Includes bibliographical references and index.

Chapter 1 --
The Significance of Place 1 --
Why Study Place Geography? 1 --
Some Basic Questions in Geography 1 --
Five Themes in Geography 2 --
Location 3 ? Place 3 ? Relationships within Places 4 ? --
Movement 4 ? Regions 5 --
Placing Events in the Context of Time and Place 5 --
Geoconcept 9 --
Regions 9 --
World Regions 9 --
Some Population Characteristics of World Regions 13 --
Getting Started 14 --
Special Challenge 14 -- Chapter 2 --
The Frame of Reference: Earth¿s Location Grid, Time Zones, and the International Date Line 19 --
Latitude and Longitude 19 --
Check Up 21 --
Geoconcepts 22 --
Understanding Maps 22 ? Map Scale 23 --
? Map Projections 23 --
Solar Time and Time Zones 26 --
The International Date Line 31 --
Check Up 32 -- Chapter 3 --
Lands and Seas 35 --
Introduction 35 --
A Question of Perspective 35 --
Generic Placenames 37 --
Map References 37 --
Archipelago 37 ? Bay 38 ? Cape 38 ? Channel 38 --
? Delta 42 ? Estuary 43 ? Fjord 43 ? Gulf 43 ? Isthmus 43 ? Peninsula 43 ? Plain 43 ? Strait 46 --
Major Islands Associated with Continents 46 --
Pacific Basin 46 ? Europe 46 ? North America 46 --
? Africa 50 ? South America 50 ? Russia, Transcaucasia, and Central Asia 52 ? East Asia 52 ? Southeast Asia 52 ? Middle East and North Africa 52 ? South Asia 52 --
Major Water Bodies 52 --
The 15 Largest Seas, Gulfs, and Bays 57 ? United States and Canada 59 ? --
Russia, Transcaucasia, and Central Asia 59 ? Africa 59 --
? Large Rivers 59 --
Check Up 59 --
Geoconcept 65 --
Territorial Seas and Ocean Sovereignty 65 -- Chapter 4 --
The United States and Canada 69 --
Introduction 69 --
Physical Geography 69 --
Objectives and Study Hints 73 --
Political Geography 73 --
Economic Geography 76 --
Cultural Geography and Demographics 79 --
Perception Maps 83 --
Check Up 83 --
Geoconcepts 86 --
Megalopolis 86 --
Regional Capitals 88 --
An Independent Quebec 89 --
Regional Watchlist 90 -- Chapter 5 --
Europe 91 --
Introduction 91 --
Physical Geography 92 --
Objectives and Study Hints 94 --
Political Geography 95 --
Economic Geography 97 --
Cultural Geography and Demographics 99 --
Check Up 100 --
Geoconcepts 104 --
Ethnicity, States, and Chaos: The Collapse of Yugoslavia 104 --
? Regional Economic Communities 106 --
Regional Watchlist 109 -- Chapter 6 --
Russia, Transcaucasia, and Central Asia: A Region in Transformation 111 --
Introduction 111 --
Physical Geography 112 --
Objectives and Study Hints 112 --
Political Geography 114 --
Economic Geography 114 --
Fund and Flow Resources 118 ? Friction of Space 118 --
? Economic Integration Versus Political Disintegration 120 --
Cultural Geography and Demographics 120 --
Check Up 123 --
Geoconcepts 124 --
National Minorities and the Potential for Further Fragmentation 124 --
? Continentality 125 --
Special Challenge 126 --
Regional Watchlist 126 -- Chapter 7 --
Australia, New Zealand, and Pacific Islands 129 --
Introduction 129 --
Physical Geography 129 --
Objectives and Study Hints 130 --
Political Geography 132 --
The Pacific Islands 133 --
Economic Geography 134 --
Cultural Geography and Demographics 136 --
Check Up 138 --
Geoconcepts 139 --
Choosing a Capital 139 ? Urbanization 140 --
Special Challenge 141 --
Regional Watchlist 145 -- Chapter 8 --
East Asia 147 --
Introduction 147 --
Physical Geography 149 --
Objectives and Study Hints 151 --
Bringing Chinese Placenames into the 21st Century 151 --
Political Geography 152 --
Economic Geography 152 --
Cultural Geography and Demographics 155 --
Check Up 157 --
Geoconcepts 158 --
Diffusion of Technology 158 ? Diffusion Rates of the Industrial Revolution 159 --
SARs and SEZs: The Blending of Communism and Capitalism 162 --
Hong Kong Disneyland: The Mouse and Mao --
Regional Watchlist 163 -- Chapter 9 --
South Asia 165 --
Introduction 165 --
Physical Geography 166 --
The Monsoon 167 --
Objectives and Study Hints 170 --
Political Geography 170 --
Economic Geography 171 --
Cultural Geography and Demographics 175 --
Check Up 175 --
Geoconcepts 177 --
The Population Explosion 177 ? World Languages 180 --
Regional Watchlist 180 -- Chapter 10 --
Southeast Asia 181 --
Introduction 181 --
Physical Geography 183 --
Objectives and Study Hints 184 --
Political Geography 185 --
Economic Geography 186 --
Cultural Geography and Demographics 186 --
Check Up 188 --
Geoconcepts 190 --
Core and Periphery: The Political State and Its People 190 --
? Dividing the Seabeds for Resource Exploitation 191 --
Regional Watchlist 192 -- Chapter 11 --
Africa South of the Sahara 193 --
Introduction 193 --
Physical Geography 193 --
Objectives and Study Hints 194 --
Political Geography 196 --
Colonialism 196 --
Economic Geography 198 --
Cultural Geography and Demographics 201 --
Check Up 204 --
The Tragedy of HIV/AIDS --
Geoconcepts 211 --
Colonialism 211 ? Neocolonialism 212 ? Tribalism¿s Threat to Political Stability 212 --
Regional Watchlist 212 -- Chapter 12 --
The Middle East and North Africa 213 --
Introduction 213 --
Physical Geography 214 --
Objectives and Study Hints 216 --
Political Geography 218 --
Economic Geography 220 --
Cultural Geography and Demographics 222 --
Check Up 224 --
Geoconcepts 226 --
Desertification 226 ? Old Empires, New Empires? Politics and Islamic Fundamentalism 227 --
Regional Watchlist 231 -- Chapter 13 --
Latin America 233 --
Introduction 233 --
Physical Geography 237 --
Objectives and Study Hints 239 --
Political Geography 246 --
Economic Geography 248 --
Cultural Geography and Demographics 249 --
Check Up 249 --
Geoconcepts 251 --
Primate Cities 251 ? Destruction of Tropical Rainforests 253 --
Regional Watchlist 254 --
Appendices 255 --
A 2003 World Population Data 255 --
B Additional Maps 261 --
Index 277.