Harm J. de Blij (see IJ (digraph); closest pronunciation: "duh blay") (1935–2014) was a

geographer A geographer is a physical scientist, social scientist or humanist whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society, including how society and nature interacts. The Greek prefix "geo" means "earth" a ...

. He was a geography editor on ABC's '' Good Morning America'' and an editor of '' National Geographic'' magazine and the author of several books, including ''Why Geography Matters''. De Blij received his early schooling in Europe, his college education in Africa, and his higher degrees in the United States (Ph.D. Northwestern, 1959). He published more than 30 books and over 100 articles and has received five honorary degrees. Several of his books have been translated into foreign languages. He was the editor of Oxford's ''Atlas of North America''. A native of the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, he was a professor of geography and

viticulture Viticulture (from the Latin word for '' vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of '' Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, ...

at Michigan State University and the

University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, i ...

and a visiting professor at the

Colorado School of Mines The Colorado School of Mines, informally called Mines, is a public research university in Golden, Colorado, founded in 1874. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering, science, and mathematics, with a focus on en ...

. Dr. de Blij was a Distinguished Professor of Geography at Michigan State University. He held the George Landegger Chair in Georgetown University's school of Foreign Service and the John Deaver Drinko chair of geography at Marshall University; he also taught at the Colorado School of Mines and the University of Miami.

Recognitions

* Ellen Churchill Semple award,

Department of Geography, University of Kentucky The Department of Geography in the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Kentucky offers undergraduate degrees and graduate degrees and courses in physical and human geography. The department has an international reputation for the stu ...

, 1989Ellen Churchill Semple Day
(accessed 30 June 2015)

Bibliography

* ''Mombasa: An African City'', Northwestern University Press, 1968. * ''Systematic Political Geography'', John Wiley & Sons, 1973 * ''Essentials of Geography: Regions and Concepts'', John Wiley & Sons, 1974. * ''Geography of Viticulture'', Miami Geographical Society, 1981. * ''Harm De Blij's Geography Book: A Leading Geographer's Fresh Look at Our Changing World'', John Wiley & Sons, 1995. * ''Why Geography Matters: Three Challenges Facing America'', Oxford Univ. Press, 2005. * ''Wartime Encounter'', Hudson River Enterprises, 2006. * ''Human Geography: People, Place, and Culture'', John Wiley and Sons, Inc. * ''The Power of Place: Geography, Destiny, and Globalization's Rough Landscape'', Oxford Univ. Press, 2008. * ''Realms, Regions and Concepts: With College Atlas of the World'', John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blij, Harm 1935 births 2014 deaths American geographers Dutch geographers Dutch emigrants to the United States Colorado School of Mines faculty Michigan State University faculty Northwestern University alumni People from Schiedam University of Miami faculty