The History of Geographical Thought

Description: This quiz will test your knowledge of the history of geographical thought, from ancient times to the present day.
Number of Questions: 10
Created by:
Tags: geography history cartography
Attempted 0/10 Correct 0 Score 0

Who is considered the father of geography?

  1. Aristotle

  2. Eratosthenes

  3. Ptolemy

  4. Strabo


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Eratosthenes was a Greek mathematician, geographer, and astronomer who lived in the 3rd century BC. He is best known for his calculation of the Earth's circumference, which was remarkably accurate for its time.

What was the name of the ancient Greek map of the world?

  1. The Anaximander Map

  2. The Hecataeus Map

  3. The Herodotus Map

  4. The Ptolemy Map


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The Anaximander Map was the first known map of the world, created by the Greek philosopher Anaximander in the 6th century BC. It depicted the Earth as a flat disk surrounded by the ocean.

Which ancient Greek philosopher proposed that the Earth was spherical?

  1. Aristotle

  2. Plato

  3. Pythagoras

  4. Socrates


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

Pythagoras was a Greek philosopher and mathematician who lived in the 6th century BC. He is best known for his Pythagorean theorem, but he also proposed that the Earth was spherical, an idea that was later adopted by other Greek philosophers.

What was the name of the book written by Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD that had a profound influence on the development of geography?

  1. The Almagest

  2. The Geography

  3. The Natural History

  4. The Principia


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

The Geography was a book written by the Greek mathematician and astronomer Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD. It was a comprehensive treatise on geography that included maps, descriptions of different regions of the world, and a discussion of the Earth's shape and size.

Which Arab geographer wrote a book in the 10th century AD that described the countries and peoples of the world?

  1. Al-Biruni

  2. Al-Idrisi

  3. Ibn Battuta

  4. Ibn Khaldun


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Al-Idrisi was an Arab geographer who lived in the 12th century AD. He is best known for his book, The Book of Roger, which was a comprehensive treatise on geography that included maps, descriptions of different regions of the world, and a discussion of the Earth's shape and size.

Who was the first European to circumnavigate the globe?

  1. Christopher Columbus

  2. Ferdinand Magellan

  3. Vasco da Gama

  4. John Cabot


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer who led the first expedition to circumnavigate the globe. He set sail from Spain in 1519 with five ships, and after a long and difficult journey, he reached the Philippines in 1521. He was killed in a battle with the natives, but his ship, the Victoria, completed the circumnavigation of the globe in 1522.

Which German geographer developed the concept of the five major landmasses, or continents, in the 18th century?

  1. Alexander von Humboldt

  2. Carl Ritter

  3. Friedrich Ratzel

  4. Immanuel Kant


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Alexander von Humboldt was a German geographer, naturalist, and explorer who lived in the 18th and 19th centuries. He is best known for his book, Cosmos, which was a comprehensive treatise on the physical world. He also developed the concept of the five major landmasses, or continents, which is still used today.

Who was the first person to propose the theory of continental drift in the early 20th century?

  1. Alfred Wegener

  2. Charles Darwin

  3. James Hutton

  4. Thomas Malthus


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Alfred Wegener was a German meteorologist and geophysicist who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is best known for his theory of continental drift, which proposed that the continents had once been joined together and had drifted apart over time. His theory was initially rejected by most scientists, but it was later confirmed by the discovery of plate tectonics.

What is the name of the theory that explains the movement of the Earth's tectonic plates?

  1. Continental drift

  2. Plate tectonics

  3. Seafloor spreading

  4. Subduction


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Plate tectonics is the theory that explains the movement of the Earth's tectonic plates. It states that the Earth's lithosphere, which is the rigid outermost layer of the Earth, is divided into a number of tectonic plates that move around the Earth's surface. The movement of these plates is driven by convection currents in the Earth's mantle, which is the layer of rock beneath the lithosphere.

Which modern geographer is known for his work on the relationship between humans and their environment?

  1. David Harvey

  2. Jared Diamond

  3. Neil Smith

  4. Yi-Fu Tuan


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Jared Diamond is an American geographer, biologist, and author who is known for his work on the relationship between humans and their environment. He is best known for his book, Guns, Germs, and Steel, which argues that the development of different civilizations was influenced by environmental factors.

- Hide questions