PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY
CLASSIFICATION OF SOIL
Several classifications of soil types exist. The zonal classification treated here is considered most appropriate at this level. The classification relates soil to the major climatic and vegetation zones of the world. The world’s major climatic belts have their distinctive…
MEANING OF LAND RECLAMATION
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, and also known as land fill (not to be confused with a landfill), is the process of creating new land from ocean, riverbeds, or lake beds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground…
SOIL EROSION AND DESERT ENCROACHMENT
Soil erosion is defined as the removal of the top layer of the soil through various agents like water and wind. Types of Soil Erosion There are two main types of soil erosion. These are: Soil Erosion Caused by…
CLASSIFICATION OF CLIMATE
Classification of climate is a conscious attempt at group different climates with similar characteristics together. This is because climate varies from place to place. The common systems of classification of climate include the Greeks and Koppen’s classifications. Greek System…
THE ROCKS OF THE EARTH
The earth’s crust consists of rocks. A rock is any mineral material of the earth. It may be a combination of different mineral elements such as silica which contains silicon and oxygen. All the rocks differ from one another in…
WEATHER AND CLIMATE
Weather is defined as the condition of the atmosphere of a place at a certain time over a short period. The weather of a place is always very brief and changes regularly e.g. the weather of today could be sunny,…
THE EARTH’S ROTATION AND REVOLUTION
The earth moves in space in two different ways. These are: Rotation Revolution ROTATION OF THE EARTH Rotation of the earth is defined as the movement of the earth round the sun on its axis. The earth moves or…
FACTS ABOUT WEATHERING
Weathering is defined as the gradual breaking down or disintegration of rocks by either physical (mechanical) or chemical process. FACTORS AFFECTING WEATHERING The following factors affect the weathering of rocks: Climate: Climatic elements like temperature and rainfall are the…
MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE OUTER AND INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF THE EARTH
The structure of the earth is grouped into two zones. These are the outer structure and the internal structure. THE OUTER STRUCTURE OF THE EARTH The outer structure of the earth is made up of four zones or layers.…
INTRODUCTION TO ELEMENTARY LAND SURVEYING
Land surveying is defined as the process by which measurement of land is made and then represent such measurement by tables, plans or layout for specific purposes. It can also mean the measuring and mapping out of the position, size…
GENERAL TEST QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (PART 3)
Differentiate between weather and climate Weather is the atmospheric condition of a place over a short period (days, weeks, hours, and month) but climate is the average condition of a place over a long period of time (35 years). Weather…
GENERAL TEST QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (PART 2)
Describe three main differences between Zeugens and Yardang In Zeugen, the hard and soft layers of rocks are arranged in horizontal bands while that of Yardangs are arranged in vertical bands. In Zeugen, there must be lines of fissure which…
CLEAN AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
Renewable energy is defined as any energy resource that is naturally regenerated over a short time scale and derived directly from the sun (such as thermal, photochemical, and photoelectric), indirectly from the sun (such as wind, hydropower, and photosynthetic energy…
GENERAL TEST QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (PART 1)
Distinguish between: Latitude and Longitude Lines of latitude run from west to east while lines of longitude run from north to south. Lines of latitude are parallel to each other while lines of longitude are not parallel to each other…
TEST QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON ROCK (PART 1)
Define the term sedimentary rock and describe any two processes of its formation Sedimentary rocks are rocks formed from sediments deposited either by water, wind or ice. These sediments are formed in layers or strata, one on top of the…
VULCANICITY OR VULCANISM
Vulcanicity is formed when molten rock or magma forces its way into planes of weakness or vent of the earth’s crust to escape quietly or explosively to the surface. The magma, while moving through the vent to the earth’s surface…
RAINFALL
Rainfall is defined as the release of excess condensed water vapour in the atmosphere into the earth. Rainfall is the most important form of precipitation. On maps, lines used to join places having the same average annual rainfall are called…
ACTION OF WAVES IN COASTLANDS
The action of wave as an important agent of erosion, transportation and deposition of materials is confined to the coast of seas and oceans. The rate of marine erosion depends on the nature of the rocks, the amount of rock…
ACTION OF GLACIERS IN TEMPERATE REGIONS
The action of glacier as an important agent of erosion, transportation and deposition of materials is confined to mountainous and temperate regions of the world. TERMS ASSOCIATED WITH GLACIERS Ice: This refers to solid form of water, resulting from…
ACTION OF WIND IN DESERTS
The action of wind is dominant in deserts and other semi-arid regions of the world. Deserts which are associated with aridity (dryness) are caused by low rainfall, high temperature, cold currents and high evaporation rate. About 1/5 of the world’s…
EFFECTS OF RUNNING WATER
Running water can be defined as the natural movement of water in a certain direction. Running water is one of the most important agents of denudation. Rivers are involved in erosion, transportation and deposition of materials. RIVER A river…
PLATEAUX
Plateaux are elevated upland. They have extensive flat or level surface which usually descends sharply to the surrounding lowland. It has gentle slopes and is often referred to as table lands because of their flat or level surface. Plateaux are…
WORLD VEGETATION
Vegetation is defined as an association or group of plants growing together in a particular habitat or environment. FACTORS AFFECTING VEGETATION Factors affecting vegetation can be grouped into four major categories. These are: CLIMATIC FACTORS High temperature with low…
WIND
Wind is defined as air in motion and it has speed and direction. In other words, wind is the horizontal flow or movement of air masses on the earth’s surface. Wind ranges from simple, light and comfort breeze to chaotic…
CLOUD COVER AND SUNSHINE
Clouds are tiny droplets of water vapor, suspended and floating in the air. Their forms, shape, heights and movements indicate the sky and weather conditions of a particular place. On maps, places with an equal degree of cloudiness are joined…
PRESSURE AND RELATIVE HUMIDITY
Pressure is defined as the force exerted on the earth’s surface and other objects by air, because air has weight. On maps, places having equal atmospheric pressure are joined together by lines called Isobars. FACTORS AFFECTING PRESSURE Altitude: When…
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
Pollution is the release of substances into the environment i.e. air, water or land in quantities or to the level that are harmful to man, animals and plants. The substances that cause pollution in the environment are called pollutants. …
ACTION OF UNDERGROUND WATER
Underground water is the water that sinks into the ground, that is, the water that enters the rocks. Water can enter a rock in two ways: Through the spaces called pore spaces separating the individual grains of rock. Through the…
PLAINS
A plain is an extensive area of level or gentle undulating land, usually a few metres above the sea-level. In this situation, height differences are small. Plains are certainly the most important and populous landforms because the world population lives…
KARST REGION
Karst region refers to large stretch of land occupied by limestone which possesses a unique type of topography. Limestone is a sedimentary rock of organic materials made of calcium carbonate. Karst landscapes develop where the bedrock is comprised of an…
OCEANS
The ocean occupies over 70 percent or 360 million square kilometers of the earth’s total area of 510 million square kilometers. The oceanographers often study the oceans, the ocean water and the movement of the water under the course of…
DENUDATION
Denudation is an erosive process of breaking and removing the rocks from the surface of the earth. It is the wearing away of the terrestrial land by weathering, erosion, moving water, ice waves. Denudation is the process by which the…
INTRODUCTION TO EARTHQUAKE
An earthquake is the rapid vibration of the earth created by a sudden movement of large sections of rock. An earthquake is a sudden motion or trembling in the earth caused by the abrupt release of slowly accumulated energy. An…
FIND OUT INFORMATION ABOUT CONTINENTAL LANDFORM
Landforms are defined as specific features that appear on the Earth’s surface. Some examples are mountains, plains, plateaus, valleys and hills. Oceans and continents illustrate the largest grouping of landforms. Landforms possess many different physical characteristics and are spread out throughout…
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT ROCKS
Earth’s crust is composed of rocks. Rock is a naturally occurring and coherent aggregate of one or more minerals. To geologists, a rock is a natural substance composed of solid crystals of different minerals that have been fused together into…
BASIC EXPLANATION OF LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE
On earth’s surface, locations are determined by the two reference lines known as latitude and longitude. In fact, these are the ‘geographical coordinates’ which are used by a pilot and the ship captain, to indicate the position on the map.…
LEARN ABOUT THE STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION OF THE EARTH
Isaac Newton was one of the first scientists to theorize about the structure of Earth. Based on his studies of the force of gravity, Newton calculated the average density of Earth and found it to be more than twice the…
IMPORTANT MOVEMENTS THAT AFFECTS THE EARTH
Earth is just the right distance from the Sun for its temperature to let water exist as a liquid, a solid, and a gas. The presence of water as a liquid on Earth’s surface throughout its long history also enabled…
FACTS ABOUT THE SHAPE AND SIZE OF THE EARTH
Earth, the third planet from the sun, is the fifth largest planet in the solar system. Earth is the largest of the terrestrial planets of the inner solar system, bigger than Mercury, Venus and Mars. Earth, with an average distance…
LEARN ABOUT OUR SOLAR SYSTEM
The solar system we call home is located in an outer spiral arm of the vast Milky Way galaxy. The Universe is a very big place, and we occupy a very small corner of it. Known as the Solar System,…
THE ORIGIN OF THE UNIVERSE
“Cosmos” is just another word for universe, and “cosmology” is the study of the origin, evolution and fate of the universe. Some of the best minds in history – both philosophers and scientists – have applied themselves to an understanding…
THE UNIVERSE
Introduction The universe is defined as everything that exists. The Universe is everything we can touch, feel, sense, measure or detect. It includes living things, planets, stars, galaxies, dust clouds, light, and even time. Before the birth of the Universe,…
DISCOVER A RANGE OF CAREERS IN GEOGRAPHY
Geography provides a broad and integrating background for careers requiring an understanding of peoples, places, and processes. An education in geography can range from the scientific and highly empirical to the humanistic and broadly interpretive. Geography prepares individuals for work…
HOW CAN WE STUDY THE EARTH AND THE FEATURES IN IT?
Geographers use many tools and techniques to learn about our world. Geographical tools are used by geographers during an inquiry to acquire, process and communicate geographical information. Some of these tools have a long history of use in the geographical…
THE RELEVANCE OF GEOGRAPHY FOR SCIENCE AND SOCIETY
Geography is both a natural science and social science; it forms an interdisciplinary bridge to be sure, individual geographers tend to emphasize different aspects of the spatial world. Some geographers focus in physical geography by devoting their study to such…
FIVE KEY THEMES THAT MAKE UP GEOGRAPHY
The Five Themes were developed by the National Council for Geographic Education to provide an organizing framework for the presentation of geographic materials. There are five main themes of geography: location, place, human-environment interaction, movement, and region. Collectively, these five…
WHY GEOGRAPHY IS IMPORTANT?
1. Cultural awareness Inevitably, anything concerning Geography and the Environment will involve human behavior, and the extent to which this behavior differs in regards to the environment. By studying the geography of a country, you can start to understand why…
HISTORY OF GEOGRAPHY
The first recorded use of the word geography was by Eratosthenes, a Greek scholar who lived from 276–194 BC who is credited with creating the discipline of geography. Geography is thought to have originated with the ancient Greeks. It was the…
THE MEANING OF GEOGRAPHY
The word ‘geography’ originates from two greek words. The first is ‘geo’ which means ‘the earth’ and the second Greek word is “graph” which means ‘to write about the Earth ’ or graphy comes from ‘graphein’, which means “description”. Therefore, Geography…
