CHAPTER 1
THE LIVING World

-> Diversity in the living world:-  On earth variety of living organisms are available. The total no. of species are that are known and described are 1.7 to 1.8 million. This no. refers to biodiversity on earth.

-> Biodiversity:- The term biodiversity mean the no. and types of organisms present on the earth. The living world includes the entire living organism such as micro-organisms, plant, Animals & human being. This huge variety can’t be studied and identified without having a proper system of classification.

-> Taxonomy is defined as the branch of science that deals with the identification, nomenclature, and classification of organisms.

-> Systematic:- The word systematic is derived from Latin word system which mean systematic arrangement of organism.

-> Carolos ligneous Coined the term Systematic Is the branch of the science which deals with unique property of species and groups to recognized, describe name and arrange the organisms according to the organized plain.

-> Identification: – It aims at finding the correct name and appropriate position of an organism.The morphological & anatomical character are examined for proper identification

 Anatomical: – Internal

 Morphological: – Describe by Outside.

-> Classification: – Classification is the process by which organisms are grouped into categories based on some easily observable characters.

-> Biological Classification: – It is a scientific arrangement of organism in hierarchy, of groups and subgroups on the basis of similarities and differences.

Advantages of Classification:-

• It helps to identify any organisms easily.
• New organisms easily get correct place in their respective groups.
• It makes study of fossil easily.

Question & Answers

Q1) Write the meaning and definition of geography.

Ans Meaning of Geography: The English word “geography” is derived from two Greek words: Geo and Grapho. Geo means “the Earth” and grapho means “to write or describe.” Thus, the literal meaning of geography is the description or explanation of the Earth.

Definition of Geography: Many geographers have provided various definitions of geography, the most prominent of which are listed below:

According to the Dictionary: Geography is the science that describes the surface of the Earth and its inhabitants.

Q2) What do you mean by the branches of geography?

Ans: Branches of Geography: Geography is broadly divided into two main branches:

1. Physical Geography
2. Human Geography

-> Physical Geography: Physical geography is the branch of natural science that deals with the processes and patterns in the natural environment, such as the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, mountains, and natural vegetation.

-> HUMAN Geography: – The Branch of geography that is associated and deals with human and their relationship with communities culture, economic and interaction with the environment by studying there relation with and across location.

Q3  What do you mean by Determinism & Possibilism ?

-> Determinism: The major thinkers of environmental determinism assert that human history, culture, society, lifestyle, and development are shaped by their physical environment. Geographical determinism views human social actions as a direct response to the natural environment, suggesting that human activities are deeply influenced by nature.

Early humans adapted completely to the dictates of nature, which is why humans were historically referred to as the “slaves of nature.” This occurred because the level of technology was very low; this primitive type of interaction between human society and the strong forces of nature is known as environmental determinism. Prominent scholars such as Friedrich Ratzel, Hippocrates, and Ellen Churchill Semple supported this school of thought.

-> Possibilism: The environment sets certain constraints and limitations, but culture is otherwise determined by social conditions as humans develop better and more efficient technology. Human activities create cultural landscapes, and the imprints of these activities are visible everywhere. Humans have built massive urban civilizations, fields, orchards, ports on the coasts, and even satellites in space. Early scholars recognized this concept as possibilism. According to this view, humans are not the slaves of nature. Nature provides opportunities, and human beings make use of them. Paul Vidal de la Blache supported this school of thought.

Q4 What do you mean by human geography? Write various definitions of human geography.

Ans Definition of Human Geography: Various geographers have defined human geography. The major definitions are as follows:

• According to Ratzel: “Human geography is the synthetic study of the relationship between human societies and the Earth’s surface.”
• According to E.C. Semple: “Human geography is the study of the changing relationship between the un-resting man and the unstable earth.”
• According to Paul Vidal de la Blache: “Human geography offers a new conception of the interrelationship between the Earth and human beings.”
• According to Jean Brunhes: “Human geography is the study of all those facts in which human activity plays a part.”

 Q5) Explain the subfields of human geography.

Ans Subfields of Human Geography: Human geography, as we have seen, attempts to explain the relationship between all elements of human life and the space they occupy. The subfields of human geography are as follows:

• Social Geography: This is the branch of human geography that is closely related to social theory in general and sociology in particular. It deals with the relation of social phenomena and their spatial components, such as behavior, class, culture, language, and religion.
• Economic Geography: Economic geography is the study of the spatial variation of human economic activities, including production, consumption, and exchange, with an emphasis on resource endowments, It includes topics such as international trade, agriculture, industries, marketing, and tourism.
• Population Geography: This is the branch of human geography related to population distribution, density, growth, and demographic composition.
• Political Geography: This branch is concerned with the study of both the spatially uneven outcomes of political processes and the ways in which political processes are themselves affected by spatial structures. Political geography adopts a multi-scale structure, focusing on the study of the state at its center, including international relations, states, and territories.
• Settlement Geography: This is the branch of human geography that investigates the parts of the Earth’s surface settled by humans. It studies the totality of human communities, specifically urban and rural settlements.
• Historical Geography: This is the branch of geography that studies the ways in which geographic phenomena have changed over time. It is a synthetic discipline that shares both topical and methodological similarities with history, ecology, geology, and environmental studies.

 Q6. Differentiate between Systematic geography and Regional geography?

 Multiple Choice Questions

Q1) Who introduced the term/concept of “Geography”?

1. Aristotle
2. Galileo
3. Eratosthenes (Correct Answer)
4. Herodotus

Q2) “Geography is the science which describes the world and its inhabitants.” Who introduced this concept?

1. Dudley Stamp (Correct Answer)
2. Hartshorne
3. W.G. Moore
4. Kant

Q3) Who first introduced the concept of the relationship between humans and nature?

1.  Karl Ritter
2.  von Humboldt
3.  Hippocrates (Correct Answer)
4.  Dudley Stamp

Q4) Ellen Churchill Semple belonged to which country?

1.  S.A. (Correct Answer)
2.  France
3.  Germany
4.  England

Q5) Which of the following is NOT related to human geography?

1.  Population geography
2.  Economic geography
3.  Physical geography (Correct Answer)
4.  Political geography

Q6) Which of the following are the main branches of geography?

1.  Geomorphology and Climatology
2.  Social and Economic Geography
3.  Physical and Human Geography (Correct Answer)
4.  Historical and Political Geography

Q7)  Which one of the following is NOT an approach/school of thought in human geography?

1.  Neo-determinism
2.  Determinism
3.  Materialism (Correct Answer)
4.  Possibilism

Q8) Who introduced the concept of Neo-determinism?

1.  Karl Ritter
2.  Vidal de la Blache
3.  Griffith Taylor (Correct Answer)
4.  Ellsworth Huntington