A student gets introduced to the history of geography and acquires fundamental knowledge indispensable for active and effective study of geography.

A student understands why geographical knowledge is needed today, how the geographical horizon expended (in the physical and spiritual sense of the word), understands geographical research and research methods, uses geographical sources and traditional “geographic tools”, loves geography and is able to transfer the love to his/her students.

Theoretical  lectures

1) Introductory lecture; the organization of the University of Belgrade and the character of university studies; The organization of the Faculty of Geography; 2-3) Fundamental stages of geography development; 4) Common elements in all geography definitions; 5) The object, research subject and content of geography, structure of geographical science, place of geography in the system of sciences, goals and tasks of geography; 6) Revision and assessment of the acquired knowledge: 1^st. test; 7) Physical geography (guest lecturer, physical geographer); 8) Regional geography (guest lecturer, regional geographer); 9) Connections of geography with other sciences (guest lecturer, astronomer); 10) General geographical methods; 11) Revision and assessment of the acquired knowledge: 2nd. test; 12-13) Traditional geographical “tools” – compass, globe, map, atlas; 14) Geographical sources (classical and electronic): bibliographies, encyclopedias, dictionaries; geographical journals; extensive reading list; 15) Final revision. Attendance verification.

Practical lectures

1) Why Study Geography; the questionnaire; 2) Selection of a practical assignment on the basis of the questionnaire; 3-4) Ancient Geography: Geographers - Eratosthenes, Hipparchus, Strabo, Ptolemy; explorers and sailors - Nearh, Pytheas; 5) Presentation of the selected term papers; 6) Revision and assessment of the acquired knowledge 1^st. test; 7) Geography of the Middle Ages: explorers – Marco Polo, Al-Idrisi, Ibn-Battuta; travels and discoveries of the Vikings; the time of preparation for the great geographical discoveries: Prince Henry the Navigator,  P. dal Pozzo Toscanelli; 8) The first period of the great geographical discoveries: explorers – C. Columbus^[, Vasco da Gama, Amerigo Vespucci, F. Magellan; Geographers and Cartographers: M. Waldseemüller,  A. Ortelius, G. Mercator; 9) The second period of the great geographical discoveries: B. Varenius; 10) Presentation of the selected term papers; 11) Revision and assessment of the acquired knowledge 2^nd. Test; 12-13) Modern geography and the emergence of contemporary geography: explorers – A. von Humboldt, R. Peary, F. Cook, R. Amundsen, R. Scott, A. Wegener, T. Heyerdahl, J. Cousteau; 14) Contemporary geography in Serbia: Jovan Cvijić; 15) Presentation of the selected term papers; Attendance verification.

Mandatory

Tadić, M. (2005). Ptolemejevska geografija. Beograd: Zavod za udžbenike i nastavna sredstva.

Mastilo, N. (2005). Rečnik savremene srpske geografske terminologije. Beograd: Geografski fakultet.

Lješević, M. (2006). Savremeni pravci razvoja i budućnost geografije. U Srbija i savremeni procesi u evropi i svetu (113–119): Beograd–Tara: Geografski fakultet.

Daneš, J. V. (1927). Jovan Cvijić. Beograd: Geografsko društvo.

Extensive reading list

 Gavrilović, D. (1974). Robert Skot. Zemlja i ljudi, 24, 199–210.

Gavrilović, D. (1988). Alfred Vegener. Zemlja i ljudi, 38, 77–84.

Gavrilović, D. (1999). Aleksander fon Humbolt. Globus, 25, 175–181.

Kunjin K. (2006). Vasko da Gama. Beograd: Stena Press.

Cvajg, S. (1948). Magelan. Novi Sad: Matica Srpska.

Jakovljev, A. (2010). Amundsen. Beograd: Stena Press.