What is a case study in geography?

• A. A short summary of research findings.
• B. A random sample of data points.
• C. A detailed examination of a location or event used to illustrate concepts and apply theory to real data.
• D. A numerical model.

Answer: (C)

In geography, a case study means an in-depth examination of a specific place, event, or phenomenon to illustrate how geographical concepts work in the real world and to apply theory to actual data. It involves gathering and analyzing multiple sources—maps, field observations, statistics, interviews—to build a detailed, contextual understanding of processes and interactions at work. This goes beyond a simple summary by showing how and why things happen in that location, using real data to test or demonstrate theory. The other options describe different things: a short summary is just a recap of findings; a random sample of data points is a sampling method; a numerical model is a tool for simulating processes. So the detailed, place-focused study used to illustrate concepts with real data is the best fit.