Class 12 Geography Chapter 1 Question Answers | Human Geography Nature And Scope Most Important Question Answer

This article will provide you with Class 12 Geography Chapter 1 Question Answers of the Fundamentals of Human Geography book. Read the whole article; it will help you to complete your preparation and stay ahead of other students.

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Short Answer Type Class 12 Geography Chapter 1 Question Answers

Here I will provide Short Answer Type Class 12 Geography Chapter 1 Question Answers. You can use it to study for your upcoming exams and your board exams. All the questions and answers are from Chapter 1 of Class 12 Geography.

Here are 7 important 3-marker questions from Chapter 1: Human Geography – Nature and Scope, along with their answers.

Q1. Define Human Geography according to any two scholars.
Answer:

Friedrich Ratzel: “Human geography is the synthetic study of the relationship between human societies and earth’s surface.”
Ellen C. Semple: “Human geography is the study of the changing relationship between the unresting man and the unstable earth.”

Q2. Differentiate between Environmental Determinism and Possibilism.
Answer:

Environmental Determinism: Nature is a dominant force; humans adapt and are controlled by it (e.g., primitive societies).
Possibilism: Nature provides opportunities, but humans use technology and creativity to modify and utilise them.

Q3. What is Neodeterminism? Who introduced it?
Answer:

Neodeterminism, or “stop and go determinism,” is a balanced view between environmental determinism and possibilism, allowing development within environmental limits.
Introduced by Griffith Taylor.

Q4. Mention any three sub-fields of Human Geography and their related sister disciplines.
Answer:

Medical Geography – Epidemiology.
Gender Geography – Sociology, Anthropology, Women’s Studies.
Electoral Geography – Psephology.

Q5. Explain the term “Humanisation of Nature” with an example.
Answer:

It refers to the process where humans modify nature using technology, leaving imprints of their activities (e.g., urban cities, ports, agricultural fields).
Example: Building of glass-domed structures in cold climates to grow plants.

Q6. State three main approaches in Human Geography during the colonial period.
Answer:

Exploration and description (early colonial period).
Regional analysis (later colonial period).
Areal differentiation (inter-war period).

Q7. Mention three characteristics of the Behavioural school of thought in Human Geography.
Answer:

Focus on lived experiences of people.
Emphasis on perception of space by social categories like race, ethnicity, religion.
Aimed to understand how human decisions are influenced by cultural and psychological factors.

CHECK OUT – CLASS 12 HISTORY CHAPTER 1 IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

Long Answer Type Class 12 Geography Chapter 1 Question Answers

In this section, you will get Short Answer Type Class 12 Geography Chapter 1 Question Answers. It will be very helpful if you are looking for long-answer type questions of Class 12 Geography.

Here are 5 important 5-marker questions from Chapter 1: Human Geography – Nature and Scope, along with their answers.

Q1. Explain the three different schools of thought in Human Geography.
Answer:

Environmental Determinism:
- Nature is powerful; human activities are controlled by the environment.
- Example: Primitive societies depending on hunting and gathering.
Possibilism:
- Nature provides opportunities, but humans use technology to utilise them.
- Example: Irrigation in desert areas.
Neodeterminism:
- Balanced approach — development is possible within limits set by nature (“stop and go” approach).
- Example: Controlled mining to avoid environmental damage.

Q2. Discuss the main approaches to the study of Human Geography during different historical periods.
Answer:

Early Colonial Period: Exploration and description — mapping unknown areas.
Later Colonial Period: Regional analysis — studying regions in detail.
1930s: Areal differentiation — identifying uniqueness of each region.
1950s–60s: Spatial organisation — use of statistical and mathematical models.
1970s: Emergence of humanistic, radical, and behavioural schools of thought.

Q3. What are the sub-fields of Human Geography? Give examples with their sister disciplines.
Answer:

Social Geography – Sociology.
Urban Geography – Urban Studies, Planning.
Political Geography – Political Science.
Population Geography – Demography.
Medical Geography – Epidemiology.
Economic Geography – Economics.
Gender Geography – Anthropology, Women’s Studies.
Electoral Geography – Psephology.

Q4. How is Human Geography an integrative discipline?
Answer:

Studies inter-relationships between physical environment and human society.
Integrates knowledge from physical sciences (climatology, geology) and social sciences (sociology, economics).
Explains spatial patterns and processes.
Addresses environmental, social, and economic issues together.
Example: Studying climate change involves physical geography + economics + political science.

Q5. Explain the radical and behavioural approaches in Human Geography.
Answer:

Radical Approach:
- Influenced by Marxian theory.
- Explains poverty, inequality, and deprivation as products of capitalism.
- Aims at social change and justice.
Behavioural Approach:
- Focuses on lived experiences, perception of space.
- Studies human decision-making influenced by psychological and cultural factors.
- Helps in urban planning and transport design.