美國 地理學에 있어서 地域職念의 發達

Abstract

In the 1920s and 30s, regional geography occupied the core of American Geography. Regional concept provided a philosophical background from other disciplines such as geology, botany, and meteorology. Today regional geography in American Geography is far from being considered to be the essence of the discipline. Regional geography is even often despised as a subjective and descriptive type of study of minor importance to the field. Such a degraded status of regional geography within the field is a phenomenon peculiar to American Geography. In German and French Geography, regional geography still holds the strong tradition.

This paper aims examine the development of regional concept in American Geography from the 1920s. This historical analysis of regional concept focuses on contrasting regional concepts in chronological order which is purely arbitray, The literatures cited in the presidential addresses at the annual meeting of the Association of American Geographers and the addresses themselves serve as main references for the chronological examination of regional concept in American Geography.