China A Geographical Perspective

by Wong, David W. S.; Wong, Kenneth K. K.; Chung, Him; Wang, James J.

• ISBN13: 9781462533749
• ISBN10: 1462533744
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2018-03-07
• Publisher: The Guilford Press

Summary

China has become a superpower, exerting significant influence globally. This accessible text integrates thematic and regional coverage to provide a panoramic view of China--its physical geography; population, including ethnic diversity; urban development; agriculture and land use; transportation networks; dynamic economic processes; and environmental challenges. Cultural and political geography topics are woven throughout the chapters. The text also offers in-depth assessments of selected regions, capturing the complexity of this vast and populous country. It is richly illustrated with more than 150 maps, tables, figures, and photographs--including 8 pages in full color.

Pedagogical Features
*Chapter-opening learning objectives.
*Chapter-opening key concepts and terms.
*Extensive notes pointing students to relevant online resources.
*Engaging topic boxes in every chapter.

Author Biography

David W. S. Wong, PhD, is Professor in the Department of Geography and Geoinformation Science at George Mason University. Formerly, he was Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Hong Kong. His primary thematic research interests are in population and health geographies. His primary technical interests include spatial analysis statistical methods and geovisualization. He has published extensively in measuring spatial segregation, with recent research focusing on uncertainty in spatial data. Dr. Wong has served on the editorial boards of journals including Computers, Environment, and Urban Systems; Demography; and Geographical Analysis.
 
Kenneth K. K. Wong, PhD, was Professor in the Department of Geography at Hong Kong Baptist University until retiring in 2015. He served as Visiting Research Scientist in the Department of Geography at National Taiwan University and as Visiting Professor in the Asian and Asian American Studies Program at Binghamton University, The State University of New York. His research focuses on people’s attitudes toward environmental problems, environmental policy implementation, and, more recently, on the sustainable use of urban green spaces and green urbanism issues. Dr. Wong has published widely in journals including Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, Sustainable Development, Area, Managing Leisure, the International Journal of Environmental Studies, and Public Administration Review.
 
Him Chung, PhD, is Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at Hong Kong Baptist University. His research interests span the rural, urban, and regional geography of China, with foci including rural transformation, urban redevelopment, rural-to-urban migration, and town and regional planning. He has published in journals including Environment and Planning A, International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Eurasian Geography and Economics, Planning Practice and Research, and China Perspective. Dr. Chung is also involved in the promotion and curriculum development of high school geography in Hong Kong.
 
James J. Wang, PhD, is Associate Professor in the Department of Geography at the University of Hong Kong. His research focuses on transportation geography, with special interests in port development, port–city relations, and public transportation in China. He is a member of the Steering Committee of the Transport and Geography Commission of International Geographical Union, a council member of the Hong Kong Society for Transport Studies, and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport. Widely published, Dr. Wang serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Transport Geography, Transportmetrica A, Transportmetrica B, Travel Behaviour and Society, and Asian Geographer. He has participated in port–city planning projects and strategic studies for more than 30 Chinese and other Asian port cities and regions. 

Table of Contents

I. Background
1. Exploring China: The Aspiring Dragon
2. Physical Environment and Resources: Diverse and Abundant
3. Population: Dynamic and Diverse
II. Thematic Topics
4. Agriculture, Food, and Culture
5. China’s Changing Economic Geography: State, Space, and Market
6. Chinese Cities: Growing in Size and Number
7. Beyond the Cities: The Chinese Countryside
8. Transportation Geography and E-Commerce Logistics in China
9. Environmental Crisis with Chinese Characteristics
III. Selected Regions
10. Coastal China
11. The Periphery of China
12. Beyond the Mainland: Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan
Conclusion
13. China at the Crossroads
Appendix: Websites