1. Physical Geography. The field of physical geography is wide as it includes the study of the entire surface of the earth and also its physical and biological process as well as their morphology. Modern geography has witnessed the development of many branches and some of them even grown into separate disciplines.
Some of the important branches of physical geography are as follows:
- Geomorphology: It is a systematic study of land forms, such as mountains, plateaus, plains, valleys, etc.
- Climatology: Climatology encompasses the study of structure of atmosphere and elements of climates and climatic types and regions.
- Meteorology: The scientific study of atmosphere condition is called meteorology.
- Pedology: It is the scientific study of soil formation, structure, texture, chemical composition and their influence on plant growth.
- Hydrology: Hydrology studies the realm of water over the surface of the earth including oceans, lakes, rivers and other water bodies and its effect on different life.
- Seismology: It is the study of Earthquakes, their effects and distribution.
- Astronomical Geography: It is the study of heavenly bodies of the space like planets, satellites, stars etc in relation to the earth.
- Volcanology: It is the scientific study of tectonic process of volcanoes.
- Astronomical geography: It is the study of heavenly bodies of the space like planets, satellites, stars etc in relation to the earth.
- Bio-geography: It is the systematic study of the distribution of plants and animals.
- Hydrology: The study of water on the earth’* land is known as hydrology.
- Oceanography: The study of waves, tides and currents and the other characteristics of oceans, known as oceanography.
2. Human geography: It deals with man and his activities particularly cultural environment factors on man made factors, Important among them are culture, Society, agriculture, mining, industry, transport forming trade population etc.
Some of the important grander of Human geography are as fallows:
(1) Political geography: It deals with spatial unit, people distribution, political behavior, political divisions etc.
(2) Economic geography: It refers to basic attributes of the economy such as production, distribution exchange of goods and consumption. It deals with the spatial aspects of production, distribution and consumption and also helps on understanding the most proper location for establishing different human activities.
(3) Commercial Geography: It deals with the spatial distribution of trade and commercial practices etc.
(4) Population Geography: It helps to understand the distribution, growth density, migration and various other components of population.
