Elements of human Geography

Jean Brunhes elaborated Blache’s ideas on human geography and possibilism, and diffused the Vidalian tradition to other countries through his major work titled ‘GeographieHumaine: essai de classification positive’ (1910). This work sought to give the geography of Man a clear disciplinary basis with the identification of following scope or elements of human geography. 

(i) On the Basis of Evolution of Civilization:

(a) Geography of the First Vital Necessity – this category included three primary needs – food, cloth and shelter which are basic needs of all persons irrespective of time and place;

(b) Geography of the Earth’s Exploitation – this category included the human activities and efforts in which human beings satisfy their needs based on exploitation of natural resources;

(c) Geography of Social and Economic Needs – in the social category Brunhes included interdependence, cooperation, division of labour and civic system and other diverse social aspects. In economic needs production, consumption, exchange and distribution were included.

(d) Political and Historical Needs – this category included description of political and historical events in relation to geographical facts. 

(ii) On the basis of Positive Classification or ‘essential facts of geography’: 

He grouped essential facts of human geography into three categories: 

(a) Facts of unproductive occupation of the soil – houses and roads (including rural habitations, urban agglomerations, and circulation patterns).

(b) Facts of plant and animal conquest – the cultivation of plants and the raising of animals. 

(c) Facts of destructive exploitation – plant and animal devastation, mineral exploitation. He termed it as ‘economic plunder’ or ‘robber economy’.

Further, Brunhes himself admitted that the study of human geography is not confined to these three sets of observable phenomena but is an area of wider study which can be described as ‘geography of history’. It includes the following five major aspects – 

(i) distribution of population, 

(ii) economic geography, 

(iii) geography of political groupings, 

(iv) social geography and finally a synthesis of all essential facts as 

(v) regional geography.

According to Huntington-

A. Physical or Natural Conditions: Earth as a Globe, Landforms, Water bodies, Soil and Minerals, Climate. 

B. Cultural or human conditions (food, cloth, shelter, equipment, means of transport, hunting, fishing, agriculture, mining, construction, trade, health, cultural element, religion, education, arts, literature, science, govt., entertainment etc.)

V.C.Finch and G.T.Trewartha (1957) have classified all the elements of human geography in three groups.