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Geography studies the location, extent, distribution, frequency and interaction of all significant elements of the human and physical environment on the Earth's surface, particularly its features and of the distribution of life on the earth, including human life and the effects of human activity. The word geography derives from the Greek γη (ge) or γαια (gaia) ("Earth") and γραφειν (graphein) ("to inscribe"). Physical geography focuses on Earth science (and is sometimes called Earth System Science). This provides an understanding of the physical, meteorological and ecological patterns of the Earth. Human geography includes economic, political and cultural geography and focuses on the social science or the non-physical aspects of the world. It examines how human beings adapt themselves to the land and how they impact the physical world. Geographers not only study the human and natural features of the Earth but also its place in the Solar System and the Universe and how this affects the Earth features (e.g. climate, sea currents and tides).

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The Redwood National and State Parks are located in the United States, along the Pacific Ocean coast of northern California. The parks consist of a combined area of 131,983 acres (534.12 km²) and they protect 45% of all remaining Coastal Redwood old-growth forests. These trees are the tallest and one of the most massive tree species on Earth. In addition, the parks preserve other indigenous flora, fauna, grassland prairie, cultural resources, portions of rivers and other streams, and 37 miles (60 km) of pristine coastline. In 1850, old growth redwood forest covered more than 2,000,000 acres (8,100 km²) of the California coast. The northern portion of that area, originally inhabited by Native Americans, attracted many lumbermen and others turned gold miners when a minor gold rush brought them to the region. After many decades of unobstructed clear-cut logging, serious efforts toward conservation began. Redwood National Park was created in 1968, by which time nearly 90% of the original redwood trees had been logged. The ecosystem of the RNSP preserves a number of threatened animal species such as the Brown Pelican, Tidewater Goby, Bald Eagle, Chinook Salmon, Northern Spotted Owl, and Steller's Sea Lion. In recognition of the rare ecosystem and cultural history found in the parks, the United Nations has designated them a World Heritage Site and an International Biosphere Reserve. (more...)

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The pier of the seaside resort Prerow in Nordvorpommern, Germany. On the foreground, a Scott's pine (Pinus sylvestris)

Image credit: Simon Koopmann

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Did you know...

...that sandstone layers (pictured) now exposed in the Canyons of the Escalante in Utah were deposited during the Mesozoic period, when the area was covered with sand dunes about 180 to 225 million years ago?
...that the Firth of Clyde is Great Britain's first seabird reserve?
...that Amsterdam has a concentric belt of canals around it?
...that the Korotoa River, a small stream in Rajshahi Division of Bangladesh, was once a large and sacred river?
...that Belgium's sillon industriel (steelmaking) was the first fully industrialized area in continental Europe?

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Please feel free to list your new Geography-related articles here (newer articles at the top, please). Any new articles that have an interesting or unusual fact in them should be suggested for the Did you know? box on the Main Wikipedia page. DYN has a 72 hr. time limit from the creation of the article.