Why is geography important?
Posted on 10. Mar, 2010 by Iwind in Travel and Culture
As a subject taught in school, geography is often interpreted as being difficult or demanding and its value is often underestimated. However, if we further delve into the application of geography, it becomes clear that geography is a stepping stone towards understanding many important aspects that govern our lives. Some of the crucial aspects of geography are discussed in this article.
Why is geography important in understanding politics?
The political environment that defines the quality of our lives is deeply affected by the geographical make-up of a nation and its neighboring entities. The seemingly unreasonable actions of many warring nations are often dictated by certain geographical limitations or issues that create a difference of opinions, such as sharing of common water resources. Presence or absence of geographical boundaries is responsible for making many nations either vulnerable or immune to siege by neighboring nations.
The resulting, peaceful or troubled history of a nation due to such geographical reasons in turn, dictates the overall orientation of its political policies, i.e. whether they are liberal or conservative in their approach or if their international political approach is that of befriending other nations or being extremely wary of making a commitment. Some of the most crucial political policies such as the expenditure on defence resources and budgetary allocation for protection against damaging weather patterns are indirectly influenced by the geographical patterns associated with a region.
Why is geography important in shaping society?
Geographic borders often create natural boundaries within a nation itself which eventually leads to demarcating various sections of society. As a result, the economic and social habits of every social group limited by its geographical boundaries are separate from the neighboring one. Societies that have thrived in kind and progressive geographical terrains have conventionally flourished and those that have inhibited geographically-challenging domains have developed a more aggressive method of sustenance since their access to natural resources is limited. Further, customs such as traditional clothing are often defined by the kind of weather patterns that are found in a region.
Geographical patterns also dictate the food habits and the general appearance of many communities. The degree of government funding allocated to the society’s economic development is often limited by the kind of spending that is needed to sustain basic needs such as water and basic food resources. This is why nations with more yielding, fertile lands and helpful climatic patterns have been able to sustain their economic progress while those in tougher, arid regions have had to compromise on socio-economic spending just to sustain basic means of livelihood.
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