Physical systems

The geography focusing on Earth's physical systems is often known as physical geography. Physical systems are "[p]hysical processes [that] shape Earth's surface and interact with plant and animal life to create, sustain, and modify ecosystems" (Propel, n.d., par. 1). Physical geography examines systems such as the lithosphere (landforms), hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere, and encompasses such disciplines as glaciology (the study of glaciers), hydrology, climatology, and meteorology.

These World Geography flashcards provide a refresher on vocabulary related to physical systems.

http://quizlet.com/2676952/world-geography-physical-systems-part-1-flash-cards/

Human systems

How do humans impact one another in terms of population growth and human settlement? How does location affect culture and politics? Why have networks of economic interdependence occurred in particular places? How has cooperation or conflict among peoples influenced control of territories and regions, as well as the distribution of natural resources? Human geography is the branch of geography devoted to answering these and similar questions. Subsets of the discipline of human geography include economic geography (http://debitage.net/humangeography/economic.html), political geography (http://debitage.net/humangeography/political.html), and urban geography (http://debitage.net/humangeography/urban.html). Human geography also comprises the study of colonialism (http://debitage.net/humangeography/colonialism.html).