“I always thought geography was about the physical landforms and features themselves, without humanity being considered in it.”
No, it includes the political boundaries and sites (i.e., borders, countries, cities, etc.). That’s why atlases generally include a physical map (the terrain and waterways, etc.) and a political map (borders, countries, cities, etc.).
I’ve been into maps since I was a kid.
My Dad was a pilot in WWII and in the USAFR. When I was a kid he taught me the rudiments of navigation on a huge map of the world he had in his den. You know, latitude and longitude; degrees, minutes, and seconds; plotting courses, rhumb lines, etc. It came in handy later in life.
Do you have the nine-quads that surround your home?