|
There are two methods that may be used to study these
patterns. The first is to look at Canada at a specific point in time. For example, the study of settlement patterns in Canada circa 1891 will look at such factors as where
people live, their numbers, ethnic origin and occupations. The second is to observe changes to the spatial pattern over a period of time. For example, the map series
concerning Aboriginal peoples in Canada documents changes to the settlement patterns of the Aboriginal peoples over time. This allows us to view the impact of
European settlement on North America and the subsequent competition for the land and its resources.
What is essential to the study of spatial patterns is the requirement to reconstruct past geographies through an understanding of the cultures, economies and politics
that governed the people and their relationships to each other and to their environment. This level of interpretation can only be derived from a detailed analysis of the
historical record as provided by written documents, maps and archaeological studies. Historical geography plays an important role in learning about our country as it
was in the past, thereby helping us to understand many issues which confront us today.
|
Historical geography is the study of spatial patterns of the past and how these patterns have evolved over time.