Human Geography

International in scope and written for Canadians - an authoritative and comprehensive introduction to Human Geography

The tenth edition of this bestselling text offers a comprehensive introduction to the discipline's essential concepts and methods. With a well-balanced mix of international and Canadian examples, the text examines the ways in which human behaviour transforms the earth's surface in response to changing social, cultural, political, and environmental factors.

Michael Mercier, Assistant Professor, School of Geography and Earth Sciences, McMaster University,William Norton, Former professor, Department of Environment and Geography, University of Manitoba

Michael Mercier is an assistant professor in the School of Geography and Earth Sciences at McMaster University.

William Norton is a former professor in the Department of Environment and Geography at the University of Manitoba.

Note: All chapters include:
- Chapter Introduction
- Points to Consider
- Conclusion
- Summary
- Questions for Critical Thought
- List of Links to Other Chapters
Tenth Edition: Special Features
1. What Is Human Geography? NEW
Defining Human Geography
Concepts: Space, Place, and Region
Concepts: Interaction, Communication, and Movement
Geographic Tools
People and Places
2. Population and Health Geography
Population Distribution
Population Dynamics
Fertility
Mortality
Natural Increase
Government Policies
The Composition of a Population
History of Population Growth
Explaining Population Growth
Migration
Health Geographies
3. Uneven Development and Global Inequalities
Identifying Global Inequalities
Explaining Global Inequalities
Interpreting the Significance of Global Inequalities
Feeding the World
Refugees
Natural Disasters and Diseases
Prospects for Economic Growth
Striving for Equality, Fairness, and Social Justice
4. Geographies of Culture and Landscape
A World Divided by Culture?
Formal Cultural Regions
Vernacular Cultural Regions
The Making of Cultural Landscapes
Cultural Variables: Language and Religion
Language
Religion
5. Geographies of Identity and Difference
The Cultural Turn
The Myth of Race
Ethnicity
Gender
Sexuality
Identities and Landscape
Geographies of Well-Being
Folk Culture and Popular Culture
Tourism
6. Political Geography
State Creation
Geopolitics (and Geopolitik)
Unstable States
Groupings of States
The Role of the State
Elections: Geography Matters
The Geography of Peace and War
Our Geopolitical Future?
7. An Urban World
An Urbanizing World
The Origins and Growth of Cities
The Location of Cities
Urban Systems and Hierarchies
Global Cities
8. Urban Form and the Social Geography of the City
Explaining Urban Form
Housing and Neighbourhoods
Suburbs and Sprawl
Inequality and Poverty
Cities as Centres of Production and Consumption
Transportation and Communication
Planning the City
Cities of the Less Developed World
9. Geographies of Food and Agriculture
The Geography of Food Production
Distance, Land Value, and Land Use
Domesticating Plants and Animals
The Evolution of World Agricultural Landscapes
World Agriculture Today: Types and Regions
Global Agricultural Restructuring
Food Production, Food Consumption, and Identity
10. Geographies of Energy, Industry, and Services
Economic Activity
The Industrial Location Problem
The Industrial Revolution
Fossil Fuel Sources of Energy
World Industrial Geography
Globalization and Industrial Geographies
Uneven Development in More Developed Countries
11. Geographies of Globalization
Introducing Globalization
Geography as a Discipline in Distance
Overcoming Distance: Transportation
Overcoming Distance: Trade
Overcoming Distance: Transnational Corporations (TNCs)
Overcoming Distance: Transmitting Information
Interpreting, Conceptualizing, and Measuring Globalization
The Global Economic System
Cultural Globalization
Political Globalization
Globalization: Good or Bad?
12. Humans and the Environment
A Global Perspective
Environmental Concern
Human Impacts on Vegetation
Human Impacts on Animals
Human Impacts on Land, Soil, Air, and Water
Earth's Vital Signs
Sustainability and Sustainable Development
Glossary
References
Index