本文简述二十世纪以前传统地理学漫长的发展过程，并论及研究内涵、领域的演化。本世纪中叶以来，随着社会经济的发展与科学技术的进步，地理学不仅扩展了研究领域，且在理论、方法和技术上都取得了长足之进展。现代地理学逐渐成为一个分支众多的学科体系，地理学的研究领域正经历着横向扩展与纵向深化的新的过程，这种既有学科综合，又有学科分化的趋势，适应了现代科学发展的潮流。新理论、新方法和新技术的引入，极大地提高了地理学的系统分析与系统综合能力，从而相应地提高了地理科学体系的理论水平和应用能力。21世纪无疑地将为地理学的发展带来新的契机，地理环境的持续发展将成为研究重心。在第三次科学大综合浪潮推动下，改革传统的地理学结构，构建地理科学的新体系与方法论，对其科学价值与功能进行新审视，在理论和应用领域不断进取与开拓，才能释放这门学科所蕴蓄的科学力量。

The long development course of traditional geography before 20th century is summarized, and geographical connotation and field-related characteristics are also discussed. Since middle 20th century, geography has not only broadened its field-related of research, paralleling progress in the fields of society, economy, science and technology, but has achieved unprecedented theoretical, methodological and technological progress. The current frontier of geography is a unified disciplinary system with multiple branches, and this tendency of disciplinary synthesis and differentiation corresponds with trends in the development of modern sciences. The introduction of new theories, new methods and new technologies has greatly promoted systematic analysis and synthesis within geography, and thus elevated both the theoretical level and practical usefulness of geography as a scientific system. Looking through into 21st century, there is little doubt that the development of geography would take new opportunities and that sustainable development of geographic environment would become the core of geographic researches. Under the impact of the tide of the 3rd great scientific integration, it is necessary to reform the traditional geography by reconstruction of new systems and methodologies, to examine closely the scientific value and function of geography, and to make further explorations and advances in theoretical and practical fields uninterruptedly, so that the potential energy of science of geography can be released out.