Trends in Geography

Book excerpt: Trends in Geography: An Introductory Survey reviews trends in geography, including physical geography, human geography, and applied geography. Topics covered include progress in geomorphology, meteorology, climatology, hydrology, historical geography, transport geography, and industrial geography, along with the geography of rural settlements and the ecology of agricultural systems. The importance of geography in area studies is also discussed. This book is comprised of 26 chapters and begins by tracing developments in the field of geography, followed by a discussion on the study of soils in geography and the economic geography of agriculture. The following chapters explore the diversity of urban geography; the role of geography in physical planning and economic planning; planning studies in rural areas; and geographical research on local government. A cultural and historical perspective in area studies is presented by citing the case of Latin America. The final chapter is devoted to geographical studies of developing areas, focusing on the case of tropical Africa. This monograph will be of interest to teachers, students, and practitioners of geography.