What is a geographic object? Geographical features: names

What is a geographic object? Is it possible to consider such a separately standing mountain, a seaport or a large city? A whole continent? Let's try to deal with this issue in our article.

What is a Geographic Object: Definition and Examples

Geography is a science that studies the earth's surface and everything that is on it. And there are a lot of things there: rivers and lakes, mountains and seas, agricultural lands and rocky canyons, towns and tiny villages ... It is these objects that give a unique, unique look to our planet.

So, what is a geographical object? This is a real and relatively stable element of the earth's surface. All geographical objects differ in integrity, in specific location and have their borders. At the same time, their genesis (origin) can be very diverse.

Science Geography, studying all these objects, first of all, is obliged to answer two main questions:

• Where is the object located?
• What does he look like?

The image of this or that geographical object is very important. At some of them it is formed extremely brightly. For example, when you mention the Roman Colosseum or the famous Egyptian pyramids, the corresponding "picture" immediately appears in your head.

Types of geographical objects

Based on the origin, all geographical objects can be divided into two large groups:

1. Natural (seas, oceans, mountain ranges, lakes, caves, woodlands, rocks, springs, etc.).
2. Anthropogenic or man-made (countries, cities, villages, industrial enterprises, monasteries, parks, ports, railway stations, etc.).

Any geographical object is accepted carefully and in detail to describe, defining its characteristic properties, and also to measure its parameters. For example, for mountain peaks determine their height, for rivers - length, for airports - passenger traffic, etc.

What is a geographic object? You can give one more definition - simple, but precise enough. Geographical objects are everything that can be designated on geographical maps and terrain plans. How can I do that?

Geographical features on the map

Various objects on maps and plans are displayed using special conventional symbols. It is a system of specially designed graphic symbols and figures that allows you to give a qualitative and quantitative description of certain objects or phenomena.

All cartographic symbols are divided into four types:

• Scale or area (contours of lakes, forest tracts, fields, etc.);
• Scale or point (power plants, mineral springs, Orthodox churches, etc.);
• Linear (rivers, canals, highways, boundaries of territories, etc.);
• Explanatory (various verbal and numerical inscriptions).

The relief on geographical maps is represented with the help of contours - thin brown lines connecting points of the earth's surface with the same height. Arrows and special signs of the movement show various natural or socio-economic phenomena, for example, the direction of sea transport.

Names of geographical objects

Each such object has its own "name". And, as a rule, it is not accidental. The name of a geographical object is usually associated with its features, location or history.

The study of the origin, meaning and development (change) of geographical names is handled by a separate science - toponymy. This scientific discipline is at the junction of geography, history and linguistics. The correct name of a geographical object is extremely important for cartographers.

There are a huge number of kinds of geographical names: hydronyms (names of rivers and lakes), oikonyms (names of populated areas), oronyms (names of relief forms), godonims (street names), etc.