Where did we come to the geography?

Now it is difficult to imagine that to the knowledge of these simple truths of people walked many thousands of years, observing, experimenting, learning the secrets of nature. Thus is accomplished the most important human discoveries. Man since ancient times attracted horizon. He wanted to know what is behind it. May be just what is hidden distance, necessary for full happiness? And the most courageous and decisive journeyed, naively thinking that they could reach the edge of the Earth. In spite of the mortal danger, driven by curiosity and greed, daredevils and again went in search of gold, precious stones, exotic gifts of nature without even realizing that they make discoveries. As time went on. People invented writing. It was necessary to transfer the experience to new generations. They began to make notes about what they saw and what heard during his travels. But most importantly - how would an application to the records of travelers schematically depicted on the paper on his way. This need has arisen in association with the geometry. It was necessary to calculate distances. The first of these sketches appeared in ancient Babylon. They were the prototypes for future maps. But most of this activity has reached in ancient Greece. The most ancient geographic map was drawn up it was there about 550 years before P. X. Ionian natural philosophers Anaximander. A little later map of the Earth was Gekatej. Map of the Persian kingdom was made by order of King Darius I. Create maps of Anaximander preceded the opening of land by the ancient Greeks, who invaded the Mediterranean Sea and colonized peoples who lived there. Because of this, and has established links with the Persian empire. And through it with India. Work Hecataeus of Miletus "Description of the Earth" is also based on these discoveries. True, except for all of its cards are devoted to describing the people who lived in these new spaces. Some further progress in the geography associated with the name of the ancient Greek scholar - Eudoxus of Cnidus. Using the teachings of Parmenides on the zones, it is the slope of the sunlight in different parts of the Earth has established a number of different climates. Eudoxus of Cnidus also belongs to the first attempt to calculate the size of Earth. At the same time he started from the stated Parmenides assumption of its sphericity. Like most geographers, he put the inhabited lands north of the equator, while Africa is extending to the southern hemisphere. Ancient scholars discussed and yet another interesting topic: Does the Earth's oceans, or, conversely, the earth surrounding ocean. Supporter of the first position was, among others, and Aristotle. He, like his views on the world map and made her mistakenly separated Spain from India only a narrow strip of sea. Several centuries later, this card was inspired by Columbus to search for iadnogo way to India and the discovery of America. New enrichment of knowledge in geography have contributed to the campaigns of Alexander of Macedon to the east, and sailing the Greek traveler Pytheas to the north and north-west of modern Europe. This expanded view of the horizon of the Greeks. Now he's moved away to India in the east to Norway in the north-west. Eratosthenes (3. To the PX) has compiled all of these new data and created the term "Geography", which translated from Greek means "earth description, information about the Earth." He also laid the beginning of scientific geography. In this case, Eratosthenes believed that its purpose is and should remain the development of maps. She was put on first place in his science. It was only the second was a literary description.