Economic geography is not a stand alone discipline. It is a sub-discipline of geography, and according to William P. Anderson, economic geography is "the study and attempt to explain the spatial configuration of economic activities". This means that economic geography deals with location and pattern of human economic activities. People settle in given geographical (spatial) locations for a reason, e.g. near sources of water, natural harbors, pastures, where they can be better protected from the elements etc. As human settlements develop they also need to exchange goods, and they develop markets. The study of location and interaction of these markets is the subject of economic geography.
Economic geography attempt to explain why given economic activities take place in some areas and not in others. As humans develop and become more sophisticated, spatial patterns of their economies become more complex.
There are a host of approaches to the study of economic spatial patterns e.g. historical, cost benefit, ecological and ethnological. In order to handle the existing data on spatial locations of economic activities, in the referred different approaches, economic geographers can use the Geographical Information System (GIS). This technique that helps geographers in general can also help economic geographers to analyse data of different economic interactions e.g. development corridors. One example from Mozambique is the identification of a huge area comprising 3 provinces where the government with the support of Brazilian and Japanese governments intend to:
For accurate study of economy activities location, economic geographers examine existing statistics of economic locations and their interactions disaggregated by gender, age of the population, level of education access to health facilities, topographic characteristics of the locations, existing infrastructure etc. GIS helps economic geographer to have a better picture of spatial patterns of human settlements and the possibilities offered to them for market interaction and how to reduce obstacles between markets and between producers and sellers. The aim of economic geography is to contribute to economic development without compromising the environment.
Given that there different approaches to the study of economic geography GIS is a tool to assist in the study of "nature and distribution of economic activities on the earth's surface"
Resource: ggh3702 tutorial letter 501/3/2014 - Pretoria - University of South Africa
Resource:Anderson W.P.: Economic Geography ISBN (hbk) 978-0-415-70120-4 1st edition Routledge
Unattributed: at https://www.prosavana.gov.mz/index.php?num_lang=2. Accessed 12/2/2014
