Final answer:
Characteristics in geography are the distinct natural or cultural features that define different places on the Earth, including physical geography elements like landscapes and climate and human geography elements like social practices and urban development.
Step-by-step explanation:
Characteristics in geography refer to the distinct attributes that define and differentiate one place from another on the Earth's surface. These include both physical and human characteristics, which can range from natural features such as mountains, deserts, and waterways, to cultural elements like language, political systems, and social practices. Geography as a discipline examines these characteristics to understand spatial relationships and patterns within the world we live in.
Physical characteristics are typically analyzed within physical geography, investigating landscapes, climate, fauna, flora, and all aspects of the natural environment, as well as processes that shape them. On the other hand, human characteristics are the focus of human geography, which looks at how societies interact with the physical world, including urbanization, economic activities, and the cultural landscape.
Importantly, geography also studies how these physical and human characteristics have evolved over time, which helps us understand the relationship between past events, current conditions, and potential future developments. Geographers use tools like GIS, GPS, and remote sensing to analyze the spatial nature of these characteristics. Regions serve as a critical unit of analysis, considered for their formal, functional, and vernacular boundaries and defined by shared attributes or functions, be it political, economic, or cultural.