| geography | Origin: F. Geographie, l. Geographia, fr. Gr., the earth + description, fr. To write, describe. See Graphic. 1. <study> The science which treats of the world and its inhabitants; a description of the earth, or a portion of the earth, including its structure, fetures, products, political divisions, and the people by whom it is inhabited. 2. A treatise on this science. Astronomical, or Mathematical, geography treats of the earth as a planet, of its shape, its size, its lines of latitude and longitude, its zones, and the phenomena due to to the earth's diurnal and annual motions. Physical geography treats of the conformation of the earth's surface, of the distribution of land and water, of minerals, plants, animals, etc, and applies the principles of physics to the explanation of the diversities of climate, productions, etc. Political geography treats of the different countries into which earth is divided with regard to political and social and institutions and conditions. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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