The Greek philosopher Thales was one of the first to argue about the shape of the world in the sixth century B.C.E. And Chinese texts of the fifth century B.C.E. describe the provinces of China in great detail. However, the Greek scholar Eratosthenes is credited with the first use of the word geography in the third century B.C.E. He is also known as the “father of geography” for his geographical writing and accomplishments, including the measurement of the circumference of the Earth.