GEOG0605-1 : Regional geography and geomorphology

Study Programmes 2015-2016

GEOG0605-1

Regional geography and geomorphology

Duration :

20h Th, 4d FW

Number of credits :

Master in geography : climatology (120 ECTS)		3
Master in geography : general (120 ECTS)		3
Master in geography : general (60 ECTS)		4

Lecturer :

François Petit

Language(s) of instruction :

French language

Organisation and examination :

Teaching in the second semester

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite :

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Course contents :

The first part of the course considers the concept of rgion and the criteria of delimitation of the regions. Then, Belgium is resituated in his European context. One considers its regional diversity through the distribution of a series of parameters such as the density of the population, the types of rural occupancy, the components of the climate, the soils association, the land-use, to finally consider the agro-geographical regions in relation to the physical environment.

The second part of the course analyzes, in a more traditional way, the regions situated in the south part of Belgium. For each one of these regions, the extension and the limits are recalled, in relation to the geological structure, the lithology and the geomorphology. The hydrological (hydrographic network, water resources) and pedological aspects are developed in close relationship to the human facts, in particular the land-use and its evolution as well as the structure of the habitat.

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Learning outcomes of the course :

This course considers the fundamental concepts of the regional geography of Belgium : the situation of Belgium in the Northern European context ; basic physical factors are used as a criterion for the delimitation of the geographical regions; the human factors are surimposed to the natural regions (urban networks, density of population, industrial development); the different regions are analyzed by considering more particularly the relations between the principal components of the physical environment (geomorphology, hydrography, pedology, climatology) and the human elements (land-use, agricultural typology, structure of the habitat...).

Prerequisite knowledge and skills :

Course of Geomorphology and hydrography, course of Geology

Planned learning activities and teaching methods :

The four days of field works are held in Belgium and in the neighbouring areas. The regions are analyzed thanks to transects which emphasize the differences of land-use and habitats in relation to the physical environment and the human facts.

Mode of delivery (face-to-face ; distance-learning) :

Introduction: Criteria of delimitation of the regions . Belgium in its European environment. The regional diversity of Belgium : density of the population , types of rural areas, components of the climate, the association of the soils , agro-geographical areas

Areas in the south of the Sambre-and-MeuseValley : Ardenne condrusienne, Entre-Vesdre-et-Meuse, Condroz , Fagne-Famenne, Ardenne, Lorraine