Physical or natural geography?

Abstract

The paper considers the necessity and possibility of replacing the course «Physical Geography of Ukraine» with the course «Natural Geography of Ukraine» at higher educational establishments of Ukraine. It is noted that the course «Physical Geography of Ukraine» does not meet modern requirements to education of students-geographers at the «Bachelor» level, since it deals only with the natural environment of Ukraine without its radical anthropogenic changes. Three sections devoted to physical, historical and anthropogenic geography are proposed in the course «Natural Geography of Ukraine». Natural geography is a science that consistently recognizes the geocomponent nature of the Earth or its individual regions from their natural conditions through the history of economic to modern human development. Hence, in addition to natural geocomponents, the subject of natural geography study is the history and features of human economic use of natural resources, as well as the present state of the geocomponents of nature both as separate regions, and the Earth as a whole. The structure of natural geography is much more complex than physical geography. Physical geography is a component of natural science. In addition to it, natural geography combines historical and anthropogenic geography. They are closely interconnected and complement each other. However, physical geography has a special status. It represents the «natural» basis of natural geography and studies the unchanged human components. The history of their economic development and the formation of modern features are considered by historical geography. Anthropogenic geography examines the issues of human influence on the incomplete nature, its separate components. Physical, historical and anthropogenic geographies have their objects and methods of research. Each of these geographies is studied within one semester and at the end of the course the students proceed to study the course «Landscape Geography of Ukraine», which also includes three parts: natural (classical), historical and anthropogenic landscape studies. Fundamental Bachelor Courses: «Anthropogenic Geography of Ukraine» and «Landscape Geography of Ukraine» will be the basis of Master’s courses «Constructive Geography of Ukraine» and «Constructive Landscape Science of Ukraine».