Who is the father of geography? (2024)

Eratosthenes, the ancient Greek scholar is called the ‘father of geography. He was the first one to use the word geography and he also had a small-scale notion of the planet that helped him to determine the circumference of the earth.

About Eratosthenes:

  • Eratosthenes was multi-talented. He was a Greek mathematician, geographer, poet, astronomer, and music theorist
  • He calculated the circumference of the Earth without leaving place Egypt
  • In his three-volume work Geography he described and mapped the entire world known to him, without even dividing the Earth into five climate zones which are given below:

Two freezing zones around the poles, two temperate zones, and a zone encompassing the equator and the tropics

  • He was a man of learning and exploring, becoming the chief librarian at the Library of Alexandria
  • He invented the discipline of geography, including the terminology used today

Who is the father of geography? (2024)

FAQs

Who is the father of geography? ›

Eratosthenes, the ancient Greek scholar is called the 'father of geography. He was the first one to use the word geography and he also had a small-scale notion of the planet that helped him to determine the circumference of the earth. About Eratosthenes: Eratosthenes was multi-talented.

Who is the real father of geography? ›

The ancient Greek scholar Eratosthenes is commonly called the "father of geography" for he was the first to use the word geography and he had a small-scale notion of the planet that led him to be able to determine the circumference of the earth.

Who is the father founder of modern geography? ›

Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) was a Prussian polymath who made groundbreaking contributions across various fields of natural science and is acknowledged as the Father of Modern Geography.

Why is Hecataeus called the father of geography? ›

Hecateaus gave a detailed account of the Mediterranean Sea, islands, straits, and described the general outline of all the countries of the world. It is the first systemic description of the world and because of this fact Hecataeus is known as the 'father of geography'.

Is Aristotle the father of geography? ›

Note: Since the scholars mentioned here are all notable ones, there might be a confusion regarding Aristotle being the father of Geography as he had an expertise on various subjects. However, Aristotle studied geography as a part of Science whereas Eratosthenes made it a new subject to study.

Who is the father of human geography? ›

Who is the Father of Human Geography? Ans. Carl Ritter is the Father of Human Geography.

Who is the most famous geographer? ›

David Harvey (born 1935), world's most cited academic geographer and winner of the Lauréat Prix International de Géographie Vautrin Lud, also noted for his work in critical geography and critique of global capitalism.

Who is the father of American geography? ›

William Morris Davis (February 12, 1850 – February 5, 1934) was an American geographer, geologist, geomorphologist, and meteorologist, often called the "father of American geography".

Who is the father of urban geography? ›

Urban Geography is a new branch of geography which developed 20th century for the first time, Mr. Karl Massert had given the outline of Urban Geography in 1907.

Who discovered modern geography? ›

Carl Ritter (August 7, 1779 – September 28, 1859) was a German geographer. Along with Alexander von Humboldt, he is considered one of the founders of modern geography.

Who is the god of geography? ›

Hecataeus is the first known Greek historian and was one of the first classical writers to mention the Celtic and Illyrian peoples. He is known as the "Father of Geography".

Who first named geography? ›

The first recorded use of the word geography was by Eratosthenes, a Greek scholar who lived from 276–to 194 BC and is credited with creating the discipline of geography. The word 'geography' originates from two Greek words.

Who is known as the father of History? ›

Herodotus is traditionally regarded as the father of history. because he was the first historian to collect and systematically document events and create an account. He compiled these accounts into his single major work known as The Histories.

Who is the actual father of geography? ›

Eratosthenes, the ancient Greek scholar is called the 'father of geography. He was the first one to use the word geography and he also had a small-scale notion of the planet that helped him to determine the circumference of the earth.

Who first measured the earth? ›

This illustration shows how Eratosthenes actually calculated the circumference of the Earth. At noon on the summer solstice, Eratosthenes measured the length of the shadow cast by a column of known height at Alexandria.

What is Aristotle's famous quote? ›

Education is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.” ~ Aristotle “All knowledge should be subject to examination and reason.” ~Aristotle “Man is a political being.” ~Aristotle “We are what we do repeatedly. Separate him from law and justice and he is the worst.”

Who is known as the father of history? ›

Herodotus has been called the “father of history.” An engaging narrator with a deep interest in the customs of the people he described, he remains the leading source of original historical information not only for Greece between 550 and 479 BCE but also for much of western Asia and Egypt at that time.

Was Eratosthenes real? ›

Eratosthenes (born c. 276 bce, Cyrene, Libya—died c. 194 bce, Alexandria, Egypt) was a Greek scientific writer, astronomer, and poet, who made the first measurement of the size of Earth for which any details are known.

Who is the father of regional geography? ›

Regional geography emerged in the first half of the 20th century by Hartshorne (1939), the father of regional geography.

Who is the father of geography Ptolemy? ›

Ptolemy. Hint:The word geography was first used by an astronomer and mathematician from ancient Greece known as Eratosthenes of Cyrene. He was also successful in creating a highly accurate map of the world. Complete answer:Eratosthenes is known as the father of geography.

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