World Regional Geography: A Short Introduction is a compact, focused, and affordable book that provides foundational materials with an emphasis on contemporary issues. The crisp text introduces students to the character of world regional geography - the distinctiveness of different parts of the world - but also the linkages and connections. Part One sets the scene: one introductory chapter discusses the opportunities and dangers in using maps, data, and different scales of analysis, while another surveys broad global trends. The second part of the book explores these trends in sharper focus in a concise geography of the major regions of the world: Central America and the Caribbean, South America, Europe, Russia and its neighbors, East Asia, South East Asia, South Asia, Middle East and North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia and Oceania, and North America. Each chapter examines a region's environmental context, historical geography, economic transformation, urban and rural trends, social geography and geopolitics. Three features distinguish each regional chapter: · Focus spotlights a unique area within each region · Connections highlights a regional attribute that connects it to other regions · Subregions illustrates the diversity within each region This full-color text--featuring meticulously-crafted original maps--is ideal for instructors who prefer the versatility of a concise book with the advantage of a compelling text.