Because world history and geography are inseparable, they are treated as essentially one subject on this website. When the term "history" is used here, it may generally be considered to include geography. History is the broader field, encompassing all of human experience. Geography's concern is more specialized, focusing on human interaction with the physical environment. Therefore, geography is an important constituent of world history along with other human-centered disciplines such as political science, anthropology, sociology, and economics.

The relationship between history and geography is especially close because they represent two fundamental dimensions of the same phenomenon. History views human experience from the perspective of time, geography from the perspective of space. These dimensions of time and space are locked in an interactive feedback loop in which one dimension constantly affects the other.

Here are a few additional observations about the relationship between history and geography:

"...geography is by nature the constant companion of historical studies; it is hardly possible to grasp the one without the other."

-Bradley Commission on History in Schools

"The historical record is inextricably linked to the geographic setting in which it developed."

-National Standards for History

"History is concerned with understanding the temporal dimension of human experience (time and chronology). Geography is concerned with understanding the spatial dimension of human experience (space and place)."

- National Geography Standards

"Key concepts of geography, such as location, place, and region are tied inseparably to major ideas of history such as time, period, and events. Geography and history in tandem enable learners to understand how events and places have affected each other across time..."

-Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), U.S. Department of Education

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