This text provides an essential reference handbook for students of geography and related social sciences. How did the Greek geographer Eratosthenes make an accurate calculation of the earth's circumstance more than 1,500 years before the first voyage of Columbus to the New World? What are the "green belts" of England that dominate its rural landscape? And what is regarded as the driest continent on the planet? This handbook offers a broad coverage of terminology and concepts, serving as both an encyclopedic dictionary of geography terms and an approachable overview to the human and physical aspects of world geography. Approximately 150 geographic terms and concepts are defined and discussed, providing an accessible reference for anyone who requires a deeper knowledge of the language and ideas that are important to geography as a discipline. Helpful sidebars are provided to shed light on unusual or controversial theories and concepts. All major geographic concepts and terms are addressed and comprehensively explained using examples. Contains more than 30 illustrations, comprising images, maps, charts and graphs Features sidebars that highlight and explain specific topics or provide biographical sketches of key figures in the history of geographic thought Detailed entries cover the most essential concepts of geography as an academic discipline

Latin America and the Caribbean: Readings in Culture, Geography, and History provides students with a collection of articles that explore the history, cultures, geography, and global relevance of these influential and remarkable regions. The text boasts a multidisciplinary approach and features diverse voices that center on debates and issues surrounding Latin America and the Caribbean. The text is divided into six sections. The first section addresses the environment of Latin America and the Caribbean, including readings on climate change, environmental degradation, and post-carbon politics. Section II focuses on prehistory and European conquest, discussing populations such as the Olmec, Maya, Aztec, and the arrival of African slaves. In Section III, students read about the Haitian and Cuban revolutions. Section IV addresses population, migration, and urbanism issues. In Section V, readings center on culture, gender, and religion, spotlighting the complex ideas of identity for those who live in Latin American and the Caribbean. The final section focuses on economy and social development. Each section features an introduction, recommended readings, and post-reading questions. Designed to encourage discussion, critical thinking, and reflection, Latin America and the Caribbean is an ideal resource for courses in ethnic and cultural studies.

In Asia and the Pacific, climate change is now a well-recognised risk to water security but responses to this risk are either under reported, or continue to be guided by the incremental or business as usual approaches. Water policy still tends to remain too narrow and fragmented, compared to the multi-sectoral and cross-scalar nature of risks to water security. What's more, current water security debates tend to be framed in discipline specific or academic ways, failing to understand decision making and problem-solving contexts within which policy actors and partitioners have to operate on a daily basis. Much of the efforts to date has focussed on assessing and predicting the risks in the context of increasing levels of uncertainty. There is still limited analysis of emerging practices of risks assessment and mitigation in different contexts in Asia and the Pacific. Going beyond the national scales and focussing on several socio-ecological zones, this book captures stories written by engaged scholars on recent attempts to develop cross-sectoral and cross-scaler solutions to assess and mitigate risks to water security across Asia and the Pacific. Identifying lessons from successes and failures, it highlights management and strategic lessons that water and climate leaders of Asia and the Pacific need to consider. This book showcases reflective and analytical thought pieces written by key actors in the climate and water spaces. Several critical socio-ecological zones are covered - from Pakistan in the west to pacific islands in the east. The chapters clearly identify strategies for improvement based on the analysis of emerging responses to climate risks to water security and gaps in current practices. The book will include an editorial introduction and a final synthesis chapter to ensure clear articulation of common themes and to highlight the overall messages of the book.