Introduction to Geography is written to clearly and concisely convey the nature of the field of geography, its intellectual challenges, and the logical interconnections of its parts. Even if students take no further work in geography, they will have come into contact with the richness and breadth of Geography and have new insights and understandings for their present and future roles as informed adults. This new edition provides students content and scope of the subfields of geography, emphasizes its unifying themes, and provides the foundation for further work in their areas of interest.

This thirteenth edition of Human Geography retains the organization and structure of its earlier versions. Like them, it seeks to introduce its users to the scope and excitement of geography and its relevance to their daily lives and roles as informed citizens. We recognize that for any students, human geography may be their first or only work in geography and this, their first or only textbook in the discipline. For these students particularly, we seek to convey the richness and breadth of human geography and to give insight into the nature and intellectual challenges of the field of geography itself.

"Introduction to Geography," 13th edition, by Getis and Getis 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. They also include information on current events, such as the earthquake in Haiti. 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 centers on one of these geographic perspectives.