Geography is a branch of study that investigates the interplay between human society, government, culture, and the physical world. Geographers can operate in various settings, from universities to government agencies. Learning more about geography is necessary if you want to work in the subject.

Who is a Geographer?

A geographer is an expert in studying the planet and everything on it, from its landmarks to its features and people. Professional geographers can expand their knowledge in many directions. Geographers are trained to analyze both the physical landscape and the politics that shape it, and they may operate at either the regional or international level. Geographers have the education and training to work in various fields, including the public sector, private companies, and research institutions.

Key Responsibilities of a Geographer

The answer to the question, “What does a geographer do all day?” varies on several variables, including the individual’s employment and field of geography. Geographers’ daily duties are flexible because they might be based either in an office or out in the field conducting research. Possible tasks for a geographer to perform include:

• looking at fieldwork, photos, maps, and satellite images
• collection, classification, and analysis of information
• conducting studies, including interviews and focus groups
• making graphs and maps to illustrate their research
• Report-Writing: Research
• Providing Information to Other Experts
• making use of geographical information to address economic, social, and health concerns

What are the Types of Geography?

The field of geography encompasses a wide variety of subfields. Experts typically classify geographical research into four categories. Physical, human, and regional geographies, as well as geographical methods, fall under this category. Here’s a rundown of the most common varieties:

Physical Geography

Physical geographers examine the Earth’s landscape and natural features. Weather patterns, seasons, geographic regions, oceans, and soil changes are these experts’ primary areas of study. Those who specialize in physical geography investigate the processes by which landmasses originate, the results of erosion, the influence of organisms, and the consequences of natural disasters like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions on the planet over time. Some subfields of physical geography are:

• Glaciology, or the study of glaciers and ice,
• Oceanography refers to the scientific study of the oceans and their components.
• The study of weather and climate patterns over long periods is called “climatology.”
• The science of geomorphology focuses on how the Earth’s surface has changed over time.
• “Biogeography” refers to the study of ecosystems and the distribution of flora and fauna.

Human Geography

Human geographers study human populations and civilizations. These experts frequently concentrate on populations’ local, regional, and worldwide impacts, particularly on the environment and other living beings. Human geographers may also investigate how vital parts of human cultures, such as economics, politics, religion, and social organizations, interact with the environment. Human geography has several subspecialties, which include:

• Economic geography is the study of how economic systems utilize natural resources.
• Political geography is the study of the physical and legal boundaries and divisions that exist between countries, states, and territories.
• Cultural geography studies cultural practices, values, and modes of expression, particularly those related to the environment.
• Historical geography is the study of how the past has shaped geographical features.
• Urban geography is the study of how cities form and function.

How to Learn Geography

Make flashcards

When it comes to learning any subject, even geography, flashcards are a must. Flashcards are an excellent way to improve memory retention because they only provide the information required to answer a question. Because there is less detailed information, memorizing and familiarizing will be much easier.

Begin by writing down the names of countries on flashcards, along with the continent to which they belong, on the reverse of the flashcards. Then you’ll have to figure out which continent each country on the flashcards belongs to. Turning the flashcard over will tell you if your response was correct or incorrect.

Seek assistance

If one mind isn’t enough to comprehend geography, you may always enlist the assistance of those you know. You can form a group of 3-4 people to study geography together.

You can allocate different topics or locations to each participant and ask them to share what they’ve learned with the group later. This will divide each individual’s task, allowing them to concentrate more on the designated issue. Geography entails a great deal of information, and dividing the job among individuals can help tremendously in processing this information.

If you want to avoid bothering your pals with your studies, you may always hire a professional tutor to help you with geography. And if you want to engage a professional and skilled private instructor, go no further than FamilyTutor, Singapore’s premier home, and online tutoring organization.

Keep a map handy

Geography and maps are inextricably linked. After all, you are studying the earth’s physical aspects. This is why it is crucial to keep a map handy when studying geography.

Maps allow you to pinpoint the location of a given country or landmark. This will help you remember them better since you can see where they are physically located on the earth rather than just which country or continent they belong to. However, you should not rely too heavily on actual maps; instead, create your mental map of the globe. Most geography tests do not allow students to carry maps with them, so they rely on them sparingly.

Study mnemonics

A good memory is frequently essential to perform well in any topic, including geography. However, only some are born with a naturally good recall. So, what are you going to do? You compensate for your weaknesses by learning to apply mnemonic techniques.

Mnemonic strategies are methods of aiding information retention or retrieval. It can take the form of rhymes, songs, acronyms, or any other strategy that aids memory recall. These are useful for ensuring that you remember countries, landmarks, or any other physical feature on the Earth.

It may appear unusual and awkward at first. Still, as you use these strategies, you will improve at retaining material and applying mnemonic approaches to other disciplines.

Begin with the continents

Similarly to how it is simpler to explain mathematics in the beginning, geography is much easier to describe at the beginning. And one of the most fundamental levels of geography begins with knowledge of each continent. This knowledge does not have to include all countries on a particular continent. To begin, learn about each continent’s location on the globe and its borders with other continents.

This will aid in your geography study by better understanding the collective landmasses that split the earth’s surface. This will also help you comprehend other elements such as climate, culture, and history of individual countries later on, as they tend to follow the general course of the continent to which they belong.

Be familiar with big bodies of water

Geography is not only restricted to landmasses but can also include bodies of water at times. Consider all of the vast oceans that surround the continents you are studying. Consider the rivers that gave birth and life to ancient civilizations.

Knowledge of bodies of water is just as vital as knowledge of land masses in a country since they play an essential part in determining the geography of a particular region. The basics of geography are information about vast bodies of water and continents, which will serve as the foundation for other knowledge you will gain as you continue to study geography.

Take your time memorizing all the countries

One of the most challenging aspects of studying geography is memorizing numerous countries and monuments. What distinguishes good students from average pupils is knowing what to memorize.

That is too much to handle in such a short time. Instead, attempt to study and concentrate on the important names that keep cropping up in your lectures from time to time. These countries are the most relevant to your current topic. Thus they should be concentrated on and memorized.

Use history or current events to help you remember

Geography is a subject about countries at first glance. Still, as you go deeper into it, you will discover that it also involves history and human actions that contribute to the general structure of a landmass.

You can use news and a place’s history to establish their locations better and answer geography quizzes. To improve the memory stick, you can draw links between what happened in the past and where it happened. Like in history, you can use current events in your geography studies.

Visualize locations

Another incredible technique to efficiently boost your knowledge of the location of specific countries is to envision or draw them in your thoughts. Because visual information is one of the most potent means of learning, it is advised that you use visuals when studying geography.

When you study the location of a country or landmark, attempt to visualize it in your mind, along with the countries or bodies of water surrounding it, this will improve your recall of that country and make determining its location easier the next time you are questioned about it.

How to Memorize Geography

The tactics listed below can help you memorize and recall hundreds of geographical facts and features.

• Memorization aids

Mnemonic devices are associations that allow the human mind to connect something new or unknown to something familiar. Students frequently employ mnemonic methods to help them remember specific facts and details. They’re also great for remembering long lists of facts and data.

Mnemonic devices work by associating knowledge with brief phrases, words that rhyme, or anything else you may be familiar with, like a favorite song. Music is one of the most effective mnemonic aids for memorizing long lists of geographic information, such as towns, states, and even countries.

Do you want to memorize all 196 countries and permanently remember them? You say it’s impossible. It is not only possible but also relatively simple, thanks to the employment of music as a mnemonic technique.

Watch and listen to the Animaniacs Yakko’s World YouTube video (The Country’s song). Make a list of all the countries on the planet in the sequence shown in the movie. Now, to the song’s melody, sing the list of countries.

If you do this enough times, you’ll be able to remember all the countries in the globe as effortlessly as you can remember the lyrics to your favorite song. It truly works. And it’s pretty simple.

• Sort the information

Organization is essential for memorizing information, particularly spatial knowledge. Make logical categories for the information you want to remember. This will improve your memory and recall.

If you’re attempting to memorize the world’s major river routes, consider memorizing rivers grouped by continent. The continents are simple to memorize. Once you’ve memorized the rivers of each continent, you’ll be familiar with all of the world’s major river routes.

• Make use of the term “chunking.”

Another successful method for memorizing geographical information is chunking. You’re probably using chunking tactics without even realizing it. Using chunking, your brain can quickly memorize a phone number (824-543-1224) or a social security number (695-66-5078). When we divide information into little groups of three or four, we “chunk” it.

• Make information visible

For most of us, remembering the details of a picture (what we see) is significantly easier than remembering the intricacies of a lecture (what we hear). Visualization is a memorizing approach that may be utilized for almost any subject, but it is beneficial while learning geography.

There are two ways to use visualization. First, it can be used by imagining visuals that correspond to an abstract concept. Second, and most crucially, it is used by correlating geographical data with position, size, and shape. For example, recalling the locations of all 50 states in the United States of America on a map and correlating them with their shape and size is significantly easier than memorizing a written list.

• Association

When we discussed mnemonic devices, we introduced the concept of association. The process of “linking” a new, unknown term, place, or object to something familiar is known as an association. By integrating the unexpected with the familiar, the brain retains and recalls the strange more easily.

When you’re given the duty of learning a new geographical fact, jot it down with any relevant information. For example, if the new geographical fact is the German city of Munich, and you’re a true automobile enthusiast, consider linking Munich with BMW’s headquarters. What is the location of Munich? Munich is located in Germany. BMW’s corporate headquarters.

• Reviewing regularly

You must examine your notes frequently if you want to do well in your geography lesson. Consistently reviewing your notes and other study resources weeks before your exam is one of the keys to memory retention and recall (s). Geography is one of those subjects that students like to cram for. It is feasible to memorize all of a country’s states in one night, but the information will only keep with you for a short time after your test. Frequent reviewing is required to shift information from your short-term to long-term memory.

How to Get Better at Geography

Set your learning objectives

Your learning objectives will influence the approach you pick. If you want to know more about your world or do better at bar trivia questions on geography, the stakes are minimal. The stakes may be higher if you plan a multi-country backpacking trip and need to know your way around or if you have slept through a whole geography class and must study for the final exam.

Ask yourself what you expect to accomplish by learning geography, and let the answer drive your scope and method.

For example, if you plan to backpack across Europe, focus on the location you are visiting and study the culture, currency, and possibly languages of each region.

Establish a scope

Someone can only learn some of what there is to know about every location on the planet in a single day. Determining the extent of your learning, whether to know a smaller area extremely well or a much larger area more broadly, will assist you in determining a technique. Some examples of possible scopes include:

• Understand every road in my town.
• Understand all of the critical roadways in my metropolitan area.
• Learn the names of all the cities and counties in my state.
• Learn about all of the states, including their capitals and governors.
• Learn about all of the world’s countries.
• Discover all of the continents and oceans, as well as the most populous countries.
• Learn about every English-speaking country.
• Learn about all of Europe’s regions.

Choose an approach

The study of geography can be approached in two ways: from the inside out or from the broad to the specific. A strategy that works from the inside out would start with your immediate surroundings and gradually expand until you have a more general understanding of the world. [1] A broad-to-specific method would begin with extensive information and progress to more detailed “layers” of knowledge.

Begin by learning about your city or county if you choose an “inside out” method. Then study the neighboring counties and, finally, the entire state. Then study the bordering states, followed by the states that border those. Learn about all of the states, then the countries that border them. Continue to broaden your understanding until you have a working knowledge of the world’s geography.

Start with the continents and oceans if you choose a “wide to specific” approach. Then, study the countries. Then, learn about each country’s capital. Then, for each country, learn about the critical cities or regions. Then, study each country’s leaders. Continue until you have achieved the knowledge you set out to achieve. You might focus on one continent at a time as you progress to a new degree of specificity.

Study Geography: Bottom Line

You now know the best ways to learn geography quickly and effectively. Simply follow these steps to discover the changes for yourself. Follow these strategies to keep yourself well-prepared; you may also take several free online examinations. You can reassure yourself about your preparation by taking these exams. Geography is a large subject with a lot to cover; it takes time to remember everything. However, with some helpful hints and practices, anyone can master it all.