The principle of "terrestrial whole" was advocated by which of the following experts?

Correct option is B

Paul Vidal de la Blache, a French geographer, introduced the concept of "terrestrial whole" as part of his broader work on human geography and possibilism. He emphasized the interconnection between human activities and the natural environment, arguing that geography should study how people adapt to their surroundings rather than being completely determined by them.

Information Booster:

1. Blache is known as the founder of the possibilist school of geography, which argued that humans have the ability to modify their environment rather than being strictly controlled by it.
2. The concept of "terrestrial whole" refers to the idea that Earth is an interconnected system, where humans and the environment constantly interact.
3. Blache’s regional approach to geography influenced later scholars and the development of modern human geography.
4. His work challenged environmental determinism, which suggested that physical geography alone determines human activities.
5. He introduced the idea of "pays" (small homogeneous regions) as a fundamental unit of study in geography.

Additional Knowledge:

(a) Hartshorne – Incorrect

• Hartshorne focused on regional geography and spatial analysis, but he did not advocate the "terrestrial whole" concept.

(c) Ritter – Incorrect

• Carl Ritter focused on the historical and teleological (goal-oriented) approach in geography but did not explicitly propose the "terrestrial whole" concept.

(d) Humboldt – Incorrect

• Humboldt focused on physical geography, biogeography, and environmental determinism but did not develop the idea of "terrestrial whole."