Physical geography and human geography are two branches of geography. Similarly, historical geography also includes historical natural geography and historical human geography.

Nearly 30 years after the founding of the People's Republic of China, human geography has been neglected, and it has been abandoned for a long time like sociology and law.

Our historical geography is also influenced by it. We only pay attention to historical natural geography and ignore historical human geography. Few people are willing to make efforts to study other aspects of human geography except the territorial administrative regions of past dynasties.

The research results of human geography are actually beneficial to the economic and cultural construction of the country, so western countries have always attached great importance to it.

Since the late 1970s, China has been actively rebuilding this discipline.

Universities began to offer majors in history, humanities and geography.

This major mainly studies the distribution, evolution and development law of human geography phenomena in historical periods.

According to the research content, it is divided into: ① Historical and political geography.

Study the formation, division and change of territory and political region in historical period; Location and relocation of administrative centers at all levels.

The main content of traditional evolutionary geography research in China belongs to this range; ② Historical economic geography.

It is the richest part of historical human geography, which studies the distribution, changes and laws of productive forces in a certain region (or country) in historical period.

Including the regional distribution and development of agriculture, industry, handicrafts and mining; Water conservancy project construction; Changes and ups and downs of traffic routes; Utilization of natural resources; Regional economic development, etc. ③ Historical population and residential geography.

Study the distribution, changes and laws of residents in historical periods.

Including the distribution and changes of population; Ethnic origin, distribution area and migration route; Immigration areas and routes, regional development and influence; The emergence, distribution, gathering and dispersion and spatial characteristics of settlements; ④ Historical military geography.

Study the distribution phenomenon and changes of military geography in historical period.

Including the historical strategic significance and value of some regions and places; Research on war route; Geographical analysis of historical battles; The formation and changes of important defensive buildings such as passes, barriers, beacon towers, the Great Wall and side walls; ⑤ History, culture and geography.

Study the origin, distribution, spread and change of cultural phenomena in historical period.

Spiritual elements include language, writing, religious beliefs, social customs, art, ideas and so on. Material elements include historical and cultural relics, buildings and settlement patterns.

The research object of historical human geography belongs to social and economic phenomena, which is closely related to history, economic history, archaeology and other disciplines.

It is not only a marginal science between history and geography, but also a marginal science between natural science and social science.