Dimitrie Cantemir - Forerunner of Regional Geographical Research

The territory represents the scene of human life, offering the conditions and possibilities that human societies capitalize on differently. Man, since the beginning of his evolution, has modified the space in which he lives, transforming environmental conditions (from the appearance of early agricultural activities to industrialization and deindustrialization or tertiarization and, currently, takes the form of the development of the quaternary sector). In a progressive manner, the study of human activities and the natural factors that influenced these activities was carried out - the study of the evolution of society and its changes in relation to the environment. Until the 19th century, from a geographical point of view, descriptive studies of the various regions by scholars or by travelers who arrived for the first time in those lands dominated. Dimitrie Cantemir was the personality of the 18th century, who through his complex writings provides us with information about life in the boroughs of Moldavia in that period. Moreover, it creates a detailed map of Moldova, as a synthesis of the written text.