For undergraduate World Regional Geography courses, or for a courses on globalization or cultural diversity.
Emphasizing the interconnections and diversifications between people and places, Diversity Amid Globalization challenges students to compare and contrast the regions of the world within thematic regional chapters that incorporate a striking visual layout for today's student.
Les Rowntree is a Visiting Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley, where he researches and writes about environmental issues. This career change comes after three decades of teaching both Geography and Environmental Studies at San Jose State University in California. As an environmental geographer, Dr. Rowntree's interests focus on international environmental issues, biodiversity conservation, and human-caused global change. He sees world regional geography as a way to engage and inform students by given them the conceptual tools needed to critically assess global issues. Dr. Rowntree has done research in Iceland, Alaska, Morocco, Mexico, Australia, and Europe, as well as in his native California. Current writing projects include a book on the natural history of California's coast, as well as textbooks in geography and environmental science.
Martin Lewis is a Senior Lecturer in History at Stanford University. He has conducted extensive research on environmental geography in the Philippines and on the intellectual history of global geography. His publications included Wagering the Land: Ritual, Capital, and Environmental Degradation in the Cordillera of Northern Luzon, 1900-1986 (1992), and, with Karen Wigen, The Myth of Continents: A Critique of Metageography (1997). Dr. Lewis has traveled extensively in East, South, and Southeast Asia. His current research focuses on the geographical dimensions of globalization.
Marie Price is an Associate Professor of Geography and International Affairs at George Washington University. A Latin American specialist, Marie has conducted research in Belize, Mexico, Venezuela, Cuba, and Bolivia. She has also traveled widely throughout natural resources use, environmental conservation, and regional development. In 2006 she was a Visiting Scholar at the Migration Policy Institute in Washington, D.C., conducting research on immigration to the world's major cities. Dr. Price brings to Globalization and Diversity a special interest in regions as dynamic spatial constructs that are shaped over time through both global and local forces. Her publications included articles in the Annals of the Association of American Geographers, Geographical Review, Journal of Historical Geography, CLAG Yearbook, Studies in Comparative International Development, the Brookings Institution Survey Series, International Journal of Urban and Regional Research and Focus.
William Wyckoff is a geographer in the Department of Earth Sciences at Montana State University specializing in the cultural and historical geography of North America. He has written and co-edited several books on North American settlement geography, including The Developer's Frontier: The Making of the Western New York Landscape (1998), The Mountainous West: Explorations in Historical Geography (1995) (with Larry M. Dilsaver), Creating Colorado: The Making of a Western American Landscape (2006). In 2003 he received Montana State's Cox Family Fund for Excellence Faculty Award for Teaching and Scholarship. A World Regional Geography instructor for 26 years, Dr. Wyckoff emphasizes in the classroom the connections between the everyday lives of his students and the larger global geographies that surround them and increasingly shape their future.
1 Diversity Amid Globalization
2 The Changing Global Environment
3 North America
4 Latin America
5 The Caribbean
6 Sub-Saharan Africa
7 Southwest Asia and North Africa
8 Europe
9 The Russian Domain
10 Central Asia
11 East Asia
12 South Asia
13 Southeast Asia
14 Australia and Oceania
Detailed Table of Contents
1 Diversity Amid Globalization
Diversity Amid Globalization: A Geography for the Twenty-first Century
Converging Currents of Globalization
Advocates and Critics of Globalization
Diversity in a Globalizing World
Geography Matters: Environments, Regions, Landscapes
Human-Environment Interaction
Areal Differentiation and Integration
Regions
Space into Place: The Cultural Landscape
Scales: Global to Local
Themes and Issues in World Regional Geography
Population and Settlement: People on the Land
Population Growth and Change
The Demographic Transition
Migration Patterns
Settlement Geography
Cultural Coherence and Diversity: The Geography of Tradition and Change
Culture in a Globalizing World
When Cultures Collide
Language and Culture in Global Context
A Geography of World Religions
Geopolitical Framework: Fragmentation and Unity
Global Terrorism
Nation-states
Centrifugal and Centripetal Forces
Boundaries and Frontiers
Colonialism and Decolonialization
International and Supranational Organizations
Economic and Social Development: The Geography of Wealth and Poverty
More- and Less-Developed Countries
Indicators of Economic Development
Indicators of Social Development
The Vision of Sustainable Development
Setting the Boundaries: The Metageography of World Regions
Geographic Tools: From Satellites to Shovels
Global to Local: Is This Nebraska or India? The Globalization of Back-Office Jobs
Cityscapes: Exploring the World's Urban Places
2 The Changing Global Environment
Geology and Human Settlement: A Restless Earth
Plate Tectonics
Geologic Hazards: Earthquakes and Volcanoes
Global Climates: An Uncertain Forecast
Climatic Controls
World Climate Regions
Global Warming
Water on Earth: A Scarce and Polluted Resource
The Global Water Budget
Flooding
Human Impacts on Plants and Animals: The Globalization of Nature
Biomes and Bioregions
Tropical Forests and Savannas
Deforestation in the Tropics
Deserts and Grasslands
Temperate Forests
Food Resources: Environment, Diversity, Globalization
Industrial and Traditional Agriculture
The Green Revolution
Problems and Projections
Global to Local: Globalization, Trade Agreements, and the Environment
Preserving Nature Through International Agreements: The Case of Antarctica
Geographical Tools: Reconstructing Past Environments to Understand Global Change
Local Voices: Via Campesina and Food Sovereignty
3 North America
Environmental Geography: A Threatened Land of Plenty
The Costs of Human Modification
The Price of Affluence
A Diverse Physical Setting
Patterns of Climate and Vegetation
Natural Processes and Natural Hazards
Population and Settlement: Refashioning a Continental Landscape
Modern Spatial and Demographic Patterns
Occupying the Land
North Americans on the Move
Settlement Geographies: The Decentralized Metropolis
Settlement Geographies: Rural North America
Cultural Coherence and Diversity: Shifting Patterns of Pluralism
The Roots of a Cultural Identity
Peopling North America
Culture and Place in North America
Patterns of North American Religion
The Globalization of American Culture
Geopolitical Framework: Patterns of Dominance and Division
Creating Political Space
Continental Neighbors
The Legacy of Federalism
A Global Reach
Economic and Social Development: Geographies of Abundance and Affluence
An Abundant Resource Base
Creating a Continental Economy
North America and the Global Economy
Persisting Social Issues
Setting the Boundaries
Local Voices: Romare Bearden and the Changing Black Experience
Geographic Tools: Housing Affordability and the U.S. Census
Cityscapes: Miami
Geography in the Making: The Growing Global Presence of the U.S. Military
Global to Local: The Pacific Northwest and the Global Economy
4 Latin America
Environmental Geography: Neotropical Diversity
Environmental Issues Facing Latin America
Western Mountains and Eastern Shields
River Basins and Lowlands
Climate
Population and Settlement: The Dominance of Cities
The Latin American City
Patterns of Rural Settlement
Population Growth and Movements
Patterns of Cultural Coherence and Diversity: Repopulating a Continent
Demographic Collapse
Patterns of Ethnicity and Culture
The Global Reach of Latino Culture
Geopolitical Framework:Redrawing the Map
Iberian Conquest and Territorial Division
Regional Organizations
Economic and Social Development: Dependent Economic Growth
Development Strategies
Primary Export Dependency
Latin America in the GlobalEconomy
Social Development
Setting the Boundaries
Local to Global: Can Eco-Friendly Coffee Promote Biodiversity?
Local Voices: Life in Rio de Janeiro's "City of God"
Geographic Tools: Participatory Mapping
Geography in the Making: The Competing Geographies of Free Trade
Cityscapes: Life in the Streets of Ciudad Juarez
5 The Caribbean
Environmental Geography: Paradise Undone
Environmental Issues
The Sea, Islands, and Rimland
Climate and Vegetation
Population and Settlement: Densely Settled Islands and Rimland Frontiers
Demographic Trends
The Rural-Urban Continuum
Cultural Coherence and Diversity: A Neo-Africa in the Americas
The Cultural Imprint of Colonialism
Creating a Neo-Africa
Creolization and Caribbean Identity
Geopolitical Framework: Colonialism, Neo-Colonialism, and Independence
Life in the "American Backyard"
Independence and Integration
Economic and Social Development: From Cane Fields to Cruise Ships
From Fields to Factories and Resorts
Social Development
Setting the Boundaries
Geographic Tools: Tracking Hurricanes
Cityscapes: In the Streets of Havana
Global to Local: The Caribbean Carnival Around the World
Geography in the Making: Maroons Under Assault
Local Voices: Fernando Mateo's Shuttle to Santo Domingo
6 Sub-Saharan Africa
Environmental Geography: The Plateau Continent
Africa's Environmental Issues
Plateaus and Basins
Climate and Vegetation
Population and Settlement: Young and Restless
Population Trends and Demographic Debates
Patterns of Settlement and Land Use
Urban Life
Cultural Coherence and Diversity: Unity Through Adversity
Language Patterns
Religion
Globalization and African Culture
Geopolitical Framework: Legacies of Colonialism and Conflict
Indigenous Kingdoms and European Encounters
European Colonization
Decolonization and Independence
Enduring Political Conflict
Economic and Social Development: The Struggle to Rebuild
Roots of African Poverty
Links to the World Economy
Economic Differentiation Within Africa
Measuring Social Development
Women and Development
Setting the Boundaries
Local Voices: The Sound of Africa
Geographic Tools: Mapping Risky Behavior to Fight HIV/AIDS
Cityscapes: Accra in the Global Economy
Geography in the Making: Darfur Undone
Global to Local: The Used Clothing Trade
7 Southwest Asia and North Africa
Environmental Geography: Life in a Fragile World
Legacies of a Vulnerable Landscape
Regional Landforms
Patterns of Climate
Population and Settlement: Changing Rural and Urban Worlds
The Geography of Population
Water and Life: Rural Settlement Patterns
Many-Layered Landscapes: The Urban Imprint
A Region on the Move
Shifting Demographic Patterns
Cultural Coherence and Diversity: Signatures of Complexity
Patterns of Religion
Geographies of Language
Regional Cultures in Global Context
Geopolitical Framework: Never-ending Tensions
The Colonial Legacy
Modern Geopolitical Issues
An Uncertain Political Future
Economic and Social Development: Lands of Wealth and Poverty
The Geography of Fossil Fuels
Regional Economic Patterns
Issues of Social Development
Global Economic Relationships
Setting the Boundaries
Geographic Tools: Assessing Earthquake Hazards in Turkey
Cityscapes: Fez, Morocco
Local Voices: The Egypt of Naguib Mahfouz
Global to Local: The Marlboro Man Arrives in Istanbul
Geography in the Making: The New Israeli Security Barrier
8 Europe
Environmental Geography: Human Transformation of a Diverse Landscape
Environmental Issues, Local and Global, East and West
Landform and Landscape Regions
Europe's Climates
Seas, Rivers, Ports, and Coastline
Settlement and Population: Slow Growth and Rapid Migration
Natural Growth: Beyond the Demographic Transition
Migration to and Within Europe
The Geography of "Fortress Europe"
The Landscapes of Urban Europe
Cultural Coherence and Diversity: A Mosaic of Differences
Geographies of Language
Geographies of Religion, Past and Present
European Culture in a Global Context
Geopolitical Framework: A Dynamic Map
Redrawing the Map of Europe Through War
A Divided Europe, East and West
The Balkans: Europe's Geopolitical Nightmare 354
Economic and Social Development: Integration and Transition
Europe's Industrial Revolution
Rebuilding Postwar Europe: Economic Integration in the West
Economic Integration, Disintegration, and Transition in Eastern Europe
Setting the Boundaries
Geographic Tools: Landscape Restoration in England
Cityscapes: Berlin Reinvents Itself for the Twenty-first Century
Local Voices: Basque Separatism
Geography in the Making: Terrorism in Europe
Global to Local: Bananas, Beef, and U.S.-EU Trade Wars
9 The Russian Domain
Environmental Geography: A Vast and Challenging Land
A Devastated Environment
A Diverse Physical Setting
Population and Settlement: An Urban Domain
Population Distribution
Regional Migration Patterns
Inside the Russian City
The Demographic Crisis
Cultural Coherence and Diversity: The Legacy of Slavic Dominance
The Heritage of the Russian Empire
Geographies of Language
Geographies of Religion
Russian Culture in Global Context
Geopolitical Framework: Remnants of a Global Superpower
Geopolitical Structure of the Former Soviet Union
Current Geopolitical Setting
The Shifting Global Setting
Economic and Social Development: An Era of Ongoing Adjustment
The Legacy of the Soviet Economy
The Post-Soviet Economy
Growing Economic Globalization
Setting the Boundaries
Geographic Tools: Mapping Russian Forests
Cityscapes: St. Petersburg
Local Voices: Exploring Russian Cultural Identity
Geography in the Making: The Growing Isolation of Russian Kaliningrad
Global to Local: The Tale of Two Siberias
10 Central Asia
Environmental Geography: Steppes, Deserts, and Threatened Lakes of the Eurasian Heartland
Destruction of the Aral Sea
Other Environmental Issues
Central Asia's Physical Regions
Population and Settlement: Densely Settled Oases Amid Vacant Lands
Highland Population and Subsistence Patterns
Lowland Population and Subsistence Patterns
Population Issues
Urbanization in Central Asia
Cultural Coherence and Diversity: A Meeting Ground of Disparate Traditions
Historical Overview: An Indo-European Hearth?
Contemporary Linguistic and Ethnic Geography
Geography of Religion
Central Asian Culture in Traditional and Global Contexts
Geopolitical Framework: Political Reawakening in a Power Void
Partitioning of the Steppes
Central Asia Under Communist Rule 439
Current Geopolitical Tension
International Dimensions of Central Asian Tension
Economic and Social Development: Abundant Resources, Devastated Economies
Economic Development in Central Asia
Social Development in Central Asia
Setting the Boundaries
Geographic Tools: Remote Sensing, GIS, and the Tragedy of the Aral Sea
Cityscapes: Life on the Streets of Samarkand
Global to Local: Louisiana Oil Culture in Central Asia
Geography in the Making: Preparing for Afghanistan's Presidential Election
Local Voices: An Uzbek Militant Renounces Violence
11 East Asia
Environmental Geography: Resource Pressures in a Crowded Land
Flooding, Dam-Building, and Related Issues in China
Other East Asian Environmental Problems
East Asia's Physical Geography
Population and Settlement: A Region of Crowded Basins
Japanese Settlement and Agricultural Patterns
Settlement and Agricultural Patterns in China, Taiwan, and Korea
East Asian Agriculture and Resource Procurement in Global Context
Urbanization in East Asia
Cultural Coherence and Diversity: A Confucian Realm?
Unifying Cultural Characteristics
Religious Unity and Diversity in East Asia
Linguistic and Ethnic Diversity in East Asia
East Asian Cultures in Global Context
The Geopolitical Framework and Its Evolution: The Imperial Legacies of China and Japan
The Evolution of China
The Rise of Japan
Postwar Geopolitics
The Global Dimension of East Asian Geopolitics
Economic and Social Development: An Emerging Core of the Global Economy
Japan's Economy and Society
The Newly Industrialized Countries
Chinese Development
Social Conditions in China
Setting the Boundaries
Cityscapes: Life on the Streets of Tokyo
Global to Local: Golden Arches East
Geographic Tools: The East Asian Gazetteer and the Reconstruction of Historical Geography
Geography in the Making: The North Korea Crisis
Local Voices: China's Rural Poor and the Lure of the City
12 South Asia
Environmental Geography: Diverse Landscapes, from Tropical Islands to Mountain Rim
The Film Star and the Poacher King
Environmental Issues of South Asia
The Four Subregions of South Asia
South Asia's Monsoon Climates
Population and Settlement: The Demographic Dilemma
The Geography of Family Planning
Migration and the Settlement Landscape
Agricultural Regions and Activities
Urban South Asia
Cultural Coherence and Diversity: A Common Heritage Rent by Religious Rivalries
Origins of South Asian Civilizations
The Caste System
Contemporary Geographies of Religion
Geographies of Language
South Asians in a Global Cultural Context
Geopolitical Framework: A Deeply Divided Region
South Asia Before and After Independence in 1947
Ethnic Conflicts in South Asia
International and Global Geopolitics
Economy and Social Development: Burdened by Poverty
South Asian Poverty
Geographies of Economic Development
Globalization and India's Economic Future
Social Development
Setting the Boundaries
Geographic Tools: Survey Work on Contraceptive Use in West Bengal
Cityscapes: Life on the Streets of Mumbai (Bombay)
Local Voices: Appreciating and Resenting Globalization
Geography in the Making: War in Waziristan
Global to Local: Discreet Globalization in Channai
13 Southeast Asia
Environmental Geography: A Once-Forested Region
The Tragedy of the Karen
The Deforestation of Southeast Asia
Fires, Smoke, and Air Pollution
Patterns of Physical Geography
Population and Settlement: Subsistence, Migration, Cities
Settlement and Agriculture
Recent Demographic Change
Urban Settlement
Cultural Coherence and Diversity: A Meeting Ground of World Cultures
The Introduction and Spread of Major Cultural Traditions
Geography of Language and Ethnicity
Southeast Asian Culture in Global Context
Geopolitical Framework: War, Ethnic Strife, and Regional Cooperation
Before European Colonialism
The Colonial Era
The Vietnam War and Its Aftermath
Geopolitical Tension in Contemporary Southeast Asia
International Dimensions of Southeast Asian Geopolitics
Economic and Social Development: The Roller-Coaster Ride of Globalized Development
Economic Leaders and Laggards
Globalization and the Southeast Asian Economy
Issues of Social Development
Setting the Boundaries
Geographic Tools: Statistical Comparisons and the Assessment of Philippine Deforestation
Cityscapes: Metro Manila, Primate City of the Philippines
Local Voices: Linguistic Politics in East Timor
Geography in the Making: Political Upheavals in Burma (Myanmar)
Global to Local: Village Poverty and the Global Maid Business in Indonesia
14 Australia and Oceania
Environmental Geography: A Varied Natural and Human Habitat
Environments at Risk
Australian Environments
New Zealand's Varied Landscape
The Oceanic Realm
Population and Settlement: A Diverse Cultural Landscape
Contemporary Population Patterns
Legacies of Human Occupancy
Modern Settlement Landscapes
Diverse Demographic Paths
Cultural Coherence and Diversity: A Global Crossroads
Multicultural Australia
Patterns in New Zealand
Mosaic of Pacific Cultures
Geopolitical Framework: A Land of Fluid Boundaries
Creating Geopolitical Space
Persisting Geopolitical Tensions
A Regional and Global Identity?
Economic and Social Development: A Hard Path to Paradise
Uncertain Avenues to Affluence
The Global Economic Setting
Enduring Social Challenges
Setting the Boundaries
Global to Local: Multinational Mining, Indigenous People, and Environment Damage in Papua New Guinea
Geographic Tools: Fire Ecology and Management in Australia
Cityscapes: Apia, Capital of Samoa
Local Voices: Tuvalu Talks About Global Warming
Geography in the Making: The Political Overtones of Australia-China Trade
Glossary
Index
