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![The World Today: Concepts and Regions in Geography, 8th Edition [Rental Edition] book cover, ISBN 9781119688570](https://simages.ecampus.com/images/d/8/570/9781119688570.jpg "The World Today: Concepts and Regions in Geography, 8th Edition [Rental Edition],9781119688570")
Contents xv
1 Introduction: World Regional Geography 3
A World on Maps 4
Technology & Geography: Geospatial Data: Understanding Our World 5
Geography’s Perspective 6
World Geographic Realms 7
Regions Within Realms 11
The Physical Setting 12
Global Climate Change: The Anthropocene 14
Realms of Population 17
Realms of Culture 19
A World of States 24
Geographies of Development 24
Globalization 27
Geographic Information Analysis: The Geography of CO2
Emissions 29
Regional and Thematic Geographies 29
Geographic Information Analysis: Global Migration Flows 30
2 The North American Realm 35
Defining The Realm 37
Population Clusters 38
North America’s Physiography 39
Global Climate Change in North America 41
Native Americans and European Settlement 41
The Federal Map of North America 43
The Distribution of Natural Resources 43
Urbanization and the Spatial Economy 46
The Information Economy and City Regions 48
Geographies of Inequality 50
Technology & Geography: GPS, Sensors, and Self-Driving Cars 51
Geographic Information Analysis: Geography and Elections in the United States 53
The Making of a Multicultural Realm 53
Geographic Information Analysis: Race and Housing Values in Los Angeles 54
Regionalism in Canada: Divisive Forces 56
Regionalism and Ethnicity in the United States 57
Regions of North America 58
Region The Northeast (1) 59
Region North Atlantic Coast (2) 60
Region French Canada (3) 60
Region The Southeast (4) 60
Region The Southwest (5) 61
Region The West Coast (6) 61
Region The Rocky Mountains Region (7) 63
Region The Midwest (8) 63
Region The Northern Frontier (9) 63
3 The Middle American Realm 67
Defining The Realm 68
The Realm’s Northern Boundary 69
Physical Geography of Middle America 71
Cultural Geography 74
Political and Economic Fragmentation 76
Geographic Information Analysis: Connectivity and Economic Development in Middle America 78
Regions of Middle America 78
Region Mexico 80
Region The Central American Republics 85
Technology & Geography: The Shipping Container 90
Geographic Information Analysis: Remittances Between the United States and Middle America 91
The Caribbean Basin 92
Region The Greater Antilles 93
Region The Lesser Antilles 97
4 The South American Realm 101
Defining The Realm 102
States Ancient and Modern 103
Cultural Geographies 106
Economic Geography 107
Technology & Geography: Remote Sensing and Deforestation 108
Urbanization and Its Regional Expressions 110
The United States and China in South America 112
Geographic Information Analysis: Income Inequality in South American States and Cities 113
Regions of South America 114
Region The Caribbean North 115
Region The Andean West 119
Global Climate Change on Bolivia’s Altiplano 123
Region The Southern Cone 124
Geographic Information Analysis: Wine Growing Regions of the World 127
Region Brazil: Giant of South America 128
5 The European Realm 137
Defining The Realm 138
Physical Geography 139
Global Climate Change in Europe 141
Technology & Geography: What is GIS? 142
Modern Historical Geography 142
Contemporary Europe: A Dynamic Realm 144
European Unification 146
Consequences of Unification 149
Recent Challenges of Integration 152
European Geopolitics 154
Geographic Information Analysis: Demography is Destiny? 158
Migration, Multicultural Challenges, and Prospects of Integration 159
Regions of Europe 160
Region Western Europe 161
Region Northern Europe 168
Region Mediterranean Europe 172
Region Eastern Europe 176
Geographic Information Analysis: Ukraine: A Linguistic and Economic Transition Zone 182
Europe’s Future Prospects 183
6 The Russian/Central Asian Realm 185
Defining The Realm 186
Physical Geography of Russia/Central Asia 187
Global Climate Change in Russia 190
Technology & Geography: Russia’s Nuclear Icebreakers in the Arctic Ocean 193
Russia’s Czarist Roots 193
The Soviet Experiment (1922–1991) 196
Post-Soviet Russia and the Near Abroad 198
Regions of Russia and Central Asia 202
The New Russia 203
Geographic Information Analysis: Population Change Across Russia 207
Region The Russian Core 208
Region Southern Siberia 209
Region Northern Siberia 211
Region The Russian Far East 211
Region Transcaucasia 212
Geographic Information Analysis: Ethnic Geographies of Southern Russia and Transcaucasia 215
Region Central Asia 216
7 The North African/Southwest Asian Realm 221
Defining The Realm 222
Ancient Hearths of Cultures 223
Stage for Islam 225
The Ottoman Empire and Its Aftermath 227
Economic Geography 228
Technology & Geography: Global Water Needs and Desalination 232
Pervasive Political Geographies 233
Geographic Information Analysis: Development and Democracy 234
Politics and Religion 235
The Refugee Problem 238
Regions of North Africa/Southwest Asia 239
Region Egypt and the Lower Nile Basin 241
Region The Middle East 243
Region The Arabian Peninsula 249
Region The Empire States 253
Region The Maghreb and Its Neighbors 257
Region The African Transition Zone 259
8 The Subsaharan African Realm 265
Defining The Realm 266
Africa’s Physiography 266
Africa’s Historical Geography 268
Geographic Information Analysis: Ethnic Groups of Subsaharan Africa 270
Human–Environment Relations 273
Population and Health 276
Cultural Geographies 278
Urbanization and Africa’s Dual Economies 280
Africa Rising? 280
Geographic Information Analysis: China’s Exports to Subsaharan Africa 284
Regions of Subsaharan Africa 285
Region West Africa 286
Region East Africa 291
Region Equatorial Africa 295
Technology & Geography: Mobile Money in Subsaharan Africa 296
Region Southern Africa 299
Global Climate Change in Subsaharan Africa 301
9 The South Asian Realm 309
Defining The Realm 310
South Asia’s Physiography 311
Birthplace of Civilizations and Religions 313
Foreign Invaders 314
The Geopolitics of Modern South Asia 317
Emerging Markets and Fragmented Modernization 320
Technology & Geography: Drones of War 321
Geographic Information Analysis: Comparing the Megacities of Dhaka and Los Angeles 324
South Asia’s Population Geography 324
Global Climate Change in South Asia 326
Geographic Information Analysis: Female/Male Sex Ratios across India 330
Regions of South Asia 329
Region The West: Afghanistan’s Transition Zone 331
Region The West: Pakistan 334
Region India: Giant of the Realm 336
Region Bangladesh 343
Region The Northern Mountain States 345
Region The Southern Islands 346
10 The East Asian Realm 351
Defining The Realm 352
Environment and Population 353
Peoples of the East Asian Realm 357
Global Climate Change in China 358
East Asia’s Economic Transformation 360
East Asia’s Population Dynamics 362
Geopolitics in East Asia Today 364
Geographic Information Analysis: Where Can North Korea’s Missiles Reach? 367
China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) 368
Regions of East Asia 369
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) 371
Technology & Geography: High-Speed Rail in China 375
Geographic Information Analysis: Urbanization and Economic Growth in China 376
Region China’s Coastal Core 377
Geographic Information Analysis: Population Change in the Pearl River Delta 380
Region China’s Interior 380
Region China’s Western Periphery 383
Region Mongolia 386
Region The Korean Peninsula 387
Region Japan 389
Region Taiwan 392
11 The Southeast Asian Realm 395
Defining The Realm 396
Physical Geography 397
Population Geography 400
Cultural Geographies 402
Economic Geography of Southeast Asia 405
Geographic Information Analysis: Trade Patterns in Southeast Asia 407
Geopolitics in Southeast Asia 408
Geographic Information Analysis: Maritime Claims in the South China Sea 412
Regions of Southeast Asia 414
Region Mainland Southeast Asia 414
Technology & Geography: Making the Invisible Visible—LiDAR at Cambodia’s Angkor Wat 417
Global Climate Change in Myanmar 422
Region Insular Southeast Asia 423
12 The Austral Realm 433
Defining The Realm 434
Physiography of the Austral Realm 434
The Realm’s Asian Turn 438
Regions of The Austral Realm 439
Region Australia 439
Global Climate Change in Australia 444
Geographic Information Analysis: The Aboriginal Population Distribution 445
New Zealand 446
13 The Pacific Realm and Polar Regions 451
Defining The Pacific Realm 452
Colonization and Independence in the Pacific Realm 453
Technology & Geography: The Tsunami Warning System in the Pacific 454
The Pacific Realm and Its Marine Geography 455
Regions of The Pacific Realm 457
Region Melanesia 459
Region Micronesia 460
Region Polynesia 460
Global Climate Change in the Pacific 461
The Polar Regions 463
Partitioning the Antarctic 463
Geopolitics and Global Climate Change in the Arctic Basin 465
Geographic Information Analysis: The Shrinking North Polar Icecap 467
Appendix Metric (Standard International [SI]) and Customary Units and Their Conversions A-1
Glossary G-1
Index I-1
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