Essentials of World Regional Geography

402 Pages·2010·42.076 MB·English

by  George White, Joseph Dymond, Elizabeth Chacko, Michael Bradshaw

Essentials of
W O R L D R E G I O N A L
GEOGRAPHY
BRIEF CONTENTS

Essentials of
W O R L D R E G I O N A L
GEOGRAPHY
SECOND EDITION
G eorge W. White
South Dakota State University
J oseph P. Dymond
The George Washington University
E lizabeth Chacko
The George Washington University
M ichael Bradshaw
College of St. Mark and St. John, Plymouth, U.K.
ESSENTIALS OF WORLD REGIONAL GEOGRAPHY SECOND EDITION
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
White, George W., 1963-
Essentials of world regional geography/George W. White … [et al.].—2nd ed.
p. cm.
Rev. ed. of : Contemporary world regional geography/Michael Bradshaw, George W.
White, Joseph P. Dymond, c2004.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-07-336933-4
1. Geography. I. Bradshaw, Michael J. (Michael John), 1935- Contemporary world regional
geography. II. Title.
G116.B72 2011
910—dc22
2010003525
www.mhhe.com
To Emily, Geo, and Jackson,
Maureen, Madison, and Jose,
Thomas, Rebecca, and Abraham,
Valerie, Paul, and John
BRIEF CONTENTS
1
Essentials of World Regional Geography 1
2
Europe 37
3
Russia and Neighboring Countries 72
4
East Asia 107
5
Southeast Asia 135
6
South Asia 154
7
Northern Africa and Southwestern Asia 182
8
Africa South of the Sahara 218
9
Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica 255
10
Latin America 279
11
North America 318
Glossary 355
Index 364
vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3
About the Authors ix
Preface xi Russia and
Neighboring
1
Countries 72
Essentials of
New World Regional Order 74
World Regional Distinctive Physical Geography 74
Distinctive Human Geography 76
Geography 1
Geographic Diversity 92
Contemporary Geography 2 Contemporary Geographic Issues 98
Globalization and Localization 5 Geography at Work: Policy Analysis 106
Regions and Natural Environments 5
Regions and Cultural Geography 14 4
Regions and People 17
East Asia 107
Regions and Politics 20
Regions and Economics: Wealth and
Defi ning the
Poverty 22
Region 108
Geography, Development, and Human
Distinctive Physical Geography 109
Rights 29
Distinctive Human Geography 110
Major World Regions 33
Geographic Diversity 116
Geography at Work: AAG President in Iran:
Contemporary Geographic Issues 125
Reconciling Differences 36
Geography at Work: China’s Landscapes and
Global Change 134
2
5
Europe 37
Southeast
European Infl uences 38
Distinctive Physical Asia 135
Geography 38
Distinctive Human Geography 42 Diverse Region, Closer
Geographic Diversity 55 Internal Ties 136
Contemporary Geographic Issues 63 Defi ning the Region 136
Geography at Work: Responding to Climate Distinctive Physical Geography 136
Change 71 Distinctive Human Geography 138
vii
viii Table of Contents
9
Geographic Diversity 142
Contemporary Geographic Issues 149 Australia,
Geography at Work: The Tsunami of Oceania, and
December 2004 153
Antarctica 255
6
The Regional Infl uence of the Sea 256
South Asia 154 Distinctive Physical Geography 256
Distinctive Human Geography 262
Defi ning the Region 155 Geographic Diversity 268
Distinctive Physical Contemporary Geographic Issues 276
Geography 155 Geography at Work: The Geographic
Distinctive Human Geography 160 Exploration of Antarctica 278
Geographic Diversity 165
Contemporary Geographic Issues 171 10
Geography at Work: Battling Infectious
Latin
Diseases 181
America 279
7
Latin America: Dramatic
Northern Africa Contrasts 280
and Southwestern Distinctive Physical Geography 280
Distinctive Human Geography 288
Asia 182
Geographic Diversity 300
Contemporary Geographic Issues 311
Global Center of Importance 184
Geography at Work: Agricultural Change in
Distinctive Physical Geography 184
Indigenous Land in the Amazon 316
Distinctive Human Geography 188
Geographic Diversity 202
11
Contemporary Geographic Issues 210
Geography at Work: Operation Iraqi North
Freedom 217
America 318
8
Defi ning the
Africa South of Region 319
Distinctive Physical Geography 319
the Sahara 218
Distinctive Human Geography 324
Geographic Diversity 334
The Challenge 219
Contemporary Geographic Issues 348
Defi ning Africa South of
Geography at Work: Geography and The
the Sahara 219
National Geographic Society 353
Distinctive Physical Geography 220
Distinctive Human Geography 222
Geographic Diversity 229 Glossary 355
Contemporary Geographic Issues 243
I ndex 364
Geography at Work: Mapmakers and GIS
Analysts 254
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
George W. White Joe Dymond
G eorge W. White grew up in Joe Dymond earned a master
Oakland, California. He pursued of science degree from Penn-
graduate work in Eugene, Or- sylvania State University in
egon, completing a Ph.D. at the 1994, and a master of natural
University of Oregon. He then sciences degree from Louisiana
moved to Frostburg, Maryland, State University in 1999. He
where he met his wife. George taught world regional geogra-
served as a faculty member for phy courses for the Louisiana
15 years at Frostburg State Uni- State University Department
versity, attaining the rank of full of Geography and Anthropol-
professor and serving for a time ogy from 1995 through 2000.
as department chair. He recently During Joe’s six years at LSU,
moved to South Dakota State University, where he now serves as he instructed thousands of students and was recognized in the
head of the Department of Geography. Political geography and spring of 1997, fall of 1999, and fall of 2000 for superior in-
Europe are two of his primary interests. He authored a book struction to freshman students by the Louisiana State Univer-
titled N ationalism and Territory: Constructing Group Identity in sity Freshman Honor Society, Alpha Lamba Delta. Joe currently
Southeastern Europe (2000) and a second titled Nation, State, and lives in suburban Washington, D.C., with his wife and children,
Territory. Vol. 1. Origins, Evolutions, and Developments (2004). and is an assistant adjunct professor in the Department of Ge-
A fter meeting Michael Bradshaw, George was impressed by ography at The George Washington University (GWU). In the
Michael’s long and distinguished career of teaching, research, fall of 2006, Joe was honored by GWU as a recipient of a 2006
and publication. He accepted the opportunity to join Michael in Morton A. Bender Teaching Award.
his plans to write a new world regional geography text. He ini- Joe is the secondary author for Chapter 1 and is the lead au-
tially took lead authorship of the chapters on Europe and Russia thor of the regional chapters on Oceania and the South Pacifi c,
and Neighboring Countries, later adding Northern Africa and Latin America, and North America. Joe is interested in provid-
Southwestern Asia. George is now one of the main authors of ing students with the geographic tools that will help them to bet-
Chapter 1 and leads the author team. ter understand the human and environmental patterns present in
George became a geographer because he believes that the their world. His greatest concern for geography students is that
fi eld of geography is alive and dynamic, attuned to our ever- they obtain a comprehensive and fair perspective when learn-
changing world and its great diversity. The world regional ap- ing about the people and places comprising the regions of the
proach represents the breadth of the fi eld of geography, and world. The style of this text, including the “Debate” boxes and
world regional geography texts are the epitome of the geog- end of chapter case studies, attempts to tell the regional geo-
rapher’s art. George White chose to collaborate with Michael graphic story from many perspectives. This structure permits
Bradshaw on this project because the text combines local prac- students to better analyze geographic characteristics, connec-
tices with global processes, and explains interactions between tions, and relationships around the world and to think critically
the two as they shape each other. about important global issues. Contemporary World Regional
Geography: Global Connections. Local Voices teaches rather
than lectures.
ix
x About the Authors
Elizabeth Chacko Michael
Bradshaw
Elizabeth Chacko was born and
raised in Kolkata, India. She
Michael Bradshaw and his wife
received her undergraduate de-
live in Canterbury, England,
gree in geography (with honors)
and have two sons and three
from the University of Calcutta.
grandchildren. Michael taught
Moving to the United States
for 25 years at the College of
for further study, she earned a
St. Mark and St. John, Plym-
master’s degree in geography
outh, as Geography Department
from Miami University, Ohio.
chair and dean of the humani-
She also obtained a graduate
ties course. He has written texts
degree in public health and
for British high schools and
a Ph.D. in geography from the University of California, Los
colleges since the 1960s. In 1985, he was awarded a Ph.D. from
Angeles (UCLA). Elizabeth taught geography at the college
Leicester University for his study on the impacts of federal
level at various institutions, including Loreto College, Kolkata;
grant-aid in Appalachia. His book T he Appalachian Regional
UCLA, and The George Washington University, where she is
Commission: Twenty-Five Years of Government Policy was pub-
Chair and Associate Professor of Geography and International
lished in 1992. Since 1991, he has written for U.S. students and
Affairs.
was responsible for two physical geography texts and the suc-
E lizabeth was selected as Professor of the Year from the Dis-
cessful world regional geography text, The New Global Order .
trict of Columbia in 2006 by the Carnegie Foundation for the
Michael believes that we should all be better equipped to live in
Advancement of Teaching and the Council for the Advance-
the modern, increasingly global world. Understanding of geo-
ment and Support of Education (CASE). She teaches courses
graphic differences should make us more able to assess crucial
on South Asia, globalization, medical and population geogra-
issues and value other people who bring varied resources and
phy, and development. Elizabeth’s research interests include
who face pressures that we fi nd diffi cult to imagine.
women’s health and the role of culture in health and health care.
Contemporary World Regional Geography: Global Connec-
She is currently engaged in research on transnationalism, the
tions, Local Voices was awarded McGraw-Hill’s First Edition
African immigrant community in the United States, and the re-
of the Year in 2004 and now reaches its third edition. Michael
turn migration of Asian Indian professionals to India. Elizabeth
led the team of three other co-authors in the fi rst edition and in
is on the editorial board of the J ournal of Cultural Geography
Essentials of World Regional Geography (2008). His name is
and the Professional Geographer, and she is a member of the
associated with the project and he continues to be involved.
Board of Trustees of the Population Reference Bureau.
I n this edition, Elizabeth is the lead author for the chapters
on South Asia and East Asia. She is delighted to be part of an
author team of committed geographers. She enjoys helping stu-
dents understand the dynamic interactions between humans and
the earth’s surface and comprehend the interplay of economic,
sociocultural, and political forces that impact globalization and
the spatial variations that result at local, regional, and global
scales. She hopes that this book will raise students’ appreciation
of the relevance and signifi cance of geography in their lives.