A geographer studies locations and spaces to learn more about the world. While many people associate geography with maps, thanks to school lessons titled “geography” in which students study maps, geography is actually a very broad field of study, and while it can involve the production of maps, it also involves many more topics. People often broadly divide geographers into physical geographers and human geographers, and there are a number of subspecialties within these broad fields of study in geography.

A physical geographer studies the surface of the Earth and natural phenomena. They look at topics like terrain, the distribution of water, climate patterns, ecosystems, and the relationships between living organisms. A physical geographer might be interested, for example, in the role of seasonal weather patterns on the natural environment, or how animals have adapted to live in particularly harsh or unique terrain. These geography professionals are sometimes confused with geologists, but their scope of interest is wider, and they are usually less concerned with what is underneath the Earth's surface than with what's on top.

Human geographers study the relationship between people and places. They can study things like the urban environment, the distribution of medical services, and the impact of environment on human activities. A human geographer can study everything from why it was so challenging for Hannibal to cross the Alps to how humans can live near a wetland without causing environmental damage. Human geographers are very interested in human cultures and societies and the role which geography plays in human activities.

Commonly, a geographer works for a government organization. Geographers can be involved in tasks like intelligence gathering for security agencies, epidemiology studies for departments of health, and disaster recovery in areas which have been damaged by natural or man-made disasters. Geographers can also work for private companies and organizations which might benefit from the skills of a trained geographer on the work force. A company which is interested in promoting the spread of electricity to rural areas in developing nations might use a geographer, for example, to map the terrain, explore distribution possibilities, and identify potential challenges.

Working as a geographer can be tremendously interesting, and the work is very diverse. People in this field usually hold a master's degree or higher, which allows them to develop general geography skills before selecting an area of specialty. A number of skills are required of geographers, including the ability to make precise observations, collect data, interpret and analyze data, and work with scientists from a wide variety of fields, from anthropology to zoology.