Research Guides: Geography: World Regional Geography

Library Catalog

On the Shelf at CCBC Libraries

Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall In the bestselling tradition of Why Nations Fail and The Revenge of Geography, an award-winning journalist uses ten maps of crucial regions to explain the geo-political strategies of the world powers. All leaders of nations are constrained by geography. Their choices are limited by mountains, rivers, seas, and concrete. To understand world events, news organizations and other authorities often focus on people, ideas, and political movements, but without geography, we never have the full picture. Now, in the relevant and timely Prisoners of Geography, seasoned journalist Tim Marshall examines Russia, China, the USA, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Japan and Korea, and Greenland and the Arctic--their weather, seas, mountains, rivers, deserts, and borders--to provide a context often missing from our political reportage: how the physical characteristics of these countries affect their strengths and vulnerabilities and the decisions made by their leaders. In ten, up-to-date maps of each region, Marshall explains in clear and engaging prose the complex geo-political strategies of these key parts of the globe. What does it mean that Russia must have a navy, but also has frozen ports six months a year? How does this affect Putin's treatment of the Ukraine? How is China's future constrained by its geography? Why will Europe never be united? Why will America never be invaded? Shining a light on the unavoidable physical realities that shape all of our aspirations and endeavors, Prisoners of Geography is the critical guide to one of the major (and most often overlooked) determining factors in world history.
Call Number: JC319 .M37 2015
The World Today by H. J. de Blij; Peter O. Muller; Jan Nijman; Antoinette M. G. A. WinklerPrins Now in a new edition, this book synthesizes the most important geographic concepts and presents them in a concise fashion. Its engaging, up-to-date information and materials bring the world to life and help users understand the interconnectedness of regions. For the first time ever, this book has a 'Voices' feature that allows real people around the world to talk about what it is like to live where they do. In addition, it highlights the most important concepts using a streamlined pedagogy and presents all content online organized by learning objectives. This, along with the customization available through Wiley Custom Select, makes it the ideal book for a one-semester course.
Call Number: G128 .D394 2013
Atlas of the World The only world atlas updated annually, guaranteeing that users will find the most current geographic information, Oxford's Atlas of the World is the most authoritative atlas on the market. Full of crisp, clear cartography of urban areas and virtually uninhabited landscapes around the globe,the Atlas is filled with maps of cities and regions at carefully selected scales that give a striking view of the Earth's surface. Opening with world statistics and a colorful, instructive 48-page Introduction to World Geography - beautifully illustrated with tables and graphs - this acclaimed resource provides details on numerous topics of geographic significance, such as climate change, food and water supply, biodiversity,energy, global conflict, and landforms. The popular satellite image section has been refreshed with stunning new images, while all country descriptions have been updated to reflect the latest developments around the world. Existing maps now depict dozens of new features and additions to the landscape, such as the Santa Maria volcano in Guatemala and a major new container port in Brazil, while new inset maps of Hainan province in China and the United Arab Emirates (coloured for political boundaries) offer expandedcoverage of these regions as compared to previous editions. Providing the finest global coverage available, the Atlas of the World is not only the best-selling volume of its size and price, but also the benchmark by which all other atlases are measured.
Call Number: G1021 .O92 2013

Websites

The National Map
As one of the cornerstones of the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Geospatial Program, The National Map is a collaborative effort among the USGS and other Federal, State, and local partners to improve and deliver topographic information for the Nation. It has many uses ranging from recreation to scientific analysis to emergency response.
WorldAtlas.com
World Maps
from the CIA World Factbook
World Maps
from Geology.com

Databases

Environment Complete
Articles about ecology, energy, natural resources, science, technology, law, public policy, and social impacts.
Science Full Text Select
Articles on science topics.
Global Road Warrior
Overviews of countries and their cultures.

Online From CCBC Libraries

Geography of the world Offers a compelling portrait of our amazing planet continent-by-continent, country-by-country from Afghanistan to Zambia. Contains up-to-date facts about population, language, religion, government, currency and much more. Superb maps, photographs, illustrations and charts bring the world to life and provide instant information on hundreds of topics, from climate to culture.
Publication Date: 2009
Encyclopedia of Geography by Barney L. Warf (Editor) Simply stated, geography studies the locations of things and the explanations that underlie spatial distributions. Profound forces at work throughout the world have made geographical knowledge increasingly important for understanding numerous human dilemmas and our capacities to address them. With more than 1,200 entries, the Encyclopedia of Geography reflects how the growth of geography has propelled a demand for intermediaries between the abstract language of academia and the ordinary language of everyday life. The six volumes of this encyclopedia encapsulate a diverse array of topics to offer a comprehensive and useful summary of the state of the discipline in the early 21st century. Key Features Gives a concise historical sketch of geography's long, rich, and fascinating history, including human geography, physical geography, and GIS Provides succinct summaries of trends such as globalization, environmental destruction, new geospatial technologies, and cyberspace Decomposes geography into the six broad subject areas: physical geography; human geography; nature and society; methods, models, and GIS; history of geography; and geographer biographies, geographic organizations, and important social movements Provides hundreds of color illustrations and images that lend depth and realism to the text Includes a special map section Key Themes Physical Geography Human Geography Nature and Society Methods, Models, and GIS People, Organizations, and Movements History of Geography This encyclopedia strategically reflects the enormous diversity of the discipline, the multiple meanings of space itself, and the diverse views of geographers. It brings together the diversity of geographical knowledge, making it an invaluable resource for any academic library.
Publication Date: 2010
Worldmark encyclopedia of the nations by Galè Volume 1: United Nations. United Nations family of organizations ; Structure of the United Nations system ; Comparison with the League of Nations ; Making of the United Nations ; Purposes and principles ; Membership ; United Nations headquarters ; United Nations budget ; General assembly ; Security Council ; Economic and Social Council ; Trusteeship Council ; International Court of Justice ; Secretariat ; Secretary-General ; International peace and security ; Arms regulation and disarmament ; Peaceful uses of outer space ; Law of the sea ; Economic and social development ; Technical cooperation programs ; Social and humanitarian assistance ; Human rights ; Independence of colonial peoples ; International law ; Universal declaration of human rights ; Addresses of the principal United Nations organizations ; United Nations online databases ; United Nations depository libraries ; Employment at the UN ; Agencies of the United Nations systems ; International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) ; International Labour Organization (ILO) ; Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) ; United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) ; World Health Organization (WHO) ; International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) ; Universal Postal Union (UPU) ; International Telecommunication Union (ITU) ; World Meteorological Organization (WMO) ; International Maritime Organization (IMO) ; World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) ; International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) ; United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) ; World Trade Organization (WTO) ; International Monetary Fund (IMF) ; World Bank Group ; Polar regions: Antarctica, the Arctic, Global climate change -- Volume 2: Africa. Algeria ; Angola ; Benin ; Botswana ; Burkina Faso ; Burundi ; Cameroon ; Cape Verde ; Central African Republic ; Chad ; Comoros ; Congo, Democratic Republic of The (DROC) ; Congo, Republic of The (ROC) ; Côte D’Ivoire ; Djibouti ; Egypt ; Equatorial Guinea ; Eritrea ; Ethiopia ; French African Dependencies ; Gabon ; Gambia ; Ghana ; Guinea ; Guinea-Bissau ; Kenya ; Lesotho ; Liberia ; Libya ; Madagascar ; Malawi ; Mali ; Mauritania ; Mauritius ; Morocco ; Mozambique ; Namibia ; Niger ; Nigeria ; Rwanda ; São Tomé and Príncipe ; Senegal ; Seychelles ; Sierra Leone ; Somalia ; South Africa ; South Sudan ; Sudan ; Swaziland ; Tanzania ; Togo ; Tunisia ; Uganda ; United Kingdom African Dependencies ; Zambia ; Zimbabwe -- Volume 3: Americas. Antigua and Barbuda ; Argentina ; Bahamas ; Barbados ; Belize ; Bolivia ; Brazil ; Canada ; Chile ; Colombia ; Costa Rica ; Cuba ; Dominica ; Dominican Republic ; Ecuador ; El Salvador ; French American Dependencies ; Grenada ; Guatemala ; Guyana ; Haiti ; Honduras ; Jamaica ; Mexico ; Netherlands American Dependencies ; Nicaragua ; Panama ; Paraguay ; Peru ; St. Kitts and Nevis ; St. Lucia ; St. Vincent and the Grenadines ; Suriname ; Trinidad and Tobago ; United Kingdom American Dependencies ; United States ; Uruguay ; Venezuela -- Volume 4: Asia & Oceania. Afghanistan ; Australia ; Azerbaijan ; Bahrain ; Bangladesh ; Bhutan ; Brunei Darussalam ; Cambodia ; China ; Cyprus ; East Timor ; Fiji ; French Pacific Dependencies ; India ; Indonesia ; Iran ; Iraq ; Israel ; Japan ; Jordan ; Kazakhstan ; Kiribati ; Korea, Democratic People's Republic of (DPRK) ; Korea, Republic of (ROK) ; Kuwait ; Kyrgyzstan ; Laos ; Lebanon ; Malaysia ; Maldives ; Marshall Islands ; Micronesia, Federated States of ; Mongolia ; Myanmar ; Nauru ; Nepal ; New Zealand ; Oman ; Pakistan ; Palau ; Palestinian Territories ; Papua New Guinea ; Philippines ; Qatar ; Samoa ; Saudi Arabia ; Singapore ; Solomon Islands ; Sri Lanka ; Syria ; Taiwan ; Tajikistan ; Thailand ; Tonga ; Turkey ; Turkmenistan ; Tuvalu ; United Arab Emirates ; United States Pacific Dependencies ; Uzbekistan ; Vanuatu ; Vietnam ; Yemen -- Volume 5: Europe. Albania ; Andorra ; Armenia ; Austria ; Belarus ; Belgium ; Bosnia and Herzegovina ; Bulgaria ; Croatia ; Czech Republic ; Denmark ; Estonia ; Finland ; France ; Georgia ; Germany ; Greece ; Hungary ; Iceland ; Ireland ; Italy ; Kosovo ; Latvia ; Liechtenstein ; Lithuania ; Luxembourg ; Macedonia ; Malta ; Moldova ; Monaco ; Montenegro ; Netherlands ; Norway ; Poland ; Portugal ; Romania ; Russia ; San Marino ; Serbia ; Slovakia ; Slovenia ; Spain ; Sweden ; Switzerland ; Ukraine ; United Kingdom ; Vatican City.
Publication Date: 2012