Describing in a quarter of a million words not only all the major geographical features but also the earth's formation and the laws that govern it, the 2,500 entries range from elementary particles and the electronic configuration of atoms to the physical geography of the USA. Chemistry, geodesy, geology, geomorphology, mathematics, metereology, oceanography, physical geography, and physics are all covered, and there are biographical entries for all the most significant explorers, geographers, and physical scientists. The book is intended for the non-specialist, but for students seeking to pursue particular subjects there is a selective system of cross-references together with informative captions to the illustrations, nearly 200 of which are in full colour.