1.1 Spatial Thinking in Geography

 

Downs and De Souza (2005) define Spatial thinking as the knowledge, skills, and habits of mind to use concepts of space, tools of representation (like maps and graphs), and processes of reasoning to organize and solve problems. Spatial thinking involves visualizing, interpreting, and reasoning using location, distance, direction, relationships, movement and change in space.

Geography is described as a spatial science because it focuses is on "where" things are and why they occur there. Geographers seek to answer all of the four basic questions. These relate to location, place, spatial pattern, and spatial interaction.

Geography studies the spatial variations of various objects and phenomenon; be it climate, terrain, settlements, population, resources, or economic activities. It tries to explain the nature and patterns of these spatial variations along with the reasons responsible behind these variations. The most important tool of a Geographer is a map. Maps helps us to visualize, interpret and solve problems. Map is the central way geographers organize and analyse information. Maps and other graphics are a powerful means of displaying and communicating geographic information and thus supporting spatial thinking. Patterns and relationships among objects can become apparent on a map in a way that supports spatial thinking and problem solving. We can conclude that Learning to think geographically is learning to think spatially.

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