Table of Contents

Introduction. World Regional Geography: Global Perspectives. Geographic Perspectives. Realms and Regions. Criteria for Geographic Realms. Criteria for Regions. Realms and Regions on the Map. The Map Revolution. Scale and Detail. The Physical Setting. Natural (Physical) Landscapes). Continents and Plates. Natural Hazards. Climate. Realms of Population. Major Population Clusters. Regions and Cultures. Cultural Landscapes. Culture and Ethnicity. The Geography of Language. Major Population Clusters. Realms, Regions, and States. The State. States and Realms. Political Geography. Patterns of Development. Symptoms of Underdevelopment. The Specter of Debt. Globalization. The Regional Framework. Europe(1). Russia(2). North America(3). Middle America(4). South America(5). Subsaharan Africa(6). North Africa/Southwest Asia(7). South Asia(8). East Asia(9). Southeast Asia(10). Austral Realm(11). Pacific Realm (12). The Perspective of Geography. Table G-1. Area and Demography Data. for the World's States. Chapter 1: Europe. Defining The Realm. Geographical Features. Europe's Eastern Border. Resources. Climates. Human Diversity. Locational Advantages. Landscapes and Opportunities. Historical Geography 51 Ancient Greece and Imperial Rome. Triumph and Collapse. Rebirth and Royalty. The Revolutions of Modernizing Europe. The Agrarian Revolution. The Industrial Revolution. Political Revolutions. Contemporary Europe. Language and Religion. Spatial Interaction. A Highly Urbanized Realm. A Changing Population. Europe's Modern Transformation. European Unification. Policies and Priorities. New Money. Momentous Expansion. Regional Issue. Centrifugal Forces. The EU's New Economic Geography. Regions of the Realm. Western Europe. Reunited Germany. France. Benelux. The Alpine States. The British Isles. States and People. Roots of Devolution. A Discrete Region. End of Empire. The United Kingdom. Republic of Ireland. Northern (Nordic) Europe. Mediterranean Europe. Italy>. Iberia. Greece. Cyprus and Malta. Eastern Europe. Cultural Legacies. The Geographic Framework. Countries Facing the Baltic Sea. The Landlocked Center. Countries Facing the Black Sea. Countries Facing the Adriatic Sea. Chapter 2. Russia. Defining The Realm. An Internal Empire. Roots of the Russian Realm. A Vibrant Culture. Empire of the Czars. Communist Victory. Seven Fateful Decades. Russia's Physical Geography. Harsh Environments. Physiographic Regions. Evolution of the Russian State. The Mongol Invasion. Grand Duchy of Muscovy. The Cossacks. Czar Peter the Great. Czarina Catherine the Great. A Russian Empire. The Colonial Legacy. An Imperial, Multinational State. The Soviet Legacy. The Political Framework. The Soviet Economic Framework. Russia's Changing Political Geography. The Federal Framework of Russia. Regional Issue. Changing Social Geographies. Russia's Demographic Dilemma. Russia's Prospects. Heartland and Rimland. Russia and the World. Unresolved Problems. Regions Of The Realm. Russian Core and Peripheries. Povolzhye: The Volga Region. The Internal Southern Periphery. The Urals Region. The Eastern Frontier. The Kuznetsk Basin (Kuzbas). The Lake Baykal Area (Baykaliya). Siberia. The Future. The Russian Far East. Mainland and Island. Post-Soviet Malaise. Transcaucasia: The External. Southern Periphery. Armenia. Azerbaijan. Chapter 3. North America. Defining The Realm. Geographic and Social Contrasts. Immigration Issues. North America's Physical Geography. Physiography. Climate. Hydrography (Surface Water). Indigenous North America. The United States. Population in Time and Space. Cultural Geography. Regional Issue. The Changing Geography of Economic Activity. Canada. Population in Time and Space. Cultural/Political Geography. Economic Geography. Regions Of The Realm. The North American Core. Postindustrial Hot Spots. The Maritime Northeast. Upper New England. Atlantic Canada. French Canada. Acadian New Brunswick. The Continental Interior. Agricultural Supremacy. The Ethanol Factor. Depopulation and Regional Change. Burgeoning Alberta. The South. Uneven Development. Social and Economic Transformation. The Southwest. Three Mushrooming States. The Western Frontier. Las Vegas-Led Boom. Penetration of the Back Country. The Northern Frontier. Canada's Stirring Northland. Alaska's Energy Storehouse. The Pacific Hinge. Challenges and Opportunities in Maturing California. Growth and Change in the Pacific Northwest. Chapter 4. Middle America. Defining The Realm. The Regions. Physiography. A Land Bridge. Island Chains. Legacy of Mesoamerica. The Lowland Maya. The Highland Aztecs. Collision of Cultures. Effects of the Conquest. Mainland and Rimland. Lingering Regional Contrasts. The Hacienda. The Plantation. Political Fragmentation. Independence. Regions Of The Realm. Mexico. Physiography. Population Patterns. Revolution and Its Aftermath. Regions of Mexico. The Changing Geography of Economic Activity. Mexico's Future. The Central American Republics. Altitudinal Zonation of Environments. Population Patterns. Emergence from a Turbulent Era. The Gang Problem. The Promise of CAFTA. The Seven Republics. The Caribbean Basin. Economic and Social Patterns. The Greater Antilles. Regional Issue. The Lesser Antilles. Chapter 5. South America. Defining The Realm. The Human Sequence. The Inca Empire. The Iberian Invaders. The Africans. Longstanding Isolation. Independence. Cultural Fragmentation. Economic Integration. Urbanization. The "Latin" American City Model. Regions of the Realm. The North: Facing the Caribbean. Colombia. Venezuela. The West: The Andean, Amerindian Region. Peru. Ecuador. Bolivia. Paraguay. The South: Mid-Latitude South America. Argentina. Chile. Regional Issue. Uruguay. Brazil: Giant of South America. The Realm's Giant. Population Patterns. African Heritage. Social Problems. Development Prospects. Brazil's Subregions. Chapter 6. Subsaharan Africa. Cradle and Cauldron. Peril of Proximity. Defining The Realm. Africa's Physiography. Rifts and Rivers. Continental Drift and Plate Tectonics. Natural Environments. Crops and Animals. End of an Era. Farmers' Problems. Environment and Health. Epidemics and Pandemics. Challenges to Improving Health Conditions. Land and Farming. Stolen Lands. Persistent Subsistence. Africa's Historical Geography. African Genesis. Early Trade. Early States. The Colonial Transformation. Cultural Patterns. African Languages. Religion in Africa. Modern Map and Traditional Society. Supranationalism. Population and Urbanization. Economic Problems. Regions Of The Realm. Southern Africa. Africa's Richest Region. South Africa. The Middle Tier. The Northern Tier. East Africa. Kenya. Tanzania. Uganda. Rwanda and Burundi. Highland Ethiopia. Equatorial Africa. The Congo. Across the River. Regional Issue. West Africa. Nigeria West Africa's Cornerstone. Coast and Interior. The African Transition Zone. Chapter 7. North Africa/Southwest Asia. Defining The Realm. A "Dry World"? The "Middle East"? An "Arab World"? An "Islamic World"? States and Nations. Hearths of Culture. Dimensions of Culture. Rivers and Communities. Decline and Decay. Stage for Islam. The Faith. The Arab-Islamic Empire. Islam Divided. The Strength of Shi'ism. Religious Revivalism in the Realm. Regional Issue. Islam and Other Religions. The Ottoman Aftermath. The Power and Peril of Oil. Location and Dimensions of Known Reserves. A Foreign Invasion. Oil's Geographic Impact. Local Reaction, Global Impact. Regions Of The Realm. Egypt and the Lower Nile Basin. Gift of the Nile. Valley and Delta. Subregions of Egypt. Divided Sudan. The Maghreb and Its Neighbors. Atlas Mountains. Colonial Impact. The Maghreb Countries. Adjoining Saharan Africa. The Middle East: Crucible of Conflict. Iraq: War and Its Consequences. Syria. Jordan. Lebanon. Israel and the Palestinian Territories. The Arabian Peninsula. Saudi Arabia. On the Periphery. The Empire States. Turkey. Iran. Turkestan. The Ethnic Mosaic. Regional Framework. The States of Former Soviet Central Asia. Fractious Afghanistan. Chapter 8. South Asia. Defining The Realm. South Asia's Physiography: From Fertile Farmland to Terrorist Hideout. The Monsoon. Physiographic Regions. Locals and Invaders. Indus Valley Civilization. Incipient India. A'soka's Mauryan Empire. The Power of Islam. The European Intrusion. South Asia's Population Dilemma. Population Change. Prospects for South Asia. India: Internal Geographic Variety. South Asia's Burden of Poverty. The Latest Invasions. Regions Of The Realm. Pakistan: On South Asia's Western Flank. Gift of the Indus. Postcolonial Reorientation. Subregions. Regional Issue. Pakistan's Prospects. India Astir. Giant of the Realm. States and Peoples. India's Changing Map. Centrifugal Forces: From India to Hindustan? Centripetal Forces. Urbanization. Economic Geography. India East and West. Bangladesh: Challenges Old and New. A Vulnerable Territory. Limits to 0pportunity. The Mountainous North. The Southern Islands. Sri Lanka: South Asian Tragedy. Chapter 9. East Asia. Defining The Realm. Natural Environments. Physiography and Population. Historical Geography. Early Cultural Geography. Regions Of The Realm. China Proper. Relative Location. Extent and Environment. Evolving China. A Century of Convulsion. A (Lost) War on Drugs and Its Aftermath. A New China Rises. Nationalists and Communists. Japan in China. Communist China Arises. Political and Administrative Divisions. Population Issues. The Minorities. People and Places of China Proper. Northeast China Plain. North China Plain. Basins of the Chang/Yangzi. Basins of the Xi (West) and Pearl River. Xizang (Tibet).