--- title: Introduction to Geography description: This foundational course introduces the core concepts of both physical and human geography. Learners will understand spatial thinking, map reading, and the basic relationships between human societies and their physical environments. category: humanities subcategory: geography difficulty: beginner, intermediate, advanced url: /subject/introduction-to-geography --- # Introduction to Geography This foundational course introduces the core concepts of both physical and human geography. Learners will understand spatial thinking, map reading, and the basic relationships between human societies and their physical environments. ## Available Resources 2 Books • 2 Courses • 6 Websites ## Websites ### 1. Visible Earth (NASA) NASA's catalog of satellite images, animations, and data visualizations of Earth, searchable by topic and by the instrument that captured them. Each entry carries a caption explaining the phenomenon shown and the sensor and date involved. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://visibleearth.nasa.gov/ **Tags:** remote-sensing, satellite-imagery, earth-science, nasa, physical-geography ### 2. Geography Realm Caitlin Dempsey's long-running geography publication, formerly GIS Lounge, carries articles on physical and human geography, cartography, and GIS, plus map explainers drawing on USGS, NOAA, and Census data. Useful for background reading on specific geographic concepts. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.geographyrealm.com/ **Tags:** physical-geography, human-geography, cartography, gis, maps ### 3. National Geographic Education The National Geographic Society's classroom portal, with encyclopedia entries, lesson plans, maps, and activities spanning physical geography, ecosystems, and human systems. Learners get grade-tagged explanations of core concepts and can trace a topic through linked reference articles. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://education.nationalgeographic.org/ **Tags:** geography-education, lesson-plans, maps, physical-geography, human-geography ### 4. aag.org AAG.org is the official site of the American Association of Geographers, a professional organization for geographers. It provides teaching resources, scholarly journals and publications, career and conference information, and geography news and education tools. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://aag.org **Tags:** websites, humanities-social-sciences, geography ### 5. nationalgeographic.org/education National Geographic Education offers free, standards-aligned K-12 science and geography resources for teachers and students, including lesson plans, activities, maps, videos, and interactive materials that explore Earth science, ecosystems, and conservation. It provides classroom-ready content and professional development to support Earth science learning. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://nationalgeographic.org/education **Tags:** websites, science-research, earth-science ### 6. rgs.org rgs.org is the official site of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG). It provides education resources, news, journals, grants, and events related to geography, including teaching materials for students and opportunities to engage with the geography community. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://rgs.org **Tags:** websites, humanities-social-sciences, geography ## Courses ### 1. Crash Course Geography A fifty-episode video series hosted by Alize Carrere. The first half covers physical geography, including maps and projections, climate, landforms, and water; the second half covers human and cultural geography, migration, agriculture, and urbanization. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHYle-zVlShiFvDAqcWDjVtmQLYwmiT33 **Tags:** physical-geography, human-geography, cartography, climate, urbanization ### 2. Fundamentals of GIS Explore the world of spatial analysis and cartography with geographic information systems (GIS). In this class you will learn the basics of the industry’s leading software tool, ArcGIS, during four week-long modules: Week 1: Learn how GIS grew from paper maps to the globally integrated electronic software packages of today. You will install ArcGIS on your computer and learn how to use online help to answer technical questions. Week 2: Open up ArcGIS and explore data using ArcMap. Learn the foundational concepts of GIS, how to analyze data, and make your first map. Week 3: Make your own maps! Symbolize data and create an eye-catching final product. Week 4: Share your data and maps and learn to store and organize your data. Take Fundamentals of GIS as a standalone course or as part of the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialization. By completing the first class in the Specialization you will gain the skills needed to succeed in the full program. Students who need an ArcGIS license will receive a non-commercial, 1 year student license for participation in this course and specialization. **Difficulty:** Beginner | **Language:** English | **Duration:** 4 weeks of study, 3-5 hours/week | **Price:** Free **Link:** https://www.coursera.org/learn/gis **Tags:** courses, humanities-social-sciences, geography ## Books ### 1. Why Geography Matters **Author:** Harm J. de Blij De Blij argues that geographic illiteracy weakens American policy, working through climate change, China's rise, and terrorism as cases. Readers finish with a sense of how physical geography and regional context constrain political and economic decisions. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid **Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/0195315820?tag=edmonddante07-20 **Tags:** books, humanities-social-sciences, geography ### 2. Introduction to Geography **Author:** Arthur Getis, Judith Getis, and Jerome D. Fellmann A standard undergraduate survey textbook built around the four traditions of geography: earth science, cultural, locational analysis, and area studies. Chapters develop map reading, landform and climate basics, population and cultural geography, economic geography, and human environmental impact. **Difficulty:** Intermediate | **Language:** English | **Price:** Paid **Link:** https://www.amazon.com/dp/069713279X?tag=edmonddante07-20 **Tags:** books, humanities-social-sciences, geography --- *This content is part of Dantes.io - Your Treasure Map to Knowledge* *Curated by humans at Dantes.io. Personal study use welcome; republishing this curation requires permission (team@dantes.io).* View this page online: https://dantes.io/subject/introduction-to-geography