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Geography. Realms, Regions, and Concepts. 18th Edition, EMEA Edition

  • Book

  • 544 Pages
  • July 2020
  • Region: Africa, Europe, Middle East
  • John Wiley and Sons Ltd
  • ID: 5826448

Since its first appearance, Geography: Realms, Regions, and Concepts has consistently broken new ground in the interpretation and teaching of world regional geography. For more than four decades it has explained the contemporary world’s geographic realms and their natural environments and human dimensions.  The authors look at the ways people have organized their living space, adapted to changing social as well as environmental circumstances, and continue to confront forces largely beyond their control ranging from globalization to climate change.

This book was the first to introduce an approach to Geography that meshes theoretical concepts with regional realities. The evolving regional content of the chapters in the 18th edition reflects the dynamic nature of the world’s geography; the changing and growing number of concepts mirror the progress of the discipline; and the ongoing introduction of new digital features reflects the instructional possibilities of new technologies.

Table of Contents

1 Introduction: World Regional Geography 3

A World on Maps 4

Technology & Geography: Geospatial Data: Understanding Our World 5

Geography’s Perspective 6

World Geographic Realms 7

Regions Within Realms 11

The Physical Setting 12

Global Climate Change: The Anthropocene 15

Realms of Population 18

Realms of Culture 21

A World of States 23

Geographies of Development 25

Globalization 28

Geographic Information Analysis: The Geography of CO2 Emissions 30

Geographic Information Analysis: Global Migration Flows 31

2 The North American Realm 35

Defining the Realm 37

Population Clusters 38

North America’s Physiography 39

Global Climate Change in North America 41

The Federal Map of North America 44

The Distribution of Natural Resources 46

Urbanization and the Spatial Economy 47

Regional Planning Case: Savannah, Georgia’s Expanding Port 50

Technology & Geography: GPS, Sensors, and Self-Driving Cars 52

Geographies of Inequality 52

Geographic Information Analysis: Geography and Elections in the United States 55

Geographic Information Analysis: Race and Housing Values in Los Angeles 56

The Making of a Multicultural Realm 57

Regionalism in Canada: Divisive Forces 58

Regionalism and Ethnicity in the United States 60

3 The Middle American Realm 71

Defining the Realm 72

The Realm’s Northern Boundary 73

Physical Geography of Middle America 76

Cultural Geography 78

Political and Economic Fragmentation 79

Regional Issue: The Tourism Industry in Middle America 82

Geographic Information Analysis: Connectivity and Development in Middle America 83

Regions of Middle America 84

Region Mexico 84

Region The Central American Republics 91

Technology & Geography: The Shipping Container 96

Regional Planning Case: The Nicaragua Canal 98

Geographic Information Analysis: Remittances Between the United States and Middle America 99

Region The Lesser Antilles 103

4 The South American Realm 107

Defining the Realm 108

States Ancient and Modern 109

Cultural Geographies 112

Economic Geography 113

Urbanization and Its Regional Expressions 116

The United States and China in South America 117

Geographic Information Analysis: Income Inequality in South American States and Cities 120

Regions of South America 121

Region The Caribbean North 122

Region The Andean West 126

Global Climate Change on Bolivia’s Altiplano 131

Region The Southern Cone 132

Geographic Information Analysis: Wine Growing Regions of the World 135

Region Brazil: Giant of South America 136

Regional Planning Case: The Madeira River Dams 142

5 The European Realm 145

Defining the Realm 146

Europe’s Eastern Boundary 146

Physical Geography 147

Global Climate Change in Europe 149

Technology & Geography Interactive: What is GIS? 150

Modern Historical Geography 150

Contemporary Europe: A Dynamic Realm 152

Consequences of Unification 157

Regional Issue: Should Europe

Welcome Refugees? 166

Geographic Information Analysis: Demography is Destiny? 167

Migration, Multicultural Challenges, and Prospects of Integration 168

Regions of Europe 168

Region Western Europe 170

Regional Planning Case: Amsterdam’s North-South Line 176

Region Northern Europe 180

Region Mediterranean Europe 183

Region Eastern Europe 188

Geographic Information Analysis: Ukraine: A Linguistic and Economic Transition Zone 194

Europe’s Future Prospects 195

6 The Russian/Central Asian Realm 197

Defining the Realm 198

Physical Geography of Russia/Central Asia 199

Global Climate Change in Russia 202

Technology & Geography: Russia’s Nuclear Icebreakers in the Arctic Ocean 205

Russia’s Czarist Roots 205

The Soviet Experiment (1922-1991) 208

Post-Soviet Russia and the Near Abroad 210

Regional Issue: Does Russia Need to Build Up Its Military? 212

Regions of Russia and Central Asia 215

The New Russia 216

Geographic Information Analysis: Population Change Across Russia 220

Region The Russian Core 221

Region Southern Siberia 223

Region Northern Siberia 225

Region The Russian Far East 225

Region Transcaucasia 226

Region Central Asia 228

Geographic Information Analysis: Ethnic Geographies of Southern Russia and Transcaucasia 229

Regional Planning Case: Astana, Kazakhstan: Planned Capital City 232

7 The North African/Southwest Asian Realm 235

Defining the Realm 236

Ancient Hearths of Cultures 238

Stage for Islam 239

The Ottoman Empire and Its Aftermath 242

Economic Geography 242

Technology & Geography: Global Water Needs and Desalination 247

Geographic Information Analysis: Development and Democracy 249

The Refugee Problem 253

Regions of North Africa/Southwest Asia 254

Region Egypt and the Lower Nile Basin 256

Region The Middle East 259

Region The Arabian Peninsula 264

Regional Planning Case: Saudi Arabia’s Economic Cities 267

Region The Empire States 268

Region The Maghreb and Its Neighbors 273

Region The African Transition Zone 275

8 The Subsaharan African Realm 281

Defining the Realm 282

Africa’s Physiography 282

Africa’s Historical Geography 284

Geographic Information Analysis: Ethnic Groups of Subsaharan Africa 286

Human-Environment Relations 289

Regional Issue: Neocolonial Land Grabs? 292

Population and Health 293

Cultural Geographies 295

Urbanization and Africa’s Dual Economies 296

Africa Rising? 297

Geographic Information Analysis: China’s Exports to Subsaharan Africa 302

Regions of Subsaharan Africa 304

Region West Africa 305

Regional Planning Case: The New Lagos: Eko-Atlantic City 308

Region East Africa 311

Region Equatorial Africa 315

Technology & Geography: Mobile Money in Subsaharan Africa 316

Region Southern Africa 318

Global Climate Change in Subsaharan Africa 321

9 The South Asian Realm 329

Defining the Realm 330

South Asia’s Physiography 331

Birthplace of Civilizations and Religions 333

Foreign Invaders 334

Regional Issue: Who Should Govern Kashmir? 340

Technology & Geography: Drones of War 341

Geographic Information Analysis: Comparing the Megacities of Dhaka and Los Angeles 344

Global Climate Change in South Asia 346

Geographic Information Analysis: Female/Male Sex Ratios across India 350

Regions of South Asia 351

Region The West: Afghanistan’s Transition Zone 352

Region The West: Pakistan 354

Regional Planning Case: The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor 357

Region India: Giant of the Realm 358

Region Bangladesh 366

Region The Northern Mountain States 368

Region The Southern Islands 371

10 The East Asian Realm 375

Defining the Realm 376

Environment and Population 377

Regional Planning Case: China’s South-to-North Water Diversion Project 382

Peoples of the East Asian Realm 382

East Asia’s Economic Transformation 385

East Asia’s Population Dynamics 387

Geopolitics in East Asia Today 389

Geographic Information Analysis: Where Can North Korea’s Missiles Reach? 392

China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) 393

Regions of East Asia 394

The People’s Republic of China (PRC) 396

Technology & Geography: High-Speed Rail in China 402

Region China’s Coastal Core 402

Geographic Information Analysis: Urbanization and Economic Growth in China 403

Geographic Information Analysis: Population Change in the Pearl River Delta 407

Region China’s Interior 407

Region China’s Western Periphery 410

Region Mongolia 414

Region The Korean Peninsula 415

Region Japan 417

Region Taiwan 421

11 The Southeast Asian Realm 425

Defining the Realm 426

Physical Geography 427

Population Geography 430

Cultural Geographies 432

Economic Geography of Southeast Asia 435

Regional Issue: The Chinese Presence in Southeast Asia 436

Geographic Information Analysis: Trade Patterns in Southeast Asia 438

Geopolitics in Southeast Asia 438

Hybrid Warfare in the South China Sea 442

Geographic Information Analysis: Maritime Claims in the South China Sea 443

Regions of Southeast Asia 444

Region Mainland Southeast Asia 445

Technology & Geography: Making the Invisible Visible - LiDAR at Cambodia’s Angkor Wat 448

Region Insular Southeast Asia 454

Regional Planning Case: Dawei, Myanmar 455

12 The Austral Realm 465

Defining the Realm 466

Physiography of the Austral Realm 466

The Realm’s Asian Turn 470

Regions of the Austral Realm 471

Region Australia 471

Global Climate Change in Australia 477

Geographic Information Analysis: The Aboriginal Population Distribution 478

Regional Planning Case: Rebuilding Christchurch after the 2010-2011 Earthquakes 481

13 The Pacific Realm and Polar Regions 483

Defining the Pacific Realm 484

Colonization and Independence in the Pacific Realm 485

The Pacific Realm and Its Marine Geography 485

Technology & Geography: The Tsunami Warning System in the Pacific 486

Regions of the Pacific Realm 489

Regional Issue: Who Should Own the Oceans? 490

Region Melanesia 490

Region Micronesia 492

Region Polynesia 494

The Polar Regions 495

Partitioning the Antarctic 495

Geopolitics and Global Climate Change in the Arctic Basin 498

Geographic Information Analysis: The Shrinking North Polar Ice Cap 499

Appendix Metric (Standard International [SI]) and Customary Units and Their Conversions A-1

Glossary G-1

Index I-1

Authors

Jan Nijman University of Miami. Michael Shin UCLA. Peter O. Muller University of Miami.