Geography is the key, the crucial
accident of birth. A piece of protein
could be a snail, a sea lion, or a
systems analyst, but it had to start
somewhere. This is not science; it is
merely metaphor. And the landscape in
which the protein "starts" shapes its
end as surely as bowls shape water.
―
Annie Dillard, American author
The
popular impression of geography is all about
maps and a classroom version of world
traveling. Indeed, much of geography is
concerned with maps and places; but those
are only the foundation. Geography is really
about how location on the planet influences
what happens there.
Think about how "place" affects
how people live. Imagine someone you know
(maybe yourself) living in Miami,
Florida. Then imagine that same person
living in Omsk, Siberia.
Geography is also multidisciplinary. Can you
understand how the following disciplines can
be combined with onsider these examples:
- Sociology
- History
- Political Science
- Environmental Science
- Geology, Meteorology,
and Oceanography
So if you decide to explore geography with
us, you will see that maps are, indeed, an
important part of the work ... just only the
beginning. Geography can take you to a lot
of places, in both the physical and academic
realms.
Oh, and another thing: Modern
geography is no longer limited to studies of
this planet Earth. How about Lunar and
Martian geography? You can learn more about
that in the Career Bits section.
We don't want to leave you with the
impression that the study of maps, as such,
is trivial. It is not. The formal study of
maps is called cartography.
