HISTORICAL GEOGRAPHY AS A FIELD OF RESEARCH

DEFINITIONS, TENSIONS, AND METHODOLOGIES

Abstract

This article is a contribution to the field of research known as historical geography, which, despite already being well established, still lacks some systematization in order to present and discuss its most basic issues. Besides trying to undo  some of the most common misunderstandings regarding the field of historical geography, the purpose of this paper is to review some of the ideas from authors who have contributed to our field of study through their criticism and claims. Traversing briefly through the evolution of thought in an area which had its legitimacy questioned many a times, our proposal is divided into three main parts: the first one dealing with the diversity of possibilities in defining historical geography; the second taking into account the enormous tension resulting from the integration between geography and history; and lastly, the work of Lawrence Estaville Jr. is remembered in order to list possible advantages and disadvantages found in the various forms of relating time and space.