This document discusses the British school of modern geographical thought. It outlines several key founders and contributors, including Halford Mackinder who formulated the heartland theory of geopolitics. It also discusses Patrick Geddes and his concepts of region and conurbation. Later contributors applied more quantitative and statistical analysis, like Richard Chorley and Peter Haggett who advanced models and theories using new techniques. In conclusion, the document traces how the British school evolved from early environmental determinism to incorporate more nuanced regional and inter-regional analysis, and eventually quantitative and positivist approaches.

1. Modern Geographical Thought
Presented By
Debosmita Routh
B.Sc Geography
6th sem 2019
Adamas University
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2. Outline
 Modern Geography
 Founder of modern geography
 School of geography
 German School
 French school
 British School
 American School
 USA School
 Conclusion
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3. FoundersofmodernGeographicalThought
 Alexander Von Humbolt (1769 – 1859)
 Carl Ritter (1779 – 1859)
 Charles Robert Darwin (1809 – 1882)
They are known as the founder of modern geography because
they have given the basic concept of geography with emperical
evidences and by their knowledge . Till now their concepts is being
practice.
Their concept is for worldwide.
Darwin concept ‘Survival of Fittess’ is not only use in
geography as well as in biology, zoology etc.
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4. Outline
 Modern Geography
 Founder of modern geography
 School of geography
 German School
 French school
 British School
 American School
 USA School
 Conclusion
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5. British School of Geography
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6.  Geography, one of the oldest field of curiosity but it drew very little attention
in Britain until the middle of 19th century.
 In the middle of the 19th century, academics were busy in accumulating facts
and information about the newly discovered places of the world.
 In 1859, Darwin publishes the Origin of Species which attracted the attention
of geologist biologist and sociologist.
 After this evolutionary theory, British scholar start paying attention toward the
Earth as the man’s home.
 By the end of 19th century the geography was introduce in British Universities.
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7. ThemajorGeographersare:-
 Halford J. Mackinder (1861- 1947)
 Sir Patrick Gedder
 Andrew J. Herbertson
 A.G.Ogilive
 Roxby
 William Smith
 Hugh Robert Mill
 Richard Chorley
 Peter Hagget
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8. HalfordJ.Mackinder(1861-1947)
 Halford J. Mackinder was an imaginative person.
 He was known as the founder of the British School of
Geography
 He was very active lecturer around the country on his
vision of geography.
 In his opinion the subject has to bridge the natural science
and humanities and take as its core ‘ the interaction of
man in society and environment varies locally.
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9. Cont.
 In 1904 he formulated the concept of ‘the geographical pivot of history’
which is also know as the ‘Heartland Theory of Mackinder.’
 In this theory, Mackinder identified a ‘World Island’ consisting of the
continents of Eurasia and Africa.
 The most inaccessible part of the world, he called as Heartland.
 The area of low population and difficult accessibility.
 He called it as Heartland as it is surrounded on all sides by geographical
barriers.
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10. Cont.
 He summarized his view of global strategy in the famous lines:-
 In this theory he declare that throughout the history, the coastal lands
had always proved vulnerable to attack from the heartland, and the
heartland remained invulnerable because sea power could be denied
access to it
 His regional concept also pervaded his interpretation of countries
“Who rules East Europe commands the Heartland;
Who rules Heartland commands the World Island;
Who rules the World Island commands the World”
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11. Mackinder’sHeartlandTheory
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12. Cont.
 Mackinder wrote Britain and the British Seas - published in
1902 :-
This book is considered a classic in modern British literature
which shows a more mature and sounder approach to a regional
interpretation of Britain and its seas.
 His second great work Democratic Ideals and Reality -
published in 1919 :- world power politics
 Mackinder & H. Robert Mill wrote a book Realm of Nature in
which he discussed the races of man.
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13. SirPatrick Gedder(1854–1932)
 Sir Patrick Geddes - the Scottish geographer.
 He is known for his innovative thinking in the
fields of urban planning and sociology.
 He was influenced by the Le Play - who
carried on research on family life-styles and
family budgets.
 He has given the basic city and region concept
as place, work and folk.
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14. Cont.
 In 1909 he first illustrated his idea of the 'region-city'.
 He first design the master city plan for Tel Aviv (Israel).
 He introduced the concept of "region" to architecture and planning and coined
the term "conurbation“ in his book Cities In Evolution.
 Internationally, the term "urban agglomeration" is often used to convey a
similar meaning to "conurbation“. Example – New York, United Kindom,
India.
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15. Conti.
 This CONSTELLATION THEORY was also coined by Sir Patrick
Geddes
 in the map, prominent cities in Maharashtra are shown to be
connected forming a „CONSTELLATION‟ shape
 This theory is mostly used for administrative purpose in all countries
worldwide.
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16. AndrewJ.Herbertson(1865-1915)
 An assistant to Geddes at Oxford
 He is a contemporary of Mackinder
 He is largely influenced by the Darwinian tradition of environmental
determinism.
 In 1905 , he stressed the environmental emphasis on land-man
relationships.
 He presented a scheme for a division of the world into natural regions,
based on association of surface features, climate and vegetation.
 He was a determinist in true sense of the term.
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17. A.G.Ogilvie(1890-1939)
 Another British geographer who has edited Great Britain :- Essays in
Regional Geography in 1928
 This book gives a glimpse of the regional variations in the physical
and cultural landscapes of Britain.
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18. Roxby
 Roxby suggested a scheme which explained how the regional studies
should proceed.
 He pointed out that a systematic regional study should deal with
geology, drainage, coastline, climate, vegetation to demarcate natural
regions, and this should follow by the “man’s relation to his physical
environment”.
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19. WilfredSmith(1769–1839)
 In 1949, W. Smith produced the Economic Geography of Britain
 This was logical and systematic investigation of the regional variants
of the economics of production in the country.
 It is in concept and substance an ecological approach far ahead of its
contemporaries
 It was based entirely on the analysis of statistical data, and showed no
concern with field observation.
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20. HughRobertMill
(1861–1950)
 Robert Mill wrote General Geography.
 He gave the idea of water as an important environmental element.
 He continue the work of Richthofen’s spatial distribution of Pyramid
idea.
 His first book, The Realm of Nature was published in 1891, in
which he emphasized the study of water.
 His major works on polar explorations were The Siege of the South
Pole (1905) and The Life of Ernest Shackleton (1923), which
attempted to focus on ‘man’s effort of maneuvering with nature.’
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21. Cont.
 He was appointed as the Director of British Rainfall Organization in
1901.
 Under his supervision, the rainfall maps of Great Britain were
prepared on the basis of 50 years average.
 He prepared a plan to plot the land use of Britain on the ordnance
survey on one inch to one mile scale.
 But the proposal was not approved.
 L.D. Stamp prepared the map.
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22. RichardChorley(1927–2002)
&
PeterHagget(1933)
 Their major contribution in the ‘Quantitative Revolution’ of Britain.
 They made enormous use of sophisticated statistical techniques, and
formulated models and theories in the fields of human and social
geography.
 A number of books have been written by them which explain the
space relations and locational analysis with the help of models
 Some major works are :-
 Models in Human Geography,
 Locational Analysis in Human Geography and
 Frontiers in Geographical Teaching
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23.  Locational Analysis in Human Geography- It focused
on spatial organization and the tributary area of a major node, whether
a port, a market town, or a city shopping centre.
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24. Conclusion
 In Britain, the ‘geography’ as a subject arrive at late 19th century.
 Standing at that time they mainly follow the determinism like Andrew
J. Herbertson, Mackinder, H.R. Mill.
 Some of the British geographer tend to pay attention toward the intra-
regional and inter – regional society.
 After WWII, the evolution of Quantitative Revolution Started after
Chorley and Hagget’s has postulated their theory based on the
statistical techniques.
 After these some new concept came like positivism , idealism etc.
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25. Thank you
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