Geography, which literally means "the description of the Earth", studies the world in spatial perspective. That is, where things are located and how they are distributed are the starting points. Geographers then look for answers to why those features are located or distributed as they are and what impact that location or distribution has on other factors. They seek to understand the relationships among features that occur together.
Geographers may divide their study by topic. Phiscal geography focuses on the physical and biological environment, such as landforms, climate, plants, animals, soils, and water features.
Human geography exmaines people's activities, such as culture, economics, history, urban systems, and politics. Human-environmental interactions are especially important to geographers who specialize in environmental studies .
Maps are the oldest tool of geographers; the art and science of making maps is cartography . Today, mapmaking is aided by remote sensing from airplanes and spacecraft. The application of computers to processing geographical information is the field of Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
Besides dividing information about the world by topic, geographers also study regions , which are specific portions of the earth's surface. Regional geographers describe how various aspects of life interact and give the region its unique characteristics.
The Department of Geography at St. Cloud State University is one of the three oldest programs on campus. It represents all geographical specialities, with expertise in GIS, travel and tourism, land surveying, and human, physical, and regional geography. With 11 faculty members , it is the largest in Central Minnesota . It offers five undergraduate degree programs, an M.S. program, and a graduate certificate in GIS.
