The other day I was in the staff room at work and heard a discussion about how humanities subjects were thought less of than maths and science. It was also suggested that geography and history should be combined.
Well, I have long believed that learning about geography has a value for everyone, in every occupation. So here are a few reasons why:
Structural Engineers need to know where and how rivers flow to best plan the location of bridges. They also need to know about rock formations and the type of soil in the area.
Taxi Drivers need to know the best roads to take and to know which roads will lead them to their passenger's desired destination. Paramedics, Firemen and Police Officers need to know the fastest routes to take.
Doctors need to know about where someone has travelled from because some diseases are only found in certain countries/regions.
Town Planners need to know about the population - where it is growing, how fast and what those people want and need in the way of infrastructure.
Surveyors need to know about the contours of the land - where there are hills and mountains, the paths of rivers, the locations of old mine shafts and other things.
Seismologists, Vulcanologists and Geologists need to know about landforms - how they change, how they looked in the past and what they look like know to be able to predict the effect earthquakes and volcanoes will have on the land.
Architects need to know about wind forces, landforms, population and a range of other things to make buildings safe and able to withstand everything that may possibly happen in the life of that building.
There are many other occupations that I could list, but these are just a few.
Finally, everyone needs to know how to get from "A" to "B" and what the weather will be.
All of these things are taught in Geography.
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