What field of study primarily involves analyzing the distribution of phenomena across space?

Geography is the field of study that primarily focuses on the analysis of the distribution of phenomena across space. This discipline seeks to understand spatial relationships and patterns, whether they pertain to human activities, natural environments, or both. It encompasses inquiries into how different elements—such as population density, climate, land use, and natural resources—are arranged in various places.

Geographers employ various methodologies and tools, such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), to visualize and analyze spatial data. By doing so, they can reveal insights about how different factors interact in space and how these interactions affect the distribution of phenomena—this may include everything from urban development to ecological patterns.

Other fields such as sociology, geological studies, and environmental science also consider spatial relationships, but their primary focus is not on the distribution of phenomena across space in the same comprehensive manner that geography does. Sociology tends to concentrate more on social structures and relationships within populations rather than their spatial distributions. Geological studies are primarily concerned with the Earth's physical substances and processes, while environmental science typically examines interactions between humans and the environment, often within particular contexts rather than as a broad spatial analysis.