Regional Method

 Regional Method




Regional Method 

Regional Method/ Approach:

Sometimes back geography was taught on the basis of political divisions.  Each country was studied separately with details of its mountains, rivers, climate, production, towns, people, industries, and trade.  It had no connection with its neighbors.  Such a method of teaching Geography was neither satisfactory nor scientific.  It is therefore, that this method of teaching Geography.  No, we take different countries, with common physical features, climate, production, mineral wealth and economic progress etc. at a time and study them together.  It was Herbertson who gave impetus to this method by dividing the whole world into regions that are naturally different from one another.  If Geography is the study of the interaction of man and his physical environment it is clearly best to study different types of physical environment or different natural regions. 

Professor E.A. Macnees, “The regional method of teaching geography is a method in which the area studied is divided in to natural regions, each of which is studied is divided in to natural regions, each of which is studied separately.  The major political divisions are of course of great practical importance and must be taught sometimes.  But for the purpose of relating the physical environment and human activities, the study of natural region is most effective.”

“Regional Method of teaching geography is in fact closely related with the method of basing geographical teaching on home geography.”

It is advisable that the teacher should as possibly start from the home region.  The geography of the local surrounding should form the basis of advanced studies.  Let the students now stretch their imagination and make use of their experiences and knowledge gained from the local surroundings to the distant lands.  The students should be made to understand the casual relation of all these social and natural phenomena.

Herbertson’s classification of the world can be used in a modified form.  His classification is of great value in sub-dividing the continents and in analyzing the factors which influences human activities.  Those countries which lie within this climatic division may further be divided in to structural zones.  In the study of a particular region there is considerable scope for a varied method to be employed.

A - Tropical Belt.

1.      The Equatorial Region.

2.      The monsoon Region.

3.      The Hot deserts

4.      The Sudan Type Region

B - Warm Temperate Belt

1.      The China Type Region

2.      The Mediterranean Region

3.      The Steppes or Turan Type Region.

C - Cool Temperate Belt.

1.      The Manchurian Type of Or St. Hawrence Type Region.

2.      The North – West European Type Region.

3.      The Prairee Region.

D - Colt Belt.

1.      The Taiga Forests

2.      The Tundra’s

              It should however be remembered that in dealing with each region, the advance of human civilization on earth, must be emphasized.  Regions in cold belt present the most primitive type of nomadic hunter type while desert lands in the tropical belt exhibit a more advanced life, both socially & economically.

              It should however be noted that this classification of natural regions based on climate at least an approximation. The placing of regions in a particular category means that they have more resemblances than differences. The limits of these natural regions are also approximate. The change from one natural region to another is often gradual and not abrupt or sudden.

              To divide a geographical unit into natural regions is considered to be a scientific method. This method awakens and cultivates the regional consciousness of the learners. When one the students have cultivated regional consciousness in them by frequent application of this method, they come to acquire a sort of tool which will be helpful to them in the subsequent geography work. This method requires investigating and writing the account under each heading in the regional sequence. The method scheme can be adapted for individual work in regional method.



1. Geographical Position- The situation of the region should be clearly defined. This can be done firstly with reference to surrounding countries or continents or oceans etc. Secondly in mathematical terms, every region lies within certain lines of latitude & longitude and the names and numbers of these lines, which enclose that region should be clearly mentioned. The area of that region should also be calculated if possible, by convenient means.

2. Configuration of Land – A detailed account of distribution of mountains, Plateaus and hills, valleys and plains be described as accurately as possible. If ordnance survey map of that region is available, then the detail can be had by interpreting the countercoups. The outstanding features, like peaks gorges, rides spurs, saddles etc. should be noted. The relief of a region is a key to its physical geography and it helps to explain much of the human geography because various features of relief have profound effect on man. The slope of the ground, the description of valley, the shelter of a cliff these and many others will decide whether man’s settlement is exposed or sheltered, swampy as dry, protected or liable to attack, difficult to approach, accessible to neighboring communities and so on.

2. Hydrography - Relief and water features are intimately connected and the relation of river system to land configuration should be described. A pattern of drainage system of the area should be prepared on a map, to bring out the relationship of relief and drainage system. A study of the distribution and nature of the streams and rivers and their valleys are essential some of the relief features may show assembled the effects of glaciations. The teacher should pint out debris assembled in a valley, helps the students to recognize the other features such as Hanging Valley, curie lakes, ice scooping and basins of more important streams.

3. Climate - The lines of latitude and longitude determine the position of a region on the surface of the earth. This position enables the teacher to infer the seasonal conditions of the particular region, position of the sun, from which it receives the heat. From these things we can easily deduce the atmospheric pressure, the direction of the winds and consequently we can form some idea of rainfall in related to the climate facts as stated before.

4. Vegetation: Having acquired a clear idea of the physical features and climate of a particular region, it will be easy to ascertain the various types of vegetation and vegetation zones occurring in that region. In atlases there all special maps showing the distribution. So, lot of information can be gathered from these maps with respect to the distribution of vegetation. A rainfall has a great say in type of vegetation and barring certain factors such as those of altitude and salinity, the vegetational zones, very nearly correspond to rainfall zones. All possible co-relations are made between climate and relief on the one hand, and vegetation on the others.

5. Human Geography: Physical factors affect men and influence their mode of life and choice of settlement .The main thing is that we should learn to tools at the map and study the location of a place ,its shape ,size and notice how it fits into general pattern of settlement ,their influence on the distribution of settlements the form of individual towns or villages .The teachers should try to obtain some idea of the influence of physical features on the distribution of settlements and on the form of the individual towns or villages on the distribution of settlements, the density of population per square mile.

Procedure to be followed in teaching through the regional method.

The following is the most common procedure, which is generally followed while teaching through the Regional Method.

i) For studying a particular region, at first locate structure, relief, drainage and climate are taken in a serial order.

ii) Then natural and agricultural vegetation and animal life are taken.

iii) After this distribution of minerals and their use in the development of industries are dealt with.

iv) Thereafter the distributions of population, chief occupation of towns are studied.

v) Finally, the region is studied in relation to other regions of the world.

              It is at this stage that comparative method also comes in. Thus, a combination of comparative and regional method not only makes Geography teaching more effective but also saves much of labor.

              It should however be remembered that in dealing with each region, the advance of human civilization on earth, must be emphasized. Regions in cold belt present the most primitive type of nomadic hunter type while desert lands in the tropical belt exhibit a more advanced life, both socially & economically. By regional method, we mean two things. Firstly, the whole world is studied by dividing it into natural regions. Secondly each continent or country or province or district is studied under different heads, namely, structure, relief, climate, vegetation, minerals and life of man.

§  Merit/Advantages Of The Method

1.      Quickest way of getting pupils understand Geography –

2.      Orderly and Systematic - It is a scientific orderly and, systematic method.  As has been stated above, each region is studied in relation to its structures, relief, climate, vegetation, mineral wealth and life of man in a serial order.

3.      Lends itself to independent Study :- The regional method send itself to independent study.  It can be resorted to individual methods of teaching.  After cultivating the regional consciousness of the pupils, they can be asked to investigate and write the account under each headman the regional sequence, independently.

4.      Gives clear picture of the co-relation of physical features with socio-economic activities: - This method gives a clear picture of the co-relation of physical features with the social and economic activities and other phases of man’s life.  So, it helps in making pupils.  Understand the drama of human development on this earth and its spread in the world.

5.      Promotes international Undertaking :-  This method makes it clear to student that although different regions are scattered over the whole world in separate belts, human life is almost similar, in spite of political barriers.  Thus, this method boarders the outlook of students and inculcates in them the spirit of tolerance brotherhood and universal compassion.  Thus, it promotes international understanding.

§  Limitations Of This Method

1. Too much repetition: - In this method there is a lot of digressions and repetition because the student has to follow the same plan again and again.  The region of student may change but the method of approach remains the same.

2. Useful in upper classes only: - This method requires background of Geography on the part of pupils.  They must learn that cause-and-effect technique before following this method.  So, it can’t be used in lower classes.

3. Chances of missing smaller region: - As we have already noted, the boundaries of natural regional are not very exactly defined, so one region may merge into another.  Ann while paying attention to broader regions the smaller regions may be missed and neglected at together.  Sometimes the study of smaller region is very vital and important from Geographical point of view.




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