Who is Eratosthenes and What are His Contributions to Geography?
Discover who Eratosthenes is and how his contributions shaped the study of geography in ancient times.
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Geography was first formally studied by Eratosthenes, a Greek scholar from the 3rd century BCE.Eratosthenes coined the term 'geography' and made significant contributions, including estimating the Earth's circumference and creating one of the earliest maps. His work laid the foundation for modern geographical science.
FAQs & Answers
- What is geography? Geography is the study of the Earth's landscapes, environments, and the relationships between people and their environments.
- How did Eratosthenes estimate the Earth's circumference? Eratosthenes used the angle of the sun's rays at different locations to calculate the Earth's circumference with remarkable accuracy.
- What were Eratosthenes' other contributions? Besides geography, Eratosthenes contributed to mathematics, astronomy, and even devised a system of latitude and longitude.