Our homeland is the geography where we live. To understand our homeland is to understand our geographic diversity. Physical geography: the mountains, the lakes, the valleys, the plains, the forest--everything that makes up our homeland. Differences in geographic areas require different responses for different terrains. Natural resource geography: the water in our lakes, oil and gas, timber, and our food supply. Each of these natural resources varies in their characteristics based on geography. Cultural geography: the cities where we live, the religious institutions where we worship, and the medical facilities that help ensure our well-being require security. We have symbolic man-made features such as the Statue of Liberty and other pristine natural treasures such as Yellowstone National Park. Social geography: Where do people live? What are their demographics? As we strive to protect our citizens and their values and differences, we must understand their geographic characteristics. Economic geography: business, transportation, telecommunication, energy, and other industries that are critical to our national economy.
An area designated under the apartheid system as a self-governing territory for differing categories of Africans, defined largely by race. Some of these territories were later decreed as so-called 'independent' states. These included the former Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Venda and Ciskei.
A homeland (rel. country of origin and native land) is the concept of the territory (cultural geography) to which an ethnic group holds a long history and a deep cultural association with —the country in which a particular national identity began. As a common noun, it simply connotes the country of one's origin. When used as a proper noun, the word, as well as its cognates in other languages (ie.