INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHY

WEEK 1                                                                                     

DATE: ……………….

SUBJECT: GEOGRAPHY

CLASS: SS 1

TOPIC: Introduction to Geography

CONTENT:

1. Meaning, nature, scope and value of Geography.

2. Town/Village- Physical features and Cultural features

3. Direction and Location of physical and cultural features within the town/village.

4.  Influence of these features on human activities

SUB-TOPIC 1: Meaning, nature, scope and value of Geography

Meaning of Geography.

The word geography is derived from two Greek words “geo” meaning the earth and “graph” meaning to describe. The words grouped together formed the definition of Geography. Geography therefore, can simply be defined as the “description of the earth”.

However, Geography is more than mere description of the earth. Hence, it is both defined as the study of people, their activities, places and physical features within the earth. From the definitions, it is observed that Geography as a discipline has two interrelated aspects:

1. The physical aspect – this deals with the study of natural features of the earth such as landforms, climate, soils, water bodies, vegetation and minerals.

2. The human or cultural aspect – this involves the study of people’s activities, settlement and land use as well as their political, social and economic organizations.

Nature of Geography

Geography is a natural science because it deals with the earth, its physical features and all forms of life existing on it. It is also an applied science because it provides solutions to problems related to our environment. For instance, the problem of soil erosion can be minimized by practicing contour ploughing.

Geography is further classified into two

1. Physical Geography – this deals with all natural features existing on the earth’s surface. It includes landforms, climate, soils, water bodies, vegetation and minerals.

2. Human or Cultural Geography – this aspect of geography deals with the study of human activities, settlement and land use as well as their political, social and economic organizations. It includes such topics as trade, industry, demography (study of population) and migration.

Scope and Nature of Geography

Geography is a social science subject which deals with the study of man, his activities within the environment and the physical things within the earth.

In order words, Geography studies different people in different places and their activities like farming, trading, fishing, manufacturing and construction. It also involves the study of places like Nigeria, Ghana, USA, Lagos etc. Geography also deals with study of natural phenomena on the earth like climate, oceans, rocks, mountains, vegetation etc. Also, it involves studying of the heavenly bodies like the sun, moon and the planets.

Geography as a field of study cuts across many other fields of human study such as Agricultural science, Geology, Biology, History, Economics, Anthropology etc.

Branches of Geography

Geography is divided into three sub divisions. They are:

1. Physical Geography
2. Human/Regional Geography
3. Map Work/Reading
4. Physical Geography
5. This is the study of natural features of the earth such as landforms, climate, soils, water bodies, vegetation and minerals. It further branches out into:
6. Climate – this deals with the study of weather conditions prevailing in an area. The various factors that determine climate are air masses, temperature, humidity, precipitation etc.
7. Soils – this is the study of different types of soils found on the earth’s surface. It also involves the study of soil formation, soil profile and soil erosion.
8. Water bodies – this deals with the study of oceans, lakes, rivers and groundwater.
9. Landforms – this is the study of different landforms such as mountains, plateau, valley, desert etc.
10. Vegetation – this is the study of different types of plants found in an area. It also involves the study of forest resources.
11. Minerals – this deals with the study of different types of minerals found on the earth’s surface and their uses.
12. Human or Cultural Geography – This aspect of geography deals with the study of human activities, settlement and land use as well as their political, social and economic organizations. It branches out into:
13. Population – this is the study of people in an area. It involves the study of population density, growth rate, age-sex composition etc.
14. Settlement – this is the study of different types of settlement such as rural, urban and peri-urban. It also involves the study of settlement patterns.
15. Transportation – this is the study of movement of people and goods from one place to another. It involves the study of different types of transportation such as road, rail, air and water.

Values of Geography

1. Geography helps us to know the way of life of other people in other parts of the world.
2. It helps us to know where places are on earth and understand better what is said about them.
3. It also enables us to study physical things around us like soil, vegetation, climate, mountains etc.
4. A study of Geography makes the understanding of related topics in other subjects easy.
5. Geography helps us to know the relevance of the physical features within our environment to man’s life.
6. It helps us gain knowledge and skills useful in different profession like Teaching, Surveying, Estate management, Architecture, Urban and regional planning, Aviation, and Geology etc.
7. It also enable us to understand other subjects like Agricultural science, Economics, Biology etc.

EVALUATION:

1. What is Geography?
2. Explain the scope and nature of Geography.
3. State three branches of Geography.
4. Enumerate five importance of Geography.

1. Geography is the study of the physical and human features of the earth. It involves the study of things like farming, trading, fishing, manufacturing and construction. It also involves the study of places like Nigeria, Ghana, USA, Lagos etc. Geography also deals with study of natural phenomena on the earth like climate, oceans, rocks and soil. It further branches out into:
2. Physical Geography – this is the study of the physical features of the earth such as landforms, climate, soils, water bodies and vegetation.
3. Human Geography – this is the study of human activities on the earth such as settlement, land use, transportation and economic activities.
4. Map Reading – this is the study of different types of maps and their uses.

1. The Importance of Geography
2. Geography helps us to know the way of life of other people in other parts of the world
3. It helps us to know where places are on earth and understand better what is said about them
4. It also enables

SUB-TOPIC 2: Town/Village – Physical features and Cultural features

Local Geography

Local Geography has to do with the study of both physical and socio-cultural aspects of our immediate environment (i.e. our society).The locality include the Village, Town, Local Government Area and the State.

THE VILLAGE: A village is a small nucleated rural settlement formed from the combination of several hamlets, contains several hundred or a thousand of people with limited services and social amenities. It is characterized by the following:

1. Relatively small area of land.
2. Homogenous people i.e. people that know one another very well.
3. People with the same cultural background and language.
4. A simple and quiet life style.
5. Few buildings and population ranging from one family to few hundreds of people.
6. People in the village engage mostly in agriculture, lumbering, small scale shopping, fishing and religious functions. The village has the following physical features:
7. Soil – this is a mixture of minerals, air, water and organic matter. It is found on the surface of the earth and it is used for farming.
8. Water bodies – these are places where water can be found such as rivers, lakes and ponds. They are used for domestic purposes, irrigation, fishing and recreation.
9. Vegetation – this refers to the plants that grow in an area. The type of vegetation in an area depends on the climate, soil and water availability.
10. Climate – this is the average weather condition of an area over a long period of time. It is determined by factors such as temperature, precipitation, wind direction

TOWN: A town is a large nucleated urban settlement formed from the expansion or combination of several villages with several thousands of people and several social services.

The main characteristics of a town include the following:

1. Relatively large and dense settlement.
2. Socially heterogeneous people i.e. people who may not know one another very well.
3. People with different cultural background and languages.
4. Many building with thousands of people living in them.
5. Abundant social amenities.
6. Mainly involved in secondary and tertiary activities like manufacturing, banking etc.
7. A town functions as follows, industrial, commercial, socio-cultural (universities, hotels, radio station etc.) and residential functions.

Physical Features of a town/village

The physical features of a town/village may include the relief, vegetation, climate, drainage etc.

Relief: This refers to the surface features of the land above sea level. Relief of a place can be lowland or highland. Lowland refers to the areas below 300m above the sea level while highlands are areas with 300m and above.

Vegetation: Vegetation refers to different plant species that inhabit a particular area at a period (i.e. the floristic composition of the earth). The vegetation of a place can be grouped into two major zones. They are forest and savannah or grassland.

Climate: This can be defined as the average weather condition of an area over a long period of time. This can be determined between 35 and 40 years using its elements like rainfall, temperature, humidity, wind etc.

Drainage: This refers to the way in which the water which falls as rain etc. runs over the land surface. Drainage of a place includes rivers, streams, lakes etc.

Cultural features of a town/village

Cultural features of a town/village may include markets, post office, church, mosques, roads, police station, school etc. These features are also known as man-made features.

Evaluation.

1. Define Local Geography.
2. What is a village?
3. What is a town?
4. State three characteristics each of a village and a town.
5. Highlight four physical features within your immediate environment.
6. Mention three cultural features within the school environment.

SUB-TOPIC 3: Direction and Location of physical and cultural features within the town/village.

The direction of any feature, physical or cultural within the town/village is determined using compass points or cardinal points. Compass or cardinal point is divided into four- namely, North, South, East and West. These can be sub-divide into eight and sixteen cardinal points as the case may be as shown in the diagrams below.

Four Cardinal Points

Eight Cardinal Points

Sixteen Cardinal Points

The four cardinal points help in the description of the location of any physical or cultural features within the town or village. Take for instance, if one is talking about a market located at the eastern part of the town, it simply means that the market is located at a point where east meets south or where the east-west line cuts the north-south line. This can be represented pictorially as follows;

EASTERN PART OF THE TOWN

WESTERN PART OF THE TOWN

NORTHERN PART OF THE TOWN

SOUTHERN PART OF THE TOWN

The eight cardinal points can be used in the description of the location of physical and cultural features within the town or village. They are as follows;

North-east: This is the point where north meets east. It is represented by NE. An example of a place located at north-east is Agbogbloshie market.

South-east: This is the point where south meets east. It is represented by SE. An example of a place located at south-east is Osu Oxford street.

North-west: This is the point where north meets west. It is represented by NW. An example of a place located at north-west is Kantamanto market.

South-west: This is the point where south meets west. It is represented by SW. An example of a place located at south-west is Makola market.

The sixteen cardinal points can also be used in the description of the location of physical and cultural features within the town or village. They are as follows;

North-north-east: This is the point where north meets north-east. It is represented by NNE. An example of a place located at north-north-east is Ablekuma market.

South-south-east: This is the point where south meets south-east. It is represented by SSE. An example of a place located at south-south-east is Osu Badu market.

North-north-west: This is the point where north meets north-west. It is represented by NNW. An example of a place located at north-north-west is Jamestown market.

Eight Cardinal Points

Sixteen Cardinal Points

Evaluation.

1. With the aid of a diagram explain the cardinal points.
2. Use it to locate the direction of your school, house and other major physical and cultural features within the town where your school is sited.
3. What is the direction of your school from your house?
4. What is the direction of your church from your school?
5. What is the direction of the market from your house?
6. The relief or topography of an area can be defined as the shape or features of the land surface. It includes the height, depth and gradient
7. Mention two places within the town and their respective direction from the school.
8. State four cardinal points.
9. Using a diagram, explain how to determine the cardinal points on a map.
10. How can you use the cardinal points to determine the location of features on a map?

SUB-TOPIC 4: Influences of Physical features on Human Activities

Human activities commonly found in a town or village include farming, fishing, lumbering, mining, manufacturing, and trading. These activities bring about resources like farm products, timber and mineral resources, etc.

The likely influences of the above mentioned features on human activities are:

1. Rivers and lakes are used for domestic purposes like washing, drinking and cooking.
2. The water bodies in a village/town can also be used for irrigation, which can boost the agricultural products especially during dry season.
3. Relief of a place can determine the location of both cultural features and human activities.
4. The climate of an area determines the type of crops to be planted in that area. For instance northern Nigeria grows more of food crops like millet, maize, beans, rice etc. while southern parts grow more of cash crop like cocoa, rubber, cola nut etc. This is because of climatic difference of the two areas.
5. Lowlands promotes extensive farming activities and man’s settlement.

Evaluation:

1. State four human activities within your town.
2. Mention two resources that can be gotten from these activities.
3. How can the relief of an area influence human activities?
4. What is the relationship between climate and agricultural production?
5. Farm products, timber and mineral resources are some of the things that can be found in a town or village. These resources come from human activities like farming, fishing
6. Mention three influences of physical features on the above mentioned human activities within your town.
7. Describe a particular physical feature in your town and its effects on socio-economic activities of that town.

GENERAL EVALUATION:

1. (a) (i) What is Geography? (ii) Define Geography. (b) Discuss the relevant of Geography to human life.
2. (a) What is a village? (b) Describe five characteristics of a village.
3. (a) Enumerate five characteristics of a town. (b) Distinguish between a town and a village.
4.  (a) State three physical features in your town. (b) Explain the relevant of any one of the physical features to human activities in the area.
5. With the aid of a diagram, show the sixteen cardinal points.
6. Define cardinal points.
7. Mention three human activities in your town and their respective influences of physical features on them.
8. (a) What is relief? (b) Explain the term ‘feature of relief’.
9. (a) Define climate. (b) List six climatic factors that determine the climate of an area.
10. (a) What is a lowland? (b) Explain three characteristics of lowlands.

WEEKEND ASSIGNMENT:

Objective Test

1. Geography can simply be defined as…………. (A) study of other subjects (B) description of mountains and vegetation (C) description of earth (D) study of planets.
2. Compass points can be divided into the following numbers except (A) 16 (B) 8 (C) 24 (D) 4
3. To obtain the climate of a place the average atmospheric weather conditions should be considered for about (A) 45years (B) 35years (C) 24years (D) 20years.
4. Which of the following criteria is not important in distinguishing between a village and a town? (A) Geographical situation (B) Population size (C) Range of functions (D) Variety of activities
5. A village is characterised by (A) the presence of several refineries. (B) availability of tertiary health care facilities. (C) developed infrastructural facilities (D) agriculture and other primary economic activities.
6. The following are physical features of the earth’s surface except (A) relief (B) rivers (C) weathering products (D) lakes.
7. The activities of man on land are determined by (A) rainfall distribution (B) wind direction and speed (C) topography and drainage pattern (D) soil type.
8. The following are physical factors that determine the climate of an area except (A) rainfall (B) temperature (C) relief (D) latitude.
9. The study of man and his environment is known as (A) climatology (B) geography (C) ecology (D) oceanography.
10. The term ‘feature of relief’ means (A) a physical feature of the earth’s surface (B) an activity of man on land (C) anything that has shape and occupies space (D) a place where people live and work.
11. The following are examples of climate types except(A) equatorial (B) tropical (C) continental (D) Mediterranean.
12. The following are lowland features except (A) broad and level plains (B) valleys (C) rolling uplands (D) foot hills.
13. The equator is an imaginary line which divides the earth into two equal parts known as the(A) north pole and south pole (B) east and west (C) northern and southern hemisphere (D) Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn.
14. The following are characteristics of a town except(A) it is larger in size than a village (B) it has more economic activities than a village (C) it has more social amenities than a village (D) all the above are correct.
15. The following are the factors that determine the settlement pattern of an area except (A) relief (B) land use (C) climate (D) population density.
16. The absolute location of a place is determined by its(A) longitude and latitude (B) climate (C) relief features (D) vegetation.
17. The relative location of a place is determined by its(A) longitude and latitude (B) climate (C) relief features (D) vegetation.
18. The distribution of settlement in an area is determined by the(A) relief features of the area (B) climate of the area (C) human and physical factors (D) all the above.
19. The following are the factors that determine the type of settlement in an area except(A) relief (B) climate (C) land use (D) population density.
20. The term ‘site’ refers to the(A) physical features of an area (B) location of a place (C) human activities in an area (D) all the above.
21. The following are the factors that determine the suitability of a site for settlement except (A) relief (B) climate (C) land use (D) water supply.
22. The following are the factors that determine the layout of a settlement except(A) relief (B) climate (C) land use (D) transportation.
23. The following are the factors that determine the type of housing in an area except (A) relief (B) climate (C) land use (D) water supply.
24. The following are examples of secondary activities except(A) fishing (B) farming (C) forestry (D) mining.
25. The following are examples of tertiary activities except (A) banking (B) insurance (C) tourism (D) transport.
26. The following are examples of quaternary activities except(A) research (B) education (C) health (D) agriculture.
27. The following are the functions of a settlement except(A) Residential function (B) Protective function (C) Communal function (D) None of the above.
28. The following are the types of settlement except(A) linear (B) nucleated (C) dispersed (D) radial.
29. The following are characteristics of a linear settlement except(A) it is found along transportation routes (B) it has a single row of houses (C) it has a strip shape (D) all the above are correct.
30. The following are characteristics of a nucleated settlement except(A) it has a compact shape (B) it has a single row of houses (C) it is found along transportation routes (D) all the above are correct.

Interactive Essay Questions:

1. Mention four functions each of a village and a town.
2. A village is a small settlement with a few hundred or thousand residents. The main functions of a village are to provide housing, protect the residents, provide communal facilities, and support economic activities. A town is a larger settlement with several thousand or more residents. The main functions of a town are to provide housing, protect the residents, provide communal facilities, and support economic activities. Towns also have a more diverse economy than villages, with a greater variety of shops and businesses.

1. What are the main differences between a village and a town?
2. The main difference between a village and a town is size. A village is a small settlement with a few hundred or thousand residents, while a town is a larger settlement with several thousand or more residents. Towns also have a more diverse economy than villages, with a greater variety of shops and businesses. Another difference is that towns usually have a wider range of social amenities than villages, such as schools, libraries, and hospitals.

PRE-READING ASSIGNMENT

Read Local Government and State Geography.