对于地理学,曾有不少地理学者下过定义,但是至今还没有一个定义为大家所公认。这是因为地理学所研究的是非常复杂的现象,其复杂程度远远超过其它学科,因此,不是简短的定义所能表达的。又因为每个地理学者在研究地理学的时候,只能研究某些方面,各有所偏重,见解也就有所不同。因此,与其从定义出发,不如就有关地理学性质的几个问题进行讨论,也许更有意义。

The author attempts to answer the question raised by some students of geography,“what is geography”.Instead of giving a definition,the author begins with a discussion on the characteristics of geography.They are:1)Surface of ithe earth as the object of geographical stndy,2)the earth as the stage of human activities and the concept of noosphere,3)geography as an interdeciphinary science, 4)the concept of region and regional geography,5)synthesis in the study of geography,6)times and geography,7)purpose of the study of geography. The second part discusses the different schools and theories of geographical thought,following the themes suggested by P.Haggett(Loeational Analysis in Humon Geography,1965)They are:the traditional view of areal differentiation,the landscape school,the ecological school,the locafional school and set theory. The third part is a review on recent trends of geograpy,including:1)the rise of applied geography,2)synthesis versus analysis,3)from individual to collective efforts,4)application of new techniques. The paper ended with a review on the system of geography as proposed by H. Uhlig in“Organization and system of Geography”(Geoforum 1,1970).