2020-2021 / GEOG0605-1

Regional geography and geomorphology

Duration

10h Th, 4d FW

Number of credits

 Bachelor in geography : general3 crédits 

Lecturer

Geoffrey Houbrechts

Language(s) of instruction

French language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the second semester

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit 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 learning unit

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, hybrid 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

Organisational adjustments related to the current health context

If the field days cannot be organised, a virtual field visit by videoconference will be given.
A presentation of a region of Flanders will also be requested. 

Recommended or required readings

Géographie régionale de la Belgique : 109 pages + dossier de lecture + documents cartographiques Ouvrages de référence - Géographie de la Belgique. J. Denis (Ed.), Crédit communal, Bruxelles, 1992, 622 p. - Claval, P. 1995. Initiation à la géographie régionale, Nathan , 288 p
- Christians C. and Daels L. 1988. Belgium: a geographical introduction to its regional diversity and its human richness, Bulletin Société Géographique de Liège,24, 181 p.
Syllabus is available.

Assessment methods and criteria

Below you will find information on the evaluation methods planned for in-person and remote exams as well as those planned for hybrid sessions. Depending on how the health crisis evolves, the chosen method will be communicated to you no later than one month before the start of the exam session.

Any session :

- In-person

written exam ( open-ended questions ) AND oral exam

- Remote

oral exam

- If evaluation in "hybrid"

preferred in-person


Additional information:

theoretical course: oral examination
Field work written examination
Oral presentation of a region in Flanders (group work)

Work placement(s)

Organizational remarks

A financial contribution to cover the costs of the field days will be requested. 

Contacts

Geoffrey HOUBRECHTS
Département de Géographie Allée du 6 août, 2, Bât. B11, Sart Tilman - 4000 LIEGE Tél : 04 - 366 5257 - E-Mail: G.Houbrechts@ulg.ac.be