ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY: HISTORY, OBJECT OF STUDY, AUXILIARY SCIENCES - GEOGRAPHY - 2024

The economic geography focuses on the study of economic activities taking into account their location, organization and distribution. It analyzes the organization of society in terms of production and includes the study of the laws and principles that govern its distribution. It is one of the most relevant disciplines derived from human geography.

Within economic geography there are also a variety of study aspects that are related to the activities that are carried out in any economic or production process. For example, one can speak of the geography of agriculture, the geography of transport and the geography of services.

Economic geography locates the economic activities of a territory

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The studies of this discipline can be done locally and globally, ranging from small areas such as cities, to relations between countries or continents. Economic geography can also be influenced by other aspects such as culture, since this can influence economic activities. In many advanced countries, market preferences are defined by culture.

For example, what people select when it comes to eating or dressing has a lot to do with what culturally becomes a necessity, responding to things like trends or fashions.

Changes in the economy from the twentieth century to the present have expanded the discipline to what is known as "the new economic geography" that takes into account the new economic structures or models that have ceased to be supported by the industrial economy and have put focus on technology-related activities.

Object of study

Economic geography emphasizes the economic activities of a region or country and analyzes its location and nature. This includes the study of spatial distribution and patterns that are manifested in terms of the use of resources. An example is the use of land.

Among other things, the relationship between supply and demand is also a data of interest within this approach to geography. At the spatial level, it is responsible for locating and recognizing the characteristics of the production areas and seeing how they relate in a space-time sense with consumers.

These relationships have to do with the market and trade from national, international and global perspectives. Each zone, be it city, country or region has particular economic processes.

Economic geography has different approaches depending on the situation that arises. It can focus on objectives such as the location of industries, the economics of urban areas, commercial transport, globalization, international trade, and even the relationship between the environment and the economy.

In this way, it can be said that economic geography encompasses the study of all the events that occur within the economy in a dimension of space and territory.

History

Since the European explorations, economic activities have been one of the big data within cartography. Many of the maps were made detailing the areas with resources such as gold, spices and other important materials. These maps contributed to the emergence of new economic activities.

However, it was at the end of the 19th century that the term "economic geography" began to be used. The first book that dealt officially with the subject was published by the British George Chisholm in 1889.

Germany, for its part, figures as one of the places of origin of economic geography, among other things, due to the development of descriptive statistics that can be classified as a precursor of science.

Beyond this, in the twentieth century, after the Second World War, it was when interest in geography in general increased and all the economic changes generated served as an impetus for the establishment of the discipline.

With respect to the new economic geography, it is based on the most recent economic structures that have put aside the industrial characteristic and have made technology a factor of great influence for the economy.

Approaches to economic geography

Since its establishment as a subdiscipline, economic geography has developed various approaches due to the changes that are generated in the economy over time, as well as the approaches to philosophy and ideology. In a way, the aspects to be studied have been broadened and the points of analysis increased.

Traditional approach

Study the relationship of societies with various economic systems. It emphasizes identifying the structure and the way in which economic activities are organized. The different types of production are taken into account, for example, the agricultural, mining or energy sector. Locate business activities, transportation and communication processes.

Spatial economic approach

It deals with issues related to goods and services, taking into account their distribution, flow and mobility. Locate industries and services. It pays attention to market mechanisms at the level of structure, location, evolution, and also studies macroeconomics and how it is structured within space.

Local focus

It includes much of the traditional and economic spatial approach, but also works on the development and planning of urban areas. Makes territorial and regional analysis.

Auxiliary Sciences

Historical economic geography

It is in charge of studying and analyzing the history and development of the economy. It pays attention to the evolution processes, the economic activity centers and how they move, using historical data as the main resource.

Industrial geography

It is known as a branch of economic geography for the spatial study of secondary activities that have to do with manufacturing or industrial production. It focuses on the analysis of industries and their effects on the geographic landscape. Establish industrial landscapes and explain their relationship with the environment and social groups.

For the industrial location process, natural resources, energy sources, means of transport and communication routes, industrial concentrations and other factors that characterize areas of this type of production are taken into account.

Geography of agriculture

This subdiscipline focuses on understanding the relationship between human groups and agriculture. It is in charge of investigating how primary activities transform the earth's surface at the hands of humans. Within agriculture, patterns and ways of interacting with the landscape can also be identified that vary depending on the culture, economic structure, politics and other factors of society.

Transport geography

It focuses on studying matters concerning the mobilization of people, information and cargo, paying attention to issues related to the origin, destination and purposes of the mobilizations. Transport is considered one of the elements that allow us to understand the spatial order within geography, in a relationship in which they complement each other.

Elements related to transport such as infrastructures, communication routes and terminals, play an important role on the terrestrial space. Part of the importance of transport for geography lies in the fact that this is one of the physical supports of human interaction.

Concepts related to economic geography

Territory

In geography, it is known as "territory" to a space defined in a political and administrative way by a human group. Within this form of organization of a people and its government, aspects such as the soil, the subsoil, the air spaces and the corresponding maritime zones are included.

Region

To define a region, the following characteristics are taken into account: it is a usually homogeneous space in which various components interrelate that allow it to differentiate itself from other spaces.

The study of the regions can be extended depending on how many areas are selected at the time of the study. They can be divided into economic, cultural, natural, linguistic and other regions, depending on the particular characteristics that are put into focus of study.

Geographical space

It is a space that is perceived socially in its construction and experience. It is constantly transformed by the relationships between the elements that compose it. Within the components of a geographic space are:

- Nature, which has to do with vegetation, relief, fauna, climate and more

- The social components, which speak about the distribution of the population and its mobility

- Culture, which establishes the way of life, traditions and intervenes in the behavior of social groups

- Economic factors, such as commercial spaces, resources, services, levels of equality or inequality

- The politics that have to do with the territory and governmental, national and international relations.

Economic activities

Agriculture is one of the activities studied within economic geography

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Within geography, any procedure that generates products, goods or services is known as “economic activities”. They are those activities that have the ability to generate wealth within a territory. Usually, these activities are carried out through the extraction, transformation and subsequent distribution of natural resources in the form of goods or services.

All economic activities support a relationship in which production depends on consumption, so market behavior is relevant within the study of these. Hence, it is convenient to add to the study the three phases known as production, distribution and consumption.

References

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