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Introduction World Regional Geography a Global Perspective 2
A World on Maps 4
Geography’s Perspective 5
World Geographic Realms 7
Regions within Realms 10
The Physical Setting 11
Realms of Population 14
Realms of Culture 17
A World of States 22
Geographies of Development 23
Globalization 26
Regional and Systematic Geography 29
Chapter 1 The North American Realm 32
Defining the Realm 34
Population Clusters 36
North America’s Physical Geography 36
Native Americans and European Settlement 39
Cultural Foundations 40
The Federal Map of North America 40
The Distribution of Natural Resources 43
Urbanization and the Spatial Economy 44
The Making of a Multicultural Realm 49
Regionalism in Canada: Divisive Forces 50
Regionalism and Ethnicity in the United States 52
Regions of North America 53
The North American Core (1) 53
The Maritime Northeast (2) 53
French Canada (3) 55
The Southeast (4) 55
The Southwest (5) 55
The Pacific Hinge (6) 56
The Western Frontier (7) 57
The Continental Interior (8) 58
The Northern Frontier (9) 58
Chapter 2 The Middle American Realm 60
Defining the Realm 62
The Realm’s Northern Boundary 63
Physical Geography of Middle America 65
Cultural Geography 67
Political and Economic Fragmentation 69
Regions of Middle America 71
Mexico 71
The Central American Republics 78
The Caribbean Basin 84
The Greater Antilles 85
The Lesser Antilles 89
Chapter 3 The South American Realm 90
Defining the Realm 92
Physiography 92
States Ancient and Modern 93
The Cultural Mosaic 95
Economic Geography 96
Urbanization and its Regional Expressions 99
External Relations 101
Regions of South America 102
The Caribbean North 102
The Andean West 107
The Southern Cone 112
Brazil: Giant of South America 116
Future Prospects of South America 121
Chapter 4 The European Realm 122
Defining the Realm 124
Geographical Features 124
Modern Historical Geography 127
Contemporary Europe: A Dynamic Realm 130
A Changing Population Mosaic 132
European Unification 133
Consequences of Unification 135
Redefining Europe: Difficult Choices 136
NATO, the United States, and European Security 140
Regions of europe 140
Europe’s Regional Complexity 140
Western Europe 141
Northern Europe 150
Mediterranean Europe 153
Eastern Europe 156
Europe’s Future Prospects 162
Chapter 5 The Russian/Central Asian Realm 164
Defining the Realm 166
Physical Geography of Russia/Central Asia 167
The Natural Riches of Russia and Central Asia 171
Russia’s Czarist Roots 171
The Soviet Union (1922–1991) 174
Post‐Soviet Russia and Central Asia 176
Regions of Russia and Central Asia 179
The New Russia 180
A Volatile Economy 183
The Russian Core 184
The Southeastern Frontier 186
Siberia 187
The Russian Far East 187
Transcaucasia 188
Central Asia 192
A Realm in Flux 196
Chapter 6 The North African/Southwest Asian Realm 198
Defining the Realm 200
Naming This Pivotal Realm 200
Hearths of Cultures 202
Stage for Islam 204
The Ottoman Empire and its Aftermath 206
The Power and Peril of Oil 207
Fragmented Modernization 210
The Arab Spring of 2011 and its Aftermath 212
Politics and Religion 213
A Realm in Turmoil 214
Regions of North Africa/Southwest Asia 216
Egypt and the Lower Nile Basin 216
The Middle East 220
The Arabian Peninsula 225
The Empire States 228
The Maghreb and its Neighbors 232
The African Transition Zone 234
Chapter 7 The Subsaharan African Realm 238
Defining the Realm 240
Africa’s Physiography 240
Africa’s Historical Geography 243
The Colonial Transformation 244
Human–Environment Relations in Subsaharan Africa 248
Population and Health 250
Cultural Patterns 252
Urbanization and Africa’s Dual Economies 254
Africa Rising? 255
Regions of Subsaharan Africa 260
West Africa 260
East Africa 265
Equatorial Africa 268
Southern Africa 270
Chapter 8 The South Asian Realm 278
Defining the Realm 280
The Geographic Panorama 280
South Asia’s Physiography 281
Birthplace of Civilizations 283
Foreign Invaders 285
The Geopolitics of Modern South Asia 287
Emerging Markets and Fragmented Modernization 290
South Asia’s Population Geography 293
Regions of South Asia 297
The West 299
India: Giant of the Realm 302
Bangladesh 310
The Northern Mountain States 311
The Southern Islands 312
Chapter 9 The East Asian Realm 314
Defining the Realm 316
The Geographic Panorama 316
Political Geography 317
Environment and Population 317
Natural Resources 321
Peoples of the East Asian Realm 323
East Asia’s Post–World War II Development 323
East Asia’s Economic Transformation 325
Geopolitics in East Asia 326
Regions of East Asia 328
The People’s Republic of China 329
China’s Coastal Core 333
China’s Interior 338
China’s Western Periphery 341
Mongolia 343
The Korean Peninsula 344
Japan 347
Taiwan 350
Chapter 10 The Southeast Asian Realm 352
Defining the Realm 354
A Geographic Overview 354
Southeast Asia’s Physical Geography 355
Political Geography: Territorial Configurations 358
Population Geography 359
Religions of Southeast Asia 363
The Imprint of Colonialism 364
Southeast Asia’s Emerging Markets 365
China in Southeast Asia Today 367
Geopolitics in the South China Sea 368
Regions of Southeast Asia 370
Mainland Southeast Asia 370
Insular Southeast Asia 378
Chapter 11 The Austral Realm 386
Defining the Realm 388
Land and Environment 388
Regions of the Austral Realm 391
Australia 391
New Zealand 399
Chapter 12 Pacific Realm and Polar Futures 404
Defining the Realm 406
Colonization and Independence 407
The Pacific Realm and its Marine Geography 407
Pacific Regions 410
Melanesia 410
Micronesia 412
Polynesia 413
Pacific Futures 414
Partitioning the Antarctic 414
Geopolitics in the Arctic Basin 415
Glossary GL-1
Index I-1
Appendix A A-1
