Geography of the World's Major Regions

This volume presents a global view of today's most pressing issues through an analysis of the twelve major regions of the world. Environmental degradation, natural catastrophe, population pressures and human conflict all impact in different ways and to different degrees on the society and environment of these regions. Economic and political restructuring within each region is covered, and topics include: natural resources; agriculture; industry and services; the role of the military; and the impact of global economic change. This work is intended as an introduction for students studying the changing geography of the world, but should also provide a useful overview to students researching specific regions, seeking comparative analysis of regions, or following general courses on the economic and political geography of both the post-industrial and the developing worlds. Over 250 photographs, maps and figures complement a range of boxed case-studies, key points, questions and guides to further reading. 1 Introduction 2 A brief history of the world since 1500 3 Population and resources 4 Global contrasts 5 The European Union and EFTA 6 Countries of Western and Central Europe 7 The former USSR 8 Japan and the Korean Republic 9 The USA 10 Canada and Oceania 11 Latin America 12 Africa south of the Sahara 13 North Africa and Southwest Asia 14 South Asia 15 Southeast Asia 16 China and its neighbours 17 Regional prospects 18 Twenty-first-century earth