Greek geōgraphia concerned describing the earth’s surface. Latin carried that formation onward. The components express earth and writing, so a word now associated with maps began with the idea of description.
This view explains the components. They are pieces of one construction, not consecutive borrowing stages.
Sources
- Merriam-Webster · geography
Formation of the word.
- Merriam-Webster · geo-
Meaning and history of this component.