Geography

The study of Earth’s landscapes, environments, and places, and how people interact with their surroundings.
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Updated March 4, 2026

Overview

  • Geography explores the physical features of the planet, such as landforms, climates, ecosystems, and the human activities that shape our world, including culture and economic development.
  • Geography also examines how people and environments influence each other over time and across different places.
  • Geologists study how the world’s layout quietly shapes human possibilities. Why are some regions wealthy and others struggling? Why do certain diseases spread in specific areas? Why do cities grow where they do? Geography reveals the physical and spatial logic behind these patterns.

Geography FAQ

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about the study of geology, along with links to resources that explain the discipline and what you can expect from majoring in the field.

Geologists study the rocks, soil, mountains, rivers, oceans, and even fossils of the Earth to understand how the planet formed and how it keeps changing. By examining layers of rock and the shapes of landscapes, they piece together past events like volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, shifting continents, and ancient climates. Their work also helps people today in locating water supplies, energy resources, and minerals. They help to understand natural hazards so communities can prepare for things like landslides or earthquakes. In short, geologists explore how the Earth was built, how it works now, and how it may change in the future.

For an in-depth description of the geography field, see the article Geography from National Geographic.

Geography is considered both a natural science and a social science, where geographers study the interactions between the physical aspects of a region and the human activities within it. The two main fields of geography are:

  • Human geography 
  • Physical geography

Geography is a highly interdisciplinary field that draws on physical sciences such as geology, which examines Earth's processes and landforms; meteorology, which studies climate and weather patterns; and biology, which explores ecosystems and biogeography.

Geography also investigates how human interactions influence physical landscapes. As a result, geographers draw on disciplines like sociology, which analyzes demographics and urbanization; political science, which explores borders and geopolitics; economics, which examines trade and development; and anthropology, which studies cultural practices and migration.

Geography Subfields

While geology is typically classified as a natural science, many of its subfields intersect with the social sciences, particularly where human activity, policy, and societal interactions with Earth systems are involved. Here are the two main geology subfields that have strong social science connections.

Human Geography

The study of how people interact with places and environments, with a focus on cultural, economic, and social behaviors.

Physical Geography

The study of the natural features and processes of the Earth, including landforms, climates, vegetation, and bodies of water.​

Geography Reference

Atlases are fundamentally concerned with geographic location across the globe. Traditional atlases depict physical geography such as mountains, rivers, and political borders.

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Do You Know
More than 2,200 years ago, the ancient Greek scholar Eratosthenes calculated the circumference of the Earth with remarkable accuracy—using only shadows, geometry, and the distance between two cities in Egypt. Learn More
Eratosthenes Teaching in Alexandria
Source: Eratosthenes Teaching in Alexandria by Bernardo Strozzi (1635)
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