Economic Geography is the most important branch of Human Geography that studies the economic

activities of man. Man is an active creature so the economic benefit is most important in whatever
he does.
Economic Geography deals with the primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary sectors of the
economy.

It includes the availability, and distribution of natural resources, productivity, and their role in
industrial development. This subject focuses on the role of geographic elements in the growth of the
Economy.
It also deals with the energy crisis, food and nutrition problems, and patterns of world trade.

NATURE OF ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY : Economic Geography deals with the primary, secondary,
tertiary, and quaternary sectors of the economy. It includes the availability, and distribution of
natural resources, productivity, and their role in industrial development. This subject focuses on the
role of geographic elements in the growth of the Economy. It also deals with the energy crisis, food
and nutrition problems, and patterns of world trade.

There is no unanimity in geographers, economists, anthropologist, scholars regarding the nature of

economic geography because the nature of economic geography varies, it’s totally depend on in
which field you are thinking.

The economic geography personified has a nature, just as any human being has a peculiar nature or
the psychological tendency. As says H.J. Mackinder, the geography is a science, arts and philosophy
by nature. So, it follows that "the economic geography" being a sub-discipline in the subject of the
geography is a science, arts and philosophy, too.
Economic geography is a science because it follows the scientific methods of the observation, the
collection of the data, the hypothesis, the theory and the model building ever open to the scientific
scrutiny in terms of the relationship among the variables under the study and the validity of such a
relationship.
Economic geography is an art, since it involves quite a subjective approach, too in terms of the
skillful organization of the field studies, the collection of the data, the map drawing and the
interpretation of the results.
Economic geography is a philosophy, too, in terms of ever trying to philosophize the questions of the
human beings and the environment relationship in the economic terms. It tries to frame the
postulations as to what, why, how and where an economic activity takes place in a particular corner
of the globe or the spatial point in the universe.
Economic geography is also a social science because it deals with the study of the use of a country’s
natural resources and their production and distribution.
Economic geography is sometimes approached as a branch of anthropogeography that focuses on
regional system of human economic activity.
So it clear maintained above the nature of economic geography is very difficult to say that it’s a
science, social science, arts, philosophy and anthropology also.
SCOPE OF ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY :

The scope or subject matter of economic geography is too broad because it is the study of the
distributional pattern of various of economic activities over the surface of the earth. It also study the
location and spatial organization of those economic activities.

Generally in simple words we study in economic geography economic activities, physio-cultural

factors influencing the location and distribution of economic activities, resources types and their
distribution, regional development and remedial measures.

So basically the scope means the subject matter of any discipline. So the subject matter of the
important branches of Economic geography as mention bellow:

1. Theoretical economic geography : This is the broadest of all the branches economic
geography and geographers within this subdivision mainly focus on building new theories for how
the world's economy is arranged.

2. Historical economic geography : This examines the history and development of spatial
economic structure using historical data. It studies how centers of population and economic activity
shift, what patterns of regional specialization and localization evolve over time and what factors
explain these changes. Economic geographers look at the historic development of an area to
understand their economies.

3. Regional economic geography : This aspect of economic geography looks at the economies
of specific regions around the world. Economic geographers look at local development as well as the
relationships that specific regions have with other areas.

4. Critical economic geography : Critical economic geography is an approach taken from the
point of view of contemporary critical geography and its philosophy. Geographers in this field study
economic inequalities and the dominance of one region over another and how that dominance
impacts development of economies.

5. Behavioral economic geography : This aspect of studies the cognitive processes underlying
spatial reasoning, locational decision-making, and behaviour of firms and individuals.

Additionally, some specific topics are also included in economic geography which are also related to
the economy, they include :

• Geography of Agriculture
• Geography of Industry
• Transport and Communication Geography
• Geography of Leisure and Tourism
• Geography of Services, Trade and Retail
• Geography of Resources
• Labour Geography
• Environmental and Development Geography
• Rural and Urban Geography (economic aspects) • Globalisation
 • Besides the above parameters we can also study the scope of economic geography by these
spatial parameters, they are given below :

Economic geography has enormous spatial scope which includes the following aspects;

1. Vertical Aspect :

The vertical aspects encompasses spatial locations from ocean bed to the mountain top and the
economic phenomena associated with them.

2. Horizontal Aspect : These are the two types of aspect, they are;

• Continental Scope : It studies economic terms and interactions of all continents/islands.

• Hemispheric Scope : The entire Earth may be studied in terms of Eastern, Western,
Northern, Southern Hemispheres.
• Global Scope : It has the global scope because of the variations in the level and the
interdependencies that exist in the international economic development. The whole Earth
has become a global system with the shrinking economic distance. So much that even a
person in the most remote geographical/economic areas of the world now participates in an
economic system that is less the local and the regional and more the national and the
international in the scope.

3. Economic Aspect : These are the major three types for study purpose;

• Production : All the kinds of economic activities primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary
are studied product.

• Exchange : It includes the value addition to each product, goods and services created by the
specialised services. It includes services provided at different levels of handling, including
packaging, promotion, financing and merchandising of the product.

• Consumption : The consumption includes both the pattern of consumption and the spatial
aspects of consumer behaviour.

So that is above detailed discussion of scope of economic geography, after the describing the nature
and scope of economic geography, now we come to the approaches to study economic geography.
Approaches of Economic Geography:

The nature of the geo economic problems is rather complex and varied.
1. Regional Approach
2. Systematic or Commodity Approach
3. Activity Approach
4. Principles Approach

1. Regional Approach
The regional approach in economic geography focuses on studying the economic conditions
and activities within specific regions or areas. This method examines how various factors like
resources, industries, and demographic characteristics interact within a region to influence its
economic development and spatial organization

2. Systematic or Commodity Approach

This approach provides a systematic description and interpretation of the world distribution
pattern of a commodity (wheat), or an industry (cotton textile industry), or a human
occupation (fishing). It analyses the whole sequence of their development, and catches them
on their march to progression or retrogression. This topical or commodity approach is very
popular. The systematic economic geography, if we choose this appellation, is the legitimate
child of this very conception.

3. Principle Approach
The principal approach in economic geography, also known as the principles approach, focuses
on understanding the fundamental principles that govern economic activities and their spatial
distribution. This approach emphasizes the underlying concepts and theories that explain why
economic activities are located where they are and how they interact with each other1.

4. Activity Approach
The activity approach in economic geography focuses on analyzing specific economic activities
and their spatial patterns. This approach examines how different activities, such as agriculture,
manufacturing, services, and trade, are distributed across regions and how they interact with
each other and the environment.
Conserving coal and petroleum is crucial because these fossil fuels are non-renewable
resources that take millions of years to form. Here are some effective strategies for their
conservation:
1. Switch to Renewable Energy: Utilize alternative energy sources like solar, wind, geothermal,
and hydropower1.
2. Improve Energy Efficiency: Use energy-efficient appliances and machinery to reduce overall
consumption.
3. Public Transportation and Carpooling: Reduce the use of personal vehicles by opting for
public transport or carpooling2.
4. Promote Electric Vehicles: Encourage the use of electric vehicles to decrease reliance on
petroleum-based fuels.
5. Regular Maintenance: Ensure regular maintenance of vehicles and machinery to improve fuel
efficiency.
6. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Adopt practices that minimize waste and promote recycling to
reduce the demand for new resources.
7. Educate and Raise Awareness: Inform people about the importance of conserving fossil fuels
and how they can contribute.
By implementing these measures, we can extend the lifespan of our coal and petroleum reserves and
mitigate environmental impacts3.