast of West Africa and is bordered by Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, Mali, Ivory Coast, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Guinea is divided into four geographic regions: Maritime Guinea (Lower Guinea) a coastal plain running no ...
  ( Outline) *** Geography of Guinea-Bissau   ( Outline) *** Geography of Liberia   ( Outline) ***
Geography of Mali Mali is a landlocked nation in West Africa, located southwest of Algeria, extending south-west from the southern Sahara Desert through the Sahel to the Sudanian savanna zone. Mali's size is 1,240,192 square kilometers. Desert or semi-desert ...
  ( Outline) ***
Geography of Mauritania Mauritania, a country in the western region of the continent of Africa, is generally flat, its 1,030,700 square kilometres forming vast, arid plains broken by occasional ridges and clifflike outcroppings. Mauritania is the world’s largest co ...
  ( Outline) ***
Geography of Niger Niger is a landlocked nation in West Africa located along the border between the Sahara and Sub-Saharan regions. Its geographic coordinates are longitude 16°N and latitude 8°E. Its area is 1.267 million square kilometers, of which 1 266 ...
  ( Outline) ***
Geography of Nigeria Nigeria is a country in West Africa, it shares land borders with the Republic of Benin to the west, Chad and Cameroon to the east, and Niger to the north. Its coast lies on the Gulf of Guinea in the south and it borders Lake Chad to the north ...
  ( Outline) ***
Geography of Senegal Senegal is a coastal West African nation located 14 degrees north of the equator and 14 degrees west of the Prime Meridian. The country's total area is 196,190 km2 of which 192,000 km2 is land and 4,190 km2 is water. 70% of ...
  ( Outline) *** Geography of Sierra Leone   ( Outline) *** Geography of Togo   ( Outline) ** North Africa#Geography ***
Geography of Algeria Algeria comprises square kilometers of land, more than 80% of which is desert, in North Africa, between Morocco and Tunisia. It is the largest country in Africa. Its Arabic name, Al Jazair (the islands), is believed to derive from the rocky ...
  ( Outline) ***
Geography of Egypt The geography of Egypt relates to two regions: North Africa and Southwest Asia. Egypt has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea, the River Nile, and the Red Sea. Egypt borders Libya to the west, the Gaza Strip to the northeast, Israel to the eas ...
  ( Outline) *** Geography of Libya   ( Outline) ***
Geography of Mauritania Mauritania, a country in the western region of the continent of Africa, is generally flat, its 1,030,700 square kilometres forming vast, arid plains broken by occasional ridges and clifflike outcroppings. Mauritania is the world’s largest co ...
  ( Outline) *** Geography of Morocco   ( Outline) ***
Geography of Sudan Sudan is located in Northeast Africa. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west and Libya to ...
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Geography of Tunisia Tunisia is a country in Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, having a western border with Algeria (965 km) and south-eastern border with Libya (459 km) where the width of land tapers to the south-west into the Sahara. The c ...
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Geography of Western Sahara Western Sahara is a territory in Northern Africa, bordered by the North Atlantic Ocean, Morocco proper, Algeria (Tindouf region), and Mauritania. Geographic coordinates: Size ''Total:'' , about the size of Colorado :''land:'' :''water:'' ...
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Central Africa Central Africa is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries according to different definitions. Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo ...
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Geography of Angola Angola is located on the western Atlantic Coast of Southern Africa between Namibia and the Republic of the Congo. It also is bordered by the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia to the east. The country consists of a sparsely watered and s ...
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Geography of Burundi Burundi is located in East Africa, to the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, at the coordinates . Physical geography Burundi occupies an area equal to in size, of which is land. The country has of land border: of which is s ...
  ( Outline) *** Geography of Cameroon   ( Outline) *** Geography of Central African Republic   ( Outline) *** Geography of Chad   ( Outline) *** Geography of Democratic Republic of the Congo   ( Outline) *** Geography of Equatorial Guinea   ( Outline) *** Geography of Gabon   ( Outline) *** Geography of Republic of the Congo   ( Outline) ***
Geography of Rwanda Rwanda is located in East Africa, to the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, at the co-ordinates . At , Rwanda is the world's 149th-largest country. It is comparable in size to Haiti or the state of Massachusetts in the United States. Th ...
  ( Outline) *** Geography of São Tomé and Príncipe   ( Outline) ** East Africa#Geography and climate ***
Geography of Burundi Burundi is located in East Africa, to the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, at the coordinates . Physical geography Burundi occupies an area equal to in size, of which is land. The country has of land border: of which is s ...
  ( Outline) *** Geography of Comoros   ( Outline) ***
Geography of Djibouti Djibouti is a country in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea in the north, Ethiopia in the west and south, and Somalia in the southeast. To the east is its coastline on the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Rainfall is sparse, and most of the ...
  ( Outline) *** Geography of Eritrea   ( Outline) ***
Geography of Ethiopia Ethiopia is located in the Horn of Africa. It is bordered by Eritrea to the north, Djibouti and Somalia to the east, Sudan and South Sudan to the west, and Kenya to the south. Ethiopia has a high central plateau that varies from above sea level ...
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Geography of Kenya The Geography of Kenya is diverse, varying amongst its 47 counties. Kenya has a coastline on the Indian Ocean, which contains swamps of East African mangroves. Inland are broad plains and numerous hills. Kenya borders South Sudan to the no ...
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Geography of Madagascar Madagascar is a large island in the Indian Ocean off the eastern coast of southern Africa, east of Mozambique. It has a total area of with of land and of water. Madagascar is the fourth largest island and the 2nd largest island country ...
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Geography of Malawi Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa. It is wholly within the tropics; from about 9°30S at its northernmost point to about 17°S at the southernmost tip. The country occupies a thin strip of land between Zambia and Mozambique, ex ...
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Geography of Mauritius Mauritius is an island of Africa's southeast coast located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar. It is geologically located within the Somali plate. Statistics Area (includes Agaléga, Cargados Carajos (Saint Brandon), and Rodrigues): ''t ...
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Geography of Mozambique The geography of Mozambique consists mostly of coastal lowlands with uplands in its center and high plateaus in the northwest. There are also mountains in the western portion. The country is located on the east coast of southern Africa, dire ...
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Geography of Rwanda Rwanda is located in East Africa, to the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, at the co-ordinates . At , Rwanda is the world's 149th-largest country. It is comparable in size to Haiti or the state of Massachusetts in the United States. Th ...
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Geography of Seychelles Seychelles is a small island country located in the Somali sea northeast of Madagascar and about from Mogadishu, Somalia, its nearest foreign mainland city, while Antsiranana is the nearest foreign city overall. Seychelles lies between approximat ...
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Geography of Somalia Somalia is a country located in the Horn of Africa which officially consists of the intra-46th meridian east territory, the five federal member states, namely Galmudug, Hirshabelle, Jubaland, South West, Puntland and the municipality of Benad ...
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Geography of Tanzania Tanzania comprises many lakes, national parks, and Africa's highest point, Mount Kilimanjaro (). Northeast Tanzania is mountainous, while the central area is part of a large plateau covered in grasslands. The country also contains the souther ...
  ( Outline) *** Geography of Uganda   ( Outline) ***
Geography of Zambia Zambia is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa, to the east of Angola. It has a total area of 752,618 square kilometres (slightly larger than France), of which 9 220 km2 is water. Political geography Zambia has a total of 5 664&n ...
  ( Outline) *** Geography of Zimbabwe   ( Outline) ** Southern Africa#Geography ***
Geography of Botswana Botswana is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa, north of South Africa. Botswana occupies an area of , of which are land. Botswana has land boundaries of combined length , of which the constituent boundaries are shared with Namibia, ...
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Geography of Lesotho Lesotho is a mountainous, landlocked country located in Southern Africa. It is an enclave, surrounded by South Africa. The total length of the country's borders is . Lesotho covers an area of around , of which a negligible percentage is covered w ...
  ( Outline) *** Geography of Namibia   ( Outline) *** Geography of South Africa   ( Outline) *** Geography of Swaziland   ( Outline) ** Dependencies in Africa *** Geography of British Indian Ocean Territory   ( Outline(UK) *** Geography of Mayotte   (Outline of Mayotte, Outline) (France) *** Geography of Réunion   (Outline of Réunion, Outline) (France) *** Geography of Saint Helena   (Outline of St. Helena, Outline) (UK) *** Canary Islands#Geography   (Outline of the Canary Islands, Outline) (Spain) *** Geography of Ceuta   (Outline of Ceuta, Outline) (Spain) *** Geography of Madeira   (Outline of Madeira, Outline) (Portugal) *** Geography of Melilla   (Outline of Melilla, Outline) (Spain) *** Geography of Socotra   (Outline of Socotra, Outline) (Yemen) *** Geography of Puntland   (Outline of Puntland, Outline) *** Geography of Somaliland   (Outline of Somaliland, Outline) *** Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic   (Outline of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, Outline) * Geography of Antarctica   (Outline of Antarctica, Outline) * Geography of Asia   (Outline of Asia, Outline) ** Central Asia#Geography *** Geography of Kazakhstan   (Outline of Kazakhstan, Outline) *** Geography of Kyrgyzstan   (Outline of Kyrgyzstan, Outline) *** Geography of Tajikistan   (Outline of Tajikistan, Outline) *** Geography of Turkmenistan   (Outline of Turkmenistan, Outline) *** Geography of Uzbekistan   (Outline of Uzbekistan, Outline) ** East Asia *** Geography of China   (Outline of China, Outline) **** Geography of Tibet   (Outline of Tibet, Outline) **** Geography of Hong Kong   (Outline of Hong Kong, Outline) **** Geography of Macau   (Outline of Macau, Outline) *** Geography of Japan   (Outline of Japan, Outline) *** Geography of North Korea   (Outline of North Korea, Outline) *** Geography of South Korea   (Outline of South Korea, Outline) *** Geography of Mongolia   (Outline of Mongolia, Outline) *** Geography of Taiwan   (Outline of Taiwan, Outline) ** North Asia#Geography *** Geography of Russia   (Outline of Russia, Outline) ** Southeast Asia#Geography *** Geography of Brunei   (Outline of Brunei, Outline) *** Geography of Burma, Burma (Myanmar) - Outline of Burma, Outline) *** Geography of Cambodia   (Outline of Cambodia, Outline) *** Geography of East Timor, East Timor (Timor-Leste) - Outline of East Timor, Outline) *** Geography of Indonesia   (Outline of Indonesia, Outline) *** Geography of Laos   (Outline of Laos, Outline) *** Geography of Malaysia   (Outline of Malaysia, Outline) *** Geography of the Philippines   (Outline of the Philippines, Outline) *** Geography of Singapore   (Outline of Singapore, Outline) *** Geography of Thailand   (Outline of Thailand, Outline) *** Geography of Vietnam   (Outline of Vietnam, Outline) ** South Asia#Geography *** Geography of Afghanistan   (Outline of Afghanistan, Outline) *** Geography of Bangladesh   (Outline of Bangladesh, Outline) *** Geography of Bhutan   (Outline of Bhutan, Outline) *** Geography of India   (Outline of India, Outline) *** Geography of Maldives   (Outline of Maldives, Outline) *** Geography of Nepal   (Outline of Nepal, Outline) *** Geography of Pakistan   (Outline of Pakistan, Outline) *** Geography of Sri Lanka   (Outline of Sri Lanka, Outline) ** Western Asia#Geography *** Armenia#Geography   (Outline of Armenia, Outline) *** Geography of Azerbaijan   (Outline of Azerbaijan, Outline) *** Geography of Bahrain   (Outline of Bahrain, Outline) *** Geography of Cyprus   (Outline of Cyprus, Outline), including: **** Geography of Northern Cyprus   (Outline of Northern Cyprus, Outline) (disputed territory) *** Geography of Georgia (country), Georgia   (Outline of Georgia (country), Outline) *** Geography of Iran   (Outline of Iran, Outline) *** Geography of Iraq   (Outline of Iraq, Outline) *** Geography of Israel   (Outline of Israel, Outline) *** Geography of Jordan   (Outline of Jordan, Outline) *** Geography of Kuwait   (Outline of Kuwait, Outline) *** Geography of Lebanon   (Outline of Lebanon, Outline) *** Geography of Oman   (Outline of Oman, Outline) *** Geography of the Palestinian territories   (Outline of the Palestinian territories, Outline) *** Geography of Qatar   (Outline of Qatar, Outline) *** Geography of Saudi Arabia   (Outline of Saudi Arabia, Outline) *** Geography of Syria   (Outline of Syria, Outline) *** Geography of Turkey   (Outline of Turkey, Outline) *** Geography of United Arab Emirates   (Outline of the United Arab Emirates, Outline) *** Geography of Yemen   (Outline of Yemen, Outline) * Caucasus#Geography and ecology (a region considered to be in both Asia and Europe, or between them) ** North Caucasus *** Geography of Russia   (Outline of Russia, Outline) (the following parts of Russia are in the North Caucasus: Chechnya, Ingushetia, Dagestan, Adyghea, Kabardino-Balkaria, Karachay–Cherkessia, North Ossetia, Krasnodar Krai, Stavropol Krai) ** South Caucasus *** Geography of Georgia (country), Georgia   (Outline of Georgia (country), Outline), including: **** Geography of Abkhazia   (Outline of Abhkazia, Outline) (disputed territory) **** Geography of South Ossetia   (Outline of South Ossetia, Outline) (disputed territory) *** Armenia#Geography   (Outline of Armenia, Outline) *** Geography of Azerbaijan   (Outline of Azerbaijan, Outline), including: **** Geography of Nagorno-Karabakh   (Outline of Nagorno-Karabakh, Outline) (disputed territory) * Geography of Europe   (Outline of Europe, Outline) ** Geography of Akrotiri and Dhekelia   (Outline of Akrotiri and Dhekelia, Outline) ** Geography of Åland   (Outline of Åland, Outline) ** Geography of Albania   (Outline of Albania, Outline) ** Geography of Andorra   (Outline of Andorra, Outline) ** Geography of Armenia   (Outline of Armenia, Outline) ** Geography of Austria   (Outline of Austria, Outline) ** Geography of Azerbaijan   (Outline of Azerbaijan, Outline) ** Geography of Belarus   (Outline of Belarus, Outline) ** Geography of Belgium   (Outline of Belgium, Outline) ** Geography of Bosnia and Herzegovina   (Outline of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Outline) ** Geography of Bulgaria   (Outline of Bulgaria, Outline) ** Geography of Croatia   (Outline of Croatia, Outline) ** Geography of Cyprus   (Outline of Cyprus, Outline) ** Geography of Czech Republic   (Outline of the Czech Republic, Outline) ** Geography of Denmark   (Outline of Denmark, Outline) ** Geography of Estonia   (Outline of Estonia, Outline) ** Faroe Islands#Geography   (Outline of the Faroe Islands, Outline) ** Geography of Finland   (Outline of Finland, Outline) ** Geography of France   (Outline of France, Outline) ** Geography of Georgia (country), Geography of Georgia   (Outline of Georgia (country), Outline) ** Geography of Germany   (Outline of Germany, Outline) ** Geography of Gibraltar   (Outline of Gibraltar, Outline) ** Geography of Greece   (Outline of Greece, Outline) ** Geography of Guernsey   (Outline of Guernsey, Outline) ** Geography of Hungary   (Outline of Hungary, Outline) ** Geography of Iceland   (Outline of Iceland, Outline) ** Republic of Ireland#Geography   (Outline of the Republic of Ireland, Outline) ** Geography of the Isle of Man   (Outline of the Isle of Man, Outline) ** Geography of Italy   (Outline of Italy, Outline) ** Geography of Jersey   (Outline of Jersey, Outline) ** Geography of Kazakhstan   (Outline of Kazakhstan, Outline) ** Geography of Kosovo   (Outline of Kosovo, Outline) ** Geography of Latvia   (Outline of Latvia, Outline) ** Geography of Liechtenstein   (Outline of Liechtenstein, Outline) ** Geography of Lithuania   (Outline of Lithuania, Outline) ** Geography of Luxembourg   (Outline of Luxembourg, Outline) ** Geography of Malta   (Outline of Malta, Outline) ** Geography of Moldova   (Outline of Moldova, Outline), including: *** Geography of Transnistria   (Outline of Transnistria, Outline) (disputed territory) ** Geography of Monaco   (Outline of Monaco, Outline) ** Geography of Montenegro   (Outline of Montenegro, Outline) ** Geography of Netherlands   (Outline of the Netherlands, Outline) ** Geography of North Macedonia   (Outline of North Macedonia, Outline) ** Geography of Norway   (Outline of Norway, Outline) ** Geography of Poland   (Outline of Poland, Outline) ** Geography of Portugal   (Outline of Portugal, Outline) ** Geography of Romania   (Outline of Romania, Outline) ** Geography of Russia   (Outline of Russia, Outline) ** Geography of San Marino   (Outline of San Marino, Outline) ** Geography of Serbia   (Outline of Serbia, Outline) ** Geography of Slovakia   (Outline of Slovakia, Outline) ** Geography of Slovenia   (Outline of Slovenia, Outline) ** Geography of Spain   (Outline of Spain, Outline) ** Geography of Svalbard   (Outline of Svalbard, Outline) ** Geography of Sweden   (Outline of Sweden, Outline) ** Geography of Switzerland   (Outline of Switzerland, Outline) ** Geography of Turkey   (Outline of Turkey, Outline) ** Geography of Ukraine   (Outline of Ukraine, Outline) ** Geography of United Kingdom   (Outline of the United Kingdom, Outline) *** Geography of England   (Outline of England, Outline) *** Geography of Northern Ireland   (Outline of Northern Ireland, Outline) *** Geography of Scotland   (Outline of Scotland, Outline) *** Geography of Wales   (Outline of Wales, Outline) ** Geography of Vatican City   (Outline of Vatican City, Outline) * Geography of North America   (Outline of North America, Outline) ** Geography of Canada   (Outline of Canada, Outline) *** By province **** Geography of Alberta **** Geography of British Columbia   (Outline of British Columbia, Outline) **** Geography of Manitoba **** Geography of New Brunswick **** Geography of Newfoundland and Labrador **** Geography of Nova Scotia **** Geography of Ontario **** Geography of Prince Edward Island **** Geography of Quebec   (Outline of Quebec, Outline) **** Geography of Saskatchewan   (Outline of Saskatchewan, Outline) *** By territory **** Geography of the Northwest Territories **** Geography of Nunavut **** Geography of Yukon ** Geography of Greenland   (Outline of Greenland, Outline) ** Geography of Mexico   (Outline of Mexico, Outline) ** Geography of Saint Pierre and Miquelon   (Outline of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Outline) ** Geography of United States   (Outline of the United States, Outline) *** Geography of Alabama   (Outline of Alabama, Outline) *** Geography of Alaska   (Outline of Alaska, Outline) *** Geography of Arizona   (Outline of Arizona, Outline) *** Geography of Arkansas   (Outline of Arkansas, Outline) *** Geography of California   (Outline of California, Outline) *** Geography of Colorado   (Outline of Colorado, Outline) *** Geography of Connecticut   (Outline of Connecticut, Outline) *** Geography of Delaware   (Outline of Delaware, Outline) *** Geography of Florida   (Outline of Florida, Outline) *** Geography of Georgia (U.S. state), Geography of Georgia   (Outline of Georgia (U.S. state), Outline) *** Geography of Hawaii   (Outline of Hawaii, Outline) *** Geography of Idaho   (Outline of Idaho, Outline) *** Geography of Illinois   (Outline of Illinois, Outline) *** Geography of Indiana   (Outline of Indiana, Outline) *** Geography of Iowa   (Outline of Iowa, Outline) *** Geography of Montana   (Outline of Montana, Outline) *** Geography of Kansas   (Outline of Kansas, Outline) *** Geography of Kentucky   (Outline of Kentucky, Outline) *** Geography of Louisiana   (Outline of Louisiana, Outline) *** Geography of Maine   (Outline of Maine, Outline) *** Geography of Maryland   (Outline of Maryland, Outline) *** Geography of Massachusetts   (Outline of Massachusetts, Outline) *** Geography of Michigan   (Outline of Michigan, Outline) *** Geography of Minnesota   (Outline of Minnesota, Outline) *** Geography of Mississippi   (Outline of Mississippi, Outline) *** Geography of Missouri   (Outline of Missouri, Outline) *** Geography of Nebraska   (Outline of Nebraska, Outline) *** Geography of Nevada   (Outline of Nevada, Outline) *** Geography of New Hampshire   (Outline of New Hampshire, Outline) *** Geography of New Jersey   (Outline of New Jersey, Outline) *** Geography of New Mexico   (Outline of New Mexico, Outline) *** Geography of New York   (Outline of New York, Outline) *** Geography of North Carolina   (Outline of North Carolina, Outline) *** Geography of North Dakota   (Outline of North Dakota, Outline) *** Geography of Ohio   (Outline of Ohio, Outline) *** Geography of Oklahoma   (Outline of Oklahoma, Outline) *** Geography of Oregon   (Outline of Oregon, Outline) *** Geography of Pennsylvania   (Outline of Pennsylvania, Outline) *** Geography of Rhode Island   (Outline of Rhode Island, Outline) *** Geography of South Carolina   (Outline of South Carolina, Outline) *** Geography of South Dakota   (Outline of South Dakota, Outline) *** Geography of Tennessee   (Outline of Tennessee, Outline) *** Geography of Texas   (Outline of Texas, Outline) *** Geography of Utah   (Outline of Utah, Outline) *** Geography of Vermont   (Outline of Vermont, Outline) *** Geography of Virginia   (Outline of Virginia, Outline) *** Geography of Washington (state)   (Outline of Washington (state), Outline) *** Geography of West Virginia   (Outline of West Virginia, Outline) *** Geography of Wisconsin   (Outline of Wisconsin, Outline) *** Geography of Wyoming   (Outline of Wyoming, Outline) *** Geography of Washington, D.C.   (Outline of the District of Columbia, Outline) (Washington, D.C.) ** Central America#Geography   (Outline of Central America, Outline) *** Geography of Belize   (Outline of Belize, Outline) *** Geography of Costa Rica   (Outline of Costa Rica, Outline) *** Geography of El Salvador   (Outline of El Salvador, Outline) *** Geography of Guatemala   (Outline of Guatemala, Outline) *** Geography of Honduras   (Outline of Honduras, Outline) *** Geography of Nicaragua   (Outline of Nicaragua, Outline) *** Geography of Panama   (Outline of Panama, Outline) ** Geography of the Caribbean   (Outline of the Caribbean, Outline) *** Geography of Anguilla   (Outline of Anguilla, Outline) *** Geography of Antigua and Barbuda   (Outline of Antigua and Barbuda, Outline) *** Geography of Aruba   (Outline of Aruba, Outline) *** Geography of Bahamas   (Outline of the Bahamas, Outline) *** Geography of Barbados   (Outline of Barbados, Outline) *** Geography of Bermuda   (Outline of Bermuda, Outline) *** British Virgin Islands#Geography   (Outline of the British Virgin Islands, Outline) *** Cayman Islands#Geography   (Outline of the Cayman Islands, Outline) *** Geography of Cuba   (Outline of Cuba, Outline) *** Geography of Dominica   (Outline of Dominica, Outline) *** Dominican Republic#Geography   (Outline of the Dominican Republic, Outline) *** Geography of Grenada   (Outline of Grenada, Outline) *** Geography of Haiti   (Outline of Haiti, Outline) *** Geography of Jamaica   (Outline of Jamaica, Outline) *** Geography of Montserrat   (Outline of Montserrat, Outline) *** Netherlands Antilles#Geography   (Outline of the Netherlands Antilles, Outline) *** Geography of Puerto Rico   (Outline of Puerto Rico, Outline) *** Geography of Saint Barthélemy   (Outline of Saint Barthélemy, Outline) *** Geography of Saint Kitts and Nevis   (Outline of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Outline) *** Geography of Saint Lucia   (Outline of Saint Lucia, Outline) *** Saint Martin (island), Saint Martin   (Outline of Saint Martin, Outline) *** Geography of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines   (Outline of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Outline) *** Geography of Trinidad and Tobago   (Outline of Trinidad and Tobago, Outline) *** Turks and Caicos Islands#Geography   (Outline of the Turks and Caicos Islands, Outline) *** United States Virgin Islands#Geography   (Outline of the United States Virgin Islands, Outline) * Geography of Oceania (includes the continent of Australia) ** Australasia *** Geography of Australia   (Outline of Australia, Outline) **** Dependencies and territories of Australia ***** Geography of Christmas Island   (Outline of Christmas Island, Outline) ***** Cocos (Keeling) Islands#Geography   (Outline of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Outline) ***** Geography of Norfolk Island   (Outline of Norfolk Island, Outline) *** Geography of New Zealand   (Outline of New Zealand, Outline) ** Geography of Melanesia *** Geography of Fiji   (Outline of Fiji, Outline) *** Geography of Indonesia   (Outline of Indonesia, Outline) (Oceanian part only) *** Geography of New Caledonia   (Outline of New Caledonia, Outline) (France) *** Geography of Papua New Guinea   (Outline of Papua New Guinea, Outline) *** Geography of the Solomon Islands   (Outline of the Solomon Islands, Outline) *** Geography of Vanuatu   (Outline of Vanuatu, Outline) ** Geography of Micronesia *** Geography of Federated States of Micronesia   (Outline of the Federated States of Micronesia, Outline) *** Geography of Guam   (Outline of Guam, Outline) (USA) *** Geography of Kiribati   (Outline of Kiribati, Outline) *** Geography of Marshall Islands   (Outline of the Marshall Islands, Outline) *** Geography of Nauru   (Outline of Nauru, Outline) *** Northern Mariana Islands#Geography and climate   (Outline of the Northern Mariana Islands, Outline) (USA) *** Geography of Palau   (Outline of Palau, Outline) *** Geography of Wake Island   (Outline of Wake Island, Outline) (USA) ** Geography of Polynesia *** Geography of American Samoa   (Outline of American Samoa, Outline) (USA) *** Chatham Islands#Geography   (Outline of the Chatham Islands, Outline) (NZ) *** Cook Islands#Geography   (Outline of the Cook Islands, Outline) (NZ) *** Easter Island#Location and physical geography   (Outline of Easter Island, Outline) (Chile) *** Geography of French Polynesia   (Outline of French Polynesia, Outline) (France) *** Geography of Hawaii   (Outline of Hawaii, Outline) (USA) *** Loyalty Islands#Geography   (Outline of the Loyalty Islands, Outline) (France) *** Geography of Niue   (Outline of Niue, Outline) (NZ) *** Pitcairn Islands#Geography   (Outline of the Pitcairn Islands, Outline) (UK) *** Geography of Samoa   (Outline of Samoa, Outline) *** Geography of Tokelau   (Outline of Tokelau, Outline) (NZ) *** Geography of Tonga   (Outline of Tonga, Outline) *** Geography of Tuvalu   (Outline of Tuvalu, Outline) *** Geography of Wallis and Futuna   (Outline of Wallis and Futuna, Outline) (France) * Geography of South America   (Outline of South America, Outline) ** Geography of Argentina   (Outline of Argentina, Outline) ** Geography of Bolivia   (Outline of Bolivia, Outline) ** Geography of Brazil   (Outline of Brazil, Outline) ** Geography of Chile   (Outline of Chile, Outline) ** Geography of Colombia   (Outline of Colombia, Outline) ** Geography of Ecuador   (Outline of Ecuador, Outline) ** Geography of the Falkland Islands   (Outline of the Falkland Islands, Outline) ** Geography of French Guiana   (Outline of French Guiana, Outline) ** Geography of Guyana   (Outline of Guyana, Outline) ** Geography of Paraguay   (Outline of Paraguay, Outline) ** Geography of Peru   (Outline of Peru, Outline) ** Geography of Suriname   (Outline of Suriname, Outline) ** Geography of Uruguay   (Outline of Uruguay, Outline) ** Geography of Venezuela   (Outline of Venezuela, Outline)


Other regions

* Atlantic World * Bermuda Triangle * Pacific Rim * Pacific Ring of Fire


History of geography

Topics pertaining to the geographical study of the World throughout history:


By period

* Ancient roads * Ancient Greek geography * Age of discovery * Major explorations after the Age of Discovery * Critical geography * Environmental determinism


By region

* **


By subject

* Historical demography#Historical population of the world, Historical population of the world


By field

* History of human geography ** *** **** ** Cultural geography#History, History of cultural geography ** Economic geography#History of economic geography, History of economic geography ** Health geography#History of health geography, History of health geography ** Political geography#History, History of political geography *** Demography#History, History of demography * History of physical geography ** Biogeography#History, History of biogeography ** Climatology#History, History of climatology ** Meteorology#History, History of meteorology ** ** Geomorphology#History, History of geomorphology ** Hydrology#History, History of hydrology *** Oceanography#History, History of oceanography ** Landscape ecology#History, History of landscape ecology * Regional geography#History, History of regional geography


Elements of geography

Topics common to the various branches of geography include:


Tasks and tools of geography

* * * * * ** ** *** ** * * *


Types of geographic features

Geographic feature – component of a planet that can be referred to as a location, place, site, area, or region, and therefore may show up on a map. A geographic feature may be natural or artificial.


Location and place

* Location (geography), Location – ** *** **** *** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** *** **** * Place ** Aspects of a place or region *** *** **** ***** **** **** *** *** *** *** **


Natural geographic features

Natural geographic feature – an ecosystem or natural landform.


= Ecosystems

= Ecosystem – community of living organisms in conjunction with the nonliving components of their environment (things like air, water and mineral soil), interacting as a system. These biotic and abiotic components are regarded as linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. * * Biogeographic realm, Realm – broadest biogeographic division of the Earth's land surface, based on distributional patterns of terrestrial organisms. ** Ecoprovince – biogeographic unit smaller than a realm that contains one or more ecoregions. *** **** **** ***** ****** ******* * ** *** ****


= Natural landforms

= Landform, Natural landform – terrain or body of water. Landforms are topographical elements, and are defined by their surface form and location in the landscape. Landforms are categorized by traits such as elevation, slope, orientation, stratum, stratification, rock exposure, and soil type. Some landforms are artificial, such as certain islands, but most landforms are natural.


Natural terrain feature types

* * * * * *


Natural body of water types

* Natural ** Bodies of *** *** *** *** **** ***** ***** **** **** **** **** *** *** *** **** *** **** Arm of the sea – **** *** *** *** *** **** Types of sea: ***** ***** **** Sea components or extensions: ***** ***** *** ** Bodies of fresh water *** *** **** **** **** **** *** **** ***** **** **** **** *** **** ***** Parts of a river: ***** ***** ***** ****** *** *** **** Boil - *** **** **** **** **** ***** ****** ****** **** *** **** Freshwater **** *****


Artificial geographic features

Artificial geographic feature – a thing that was made by humans that may be indicated on a map. It may be physical and exist in the real world (like a bridge or city), or it may be abstract and exist only on maps (such as the Equator, which has a defined location, but cannot be seen where it lies). * ** – rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village. One example of a hamlet is a small cluster of houses surrounding a mill. ** – clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand (sometimes tens of thousands). ** – human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while many British "small towns" would qualify as cities in the United States. *** – ranks the structure of towns within an area. **** – bare minimum of essential services, such as bread and milk. **** **** **** ** – relatively large and permanent settlement. In many regions, a city is distinguished from a town by attainment of designation according to law, for instance being required to obtain articles of incorporation or a royal charter. *** *** – the leading city in its country or region, disproportionately larger than any others in the urban hierarchy. *** – very large city or urban area which is a significant economic, political and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections and communications. *** – region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. *** – city that is deemed to be an important node in the global economic system. Globalization is largely created, facilitated and enacted in strategic geographic locales (including global cities) according to a hierarchy of importance to the operation of the global system of finance and trade. *** – chain of roughly adjacent metropolitan areas. An example is the huge metropolitan area along the eastern seaboard of the U.S. extending from Boston, Massachusetts through New York City; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Baltimore, Maryland and ending in Washington, D.C.. *** – theoretical "continent city". The world does not have one yet. Will Europe become the first one? *** – theoretical "world city". Will the world ever become so urbanized as to be called this? * Engineered construct – built feature of the landscape such as a highway, bridge, airport, railroad, building, dam, or reservoir (water), reservoir. See also construction engineering and infrastructure. ** Artificial landforms *** *** *** ** – place where airplanes can take off and land, including one or more runways and one or more passenger terminals. ** – artificial channel that is constructed to convey water from one location to another. ** – construction designed to break the force of the sea to provide calm water for boats or ships, or to prevent erosion of a coastal feature. ** – structure built to span a valley, road, body of water, or other physical obstacle such as a canyon, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle. ** – closed structure with walls and a roof. ** – artificial waterway, often connecting one body of water with another. ** ** – structure placed across a flowing body of water to stop the flow, usually to use the water for irrigation or to generate electricity. *** – barrier of stone or earth used to hold back water and prevent flooding. **** – artificial slope or wall to regulate water levels, usually Soil, earthen and often Parallel (geometry), parallel to the course of a river or the coast. ** – place where agricultural activities take place, especially the growing of crops or the raising of livestock. ** – harbor that has deliberately constructed breakwaters, sea walls, or jettys, or which was constructed by dredging. ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** *** *** *** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** * Abstract geographic feature – does not exist physically in the real world, yet has a location by definition and may be displayed on maps. ** *** *** ** *** *** **** *** – a designated territory (country subdivision), territory created within a country for administrative or identification purposes. Examples of the types of administrative divisions: **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** ***** ***** ****** ****** ***** **** **** **** **** **** **** ** Cartographical feature – theoretical construct used specifically on maps that doesn't have any physical form apart from its location. *** **** *** **** *** **** ****


Geographic features that include the natural and artificial

* **


Geography awards

Some awards and competitions in the field of geography: * * * * * *


Geographical organizations

: ''See: List of geographical societies'' *European Geography Association *EUROGEO-European Association of Geographers *Gamma Theta Upsilon *International Geographical Union


Geographical publications


Geographical magazines

* ''Al Arab (magazine), Al Arab'' * ''Arizona Highways'' * ''Asian Geographic'' * ''Atlas (magazine)'' * ''Australian Geographic'' * ''Canadian Geographic'' * ''Chinese National Geography'' * ''Le Congo illustré'' * ''GEO (magazine)'' * ''Géographica'' * ''Geographical (magazine), Geographical'' * ''Icelandic Geographic'' * ''Le Mouvement Géographique'' * ''National Geographic'' * ''National Geographic Adventure (magazine), National Geographic Adventure'' * ''National Geographic Kids'' * ''National Geographic Traveler'' * ''New Zealand Geographic'' * ''Podróże (magazine), Podróże'' * ''Revista Geográfica Española'' * ''Rhythms Monthly'' * ''Vokrug sveta'' * ''Walkabout (magazine), Walkabout'' * ''The Wide World Magazine''


Persons influential in geography

A geographer is a scientist who studies
Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
's physical environment (biophysical), environment and human habitat (ecology), habitat. Geographers are historically known for making maps, the subdiscipline of geography known as cartography. They study the physical details of the environment and also its effect on human and wildlife ecology, ecologies, weather and
climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologi ...
patterns, economics, and culture. Geographers focus on the spatial relationships between these elements.


Influential physical geographers

* Eratosthenes (276194 BC) – who made the first known reliable estimation of the Earth's size. He is considered the father of geodesy.Avraham Ariel, Nora Ariel Berger (2006)."
Plotting the globe: stories of meridians, parallels, and the international
'". Greenwood Publishing Group. p.12.
* Ptolemy (c. 168) – who compiled Greek and Roman knowledge to produce the book ''Geographia''. * Abū Rayhān Bīrūnī (9731048 AD) – considered the father of geodesy.Akbar S. Ahmed (1984). "Al-Beruni: The First Anthropologist", ''RAIN'' 60, p. 9-10. * Avicenna, Ibn Sina (Avicenna, 980–1037) – whose observations in ''Kitab al-Shifa, Kitab Al-Shifa'' contributed to later formulations of the law of superposition and concept of Uniformitarianism (science), uniformitarianism. * Muhammad al-Idrisi (Dreses, 1100c.1165) – who drew the ''Tabula Rogeriana'', the most accurate world map in pre-modern times. * Piri Reis (1465c.1554) – whose Piri Reis map is the oldest surviving world map to include the Americas and possibly
Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean, it contains the geographic South Pole. Antarctica is the fifth-largest cont ...
* Gerardus Mercator (1512–1594) – an innovative Cartography, cartographer and originator of the Mercator projection. * Bernhardus Varenius (1622–1650) – Wrote his important work "General Geography" (1650) – first overview of the geography, the foundation of modern geography. * Mikhail Lomonosov (1711–1765) – father of Russian geography and founded the study of glaciology. * Alexander Von Humboldt (1769–1859) – considered the father of modern geography. Published ''Kosmos'' and founded the study of biogeography. * Arnold Henry Guyot (1807–1884) – who noted the structure of glaciers and advanced the understanding of glacial motion, especially in fast ice flow. * Louis Agassiz (1807–1873) – the author of a glacial theory which disputed the notion of a steady-cooling Earth. * Alfred Russel Wallace (1823–1913) – founder of modern biogeography and the
Wallace line The Wallace Line or Wallace's Line is a faunal boundary line drawn in 1859 by the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace and named by English biologist Thomas Henry Huxley that separates the biogeographical realms of Asia and Wallacea, a trans ...
. * Vasily Dokuchaev (1846–1903) – patriarch of Russian geography and founder of pedology. * Wladimir Peter Köppen (1846–1940) – developer of most important climate classification and founder of Paleoclimatology. * William Morris Davis (1850–1934) – father of American geography, founder of Geomorphology and developer of the geographical cycle theory. * Walther Penck (1888–1923) – proponent of the cycle of erosion and the simultaneous occurrence of Tectonic uplift, uplift and denudation. * Sir Ernest Shackleton (1874–1922) – Antarctic explorer during the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. * Robert E. Horton (1875–1945) – founder of modern hydrology and concepts such as infiltration capacity and overland flow. * J Harlen Bretz (1882–1981) – pioneer of research into the shaping of landscapes by catastrophic floods, most notably the Missoula Floods, Bretz (Missoula) floods. * Willi Dansgaard (born 1922) – palaeoclimatologist and quaternary scientist, instrumental in the use of oxygen-isotope dating and co-identifier of Dansgaard-Oeschger events. * Hans Oeschger (1927–1998) – palaeoclimatologist and pioneer in ice core research, co-identifier of Dansgaard-Orschger events. * Richard Chorley (1927–2002) – a key contributor to the quantitative revolution and the use of systems theory in geography. * Sir Nicholas Shackleton (1937–2006) – who demonstrated that oscillations in climate over the past few million years could be correlated with variations in the orbital and positional relationship between the Earth and the Sun. * Stefan Rahmstorf (born 1960) – professor of abrupt climate changes and author on theories of thermohaline dynamics.


Influential human geographers

* Carl Ritter (1779–1859) – considered to be one of the founding fathers of modern geography and first chair in geography at the Humboldt University of Berlin, also noted for his use of organic analogy in his works. * Friedrich Ratzel (1844–1904) – Environmental determinism, environmental determinist, invented the term ''Lebensraum'' * Paul Vidal de la Blache (1845–1918) – founder of the French School of geopolitics and Possibilism (geography), possibilism. * Sir Halford Mackinder, Halford John Mackinder (1861–1947) – author of ''The Geographical Pivot of History'', co-founder of the London School of Economics, along with the Geographical Association. * Carl O. Sauer (1889–1975) – critic of environmental determinism and proponent of cultural ecology. * Walter Christaller (1893–1969) – economic geographer and developer of the central place theory. * Richard Hartshorne (1899–1992) – scholar of the history and philosophy of geography. * Torsten Hägerstrand (1916–2004) – critic of the quantitative revolution and regional science, noted figure in critical geography. * Milton Santos (1926–2001) winner of the Vautrin Lud prize in 1994, one of the most important geographers in South America. * Waldo R. Tobler (born 1930) – developer of the First law of geography. * Yi-Fu Tuan (born 1930) A Chinese-American geographer. * David Harvey (geographer), David Harvey (born 1935) – world's most cited academic geographer and winner of the Lauréat Prix International de Géographie Vautrin Lud, also noted for his work in critical geography and critique of globalization, global capitalism. * Evelyn Stokes (1936–2005). Professor of geography at the University of Waikato in New Zealand. Known for recognizing inequality with marginalized groups including women and Māori people, Māori using geography. * Allen J. Scott (born 1938) – winner of Lauréat Prix International de Géographie Vautrin Lud, Vautrin Lud Prize in 2003 and the Anders Retzius Gold medal 2009; author of numerous books and papers on economic and urban geography, known for his work on regional development, new industrial spaces, agglomeration theory, global city-regions and the cultural economy. * Edward Soja (born 1941) – noted for his work on regional development, planning and governance, along with coining the terms synekism and postmetropolis. * Doreen Massey (geographer), Doreen Massey (born 1944) – key scholar in the space and places of globalization and its pluralities, winner of the Lauréat Prix International de Géographie Vautrin Lud, Vautrin Lud Prize. * Michael Watts, Class of 1963 Professor of Geography and Development Studies, University of California, Berkeley * Nigel Thrift (born 1949) – developer of non-representational theory. * Derek Gregory (born 1951) – famous for writing on the Israeli, U.S. and UK actions in the Middle East after 9/11, influenced by Edward Said and has contributed work on imagined geographies. * Cindi Katz (born 1954) – who writes on social reproduction and the production of space. Writing on children's geographies, place and nature, everyday life and security. * Gillian Rose (geographer), Gillian Rose (born 1962) – most famous for her critique: ''Feminism & Geography: The Limits of Geographical Knowledge'' (1993) – which was one of the first moves towards a development of feminist geography.


Geography educational frameworks

Educational frameworks upon which primary and secondary school curricula for geography are based upon include: * *# – a position or point that something occupies on the Earth's surface. *# *# *# :wikt:movement, movement – *# * The six "essential elements" identified by the Geography Education Standards Project, under which the National Geography Standards they developed are organized:Richard G Boehm, Roger M Downs, Sarah W Bednarz. ''Geography for Life: National Geography Standards.'' National Council for Geographic Education, 1994 *# The Earth, World in spatial terms *# Place (geography), Places and regions *# Physical systems *# Social systems, Human systems *# Natural environment, Environment and Society#In sociology, society *# The uses of geography * The three content areas of geography from the 2010 National Assessment of Educational Progress
Geography Framework for the 2010 National Assessment of Educational Progress.
' National Assessment Governing Board, U.S. Department of Education, p. vii:
(U.S.): *# Space#Geographical space, Space and Place (geography), place *# Natural environment, Environment and Society#In sociology, society *# Spatial dynamics and Interconnectivity, connections


See also

* Gazetteer * Geographer * Geographical renaming * Wikipedia:Contents/Lists#Geography and places, Geography and places reference tables * Landform * List of explorers ** List of Russian explorers * Map * Navigator * Philosophy of geography * World map


References


External links

* Pidwirny, Michael. (2014). ''Glossary of Terms for Physical Geography.'' Planet Earth Publishing, Kelowna, Canada. . Available o
Google Play
* Pidwirny, Michael. (2014). ''Understanding Physical Geography.'' Planet Earth Publishing, Kelowna, Canada. . Available o
Google Play
{{Outline footer Outlines of geography and places, Geography Wikipedia outlines, Geography Geography, 1 Geography-related lists,