Introduction to Geography

This market-leading book introduces college students to the breadth and spatial insights of the field of geography. The authors' approach allows the major research traditions of geography to dictate the principal themes. Chapter 1 introduces students to the four organizing traditions that have emerged through the long history of geographical thought and writing: earth science, culture-environment, location, and area analysis. Each of the four parts of this book centres on one of those geographic perspectives. - Extensive changes in the Population Geography chapter include an expanded discussion of HIV/AIDS and other disease and mortality matters; revision and expansion of "A Divided World Converging"; inclusion of a new "agricultural density" segment; and extensive revision and updating of most boxed discussions. - Material on geopolitics has been replaced by a substantially revised and expanded discussion of boundaries as sources of conflict, a new section on supranationalism, and a new boxed reading.;- Chapter opening vignettes capture the reader's interest and attention in preparation for the subject matter that follows, while boxed inserts throughout the text further develop points or ideas discussed in each chapter.