In the previous section, we discovered that geography consists of at least two different sub-fields of knowledge with similar methodology: Physical geography and human geography. The following table also helps to make the differences between these two types of geography more apparent. This table describes some of the phenomena or elements studied by each of these sub-fields of knowledge. Knowing what kinds of things are studied by geographers provides us with a better understanding of the differences between physical and human geography.
Table 1b-1: Some of the phenomena studied in physical and human geography.
| Physical Geography | Human Geography |
| Rocks and Minerals | Population |
| Landforms | Settlements |
| Soils | Economic Activities |
| Animals | Transportation |
| Plants | Recreational Activities |
| Water | Religion |
| Atmosphere | Political Systems |
| Rivers and Other Water Bodies | Social Traditions |
| Environment | Human Migration |
| Climate and Weather | Agricultural Systems |
| Oceans | Urban Systems |
CITATION
Pidwirny, M. (2006). "Elements of Geography". Fundamentals of Physical Geography, 2nd Edition. 28/12/2011. http://www.physicalgeography.net/fundamentals/1b.html