Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
example, where the Brontë family lived, attracts many visitors,
but much of the attraction of the nearby Moors resides in the
fact that the fi ctional characters of Heathcliff and Catherine
Earnshaw walked there. Similarly, John Fowles imbued the Cobb
at Lyme Regis with new meaning after the fi lming of his topic
The French Lieutenant's Woman
. These examples illustrate the
diversity of the concept of place: it can be a precise measured
area on the ground, such as a fi eld or a forest, but it can also be a
subjective image or a well-defi ned location imbued with special
meaning. A football fi eld or other sporting venue can be regarded
in both ways: it is measurable and precisely defi ned, but it can
also be an iconic place, remembered as the scene of notable
achievement and constituting part of the cultural life of thousands
of people.
Environment
is the third core concept for geography. In its
most unambiguous interpretation, it is the natural environment,
but that environment is occupied by people and in that sense it
has a wider meaning. The environment, like place, encompasses
human perceptions and aspirations as well as the biophysical
characteristics that can be measured and monitored. The shape
of the Earth's surface and the processes enacted upon it, both
physical and human, are part of the essence of geography.
Similarly, the reciprocal relationship between the natural
environment and people always has been and remains a key
question. The emphases have changed over time, from early
ideas that suggested defi nitive environmentally determined
limitations on people, to greater awareness of the human
impact on the natural environment. Current issues of
sustainability, custodianship of the environment, protocols to
reduce holes in the ozone layer, and world summits to limit
the use of carbon fuels all belong to the imperative to understand
and manage this key relationship. Geographers would argue
that they alone focus on the holistic view and that this is a
view of increasing importance in a world where issues such as
environmental change and globalization are becoming pressing.
