The+Changing+Nature+of+Geography

Geography, simply put, examines the relationship between man and the environment. Physical and Human Geography serve as the basis for understanding this complex relationship. This relationship is understood in the dimensions of time (temporal) and space (spatial), and it is these dimensions that make Geography unique, in terms of understanding and explaining the complex relationship between humans and the environment.

Geography is constantly evolving- changing with recent developments in time and space. Today, the study of Geography is gradually taking a different dimension, resulting from the complex nature of the relationships that currently exist between humans and the natural environment. The use of technology has affected the way human beings relate to and understand the environment.

The IB Geography syllabus therefore takes these factors into account by focusing more on the developmental aspects of the subject and therefore almost all the core topics relate to human Geography. Physical Geography, which played a key role in the study of traditional Geography, has less emphasis. These topics are optional themes in the IB Geography syllabus. Map reading, which also used to be the fundamental aspect of the study of Geography, has been left out of the new syllabus. With the advancement in technology such as Google maps and Google earth, Geographers have found map work less important part of the core course, with the emphasis now places on topics such as tourism, transport, agriculture, development, climate change, technology, resource management and issues of sustainability among others.

More importantly, the IB Geography syllabus also highlights the importance of globalization as an important dimension through which the world is becoming interconnected. These could take the form of trade, socio-cultural exchanges, technological globalization, political outcomes and the effect these may have on human societies. Equally important is the internal assessment component of the Geography syllabus. This gives the student inquiry skills necessary for undertaking research at the tertiary. Students choose of a topic that it geographically inclined and present a written report of about 2500 words.

In view of the above, Geography has become multidimensional, cross-cultural at a local, national, regional or international scale. It employs knowledge from various subjects such as economics (development economics), sociology, political science and agriculture to demonstrate the extent to which humans interact with one another and the environment.

E. Yambilla