Geography is the scientific study of the landscape, processes, and inhabitants of the Earth. The term was coined by an ancient Greek author named Eratosthenes, and since that time it has developed into an extremely broad field that connects the social sciences and physical sciences. Geography can be divided into two major subfields. Human geography deals with human societies and their relationship with the landscape, while physical geography deals with processes in the physical environment. Geographic study places particular emphasis upon spatial analysis such as cartography and geomantics; area studies; human interactions with the environment; and the Environmental and Earth sciences. Given the scope of Geographic study, it provides a gateway to a wide range of careers – from environmental consulting and resource extraction for physical geographers, to public policy and development for human geographers. It is particularly relevant to certain specialist fields, such as surveying, where spatial analysis is particularly important.
