Geography For Nongeographers

Geography for Nongeographers Frank R. Spellman Government Institutes An imprint of THE SCARECROW PRESS, INC. Lanham • Toronto • Plymouth, UK 2010 ................. 17645$ $$FM 02-03-10 13:00:10 PS PAGE i Published by Government Institutes An imprint of The Scarecrow Press, Inc. A wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. 4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706 http://www.govinstpress.com Estover Road, Plymouth PL6 7PY, United Kingdom Copyright  2010 by Government Institutes All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review. The reader should not rely on this publication to address specific questions that apply to a particular set of facts. The author and the publisher make no representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the completeness, correctness, or utility of the information in this publication. In addition, the author and the publisher assume no liability of any kind whatsoever resulting from the use of or reliance upon the contents of this book. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Spellman, Frank R. Geography for nongeographers / Frank R. Spellman. p. cm. ISBN 978-1-60590-686-7 (pbk. : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-1-60590-687-4 (electronic) 1. Geography. I. Title. G128.S655 2010 910⬘.02—dc22 2009046974  ⬁ The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992. Printed in the United States of America ................. 17645$ $$FM 02-03-10 13:00:12 PS PAGE ii For JoAnn Garnett-Chapman: The Ultimate Traveler ................. 17645$ $$FM 02-03-10 13:00:12 PS PAGE iii ................. 17645$ $$FM 02-03-10 13:00:12 PS PAGE iv Contents Preface vii PART I: THE BASICS 1 Introduction 3 PART II: PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Landforms Weathering Running Water Systems Glacial Landforms Volcanic Landforms and Plate Tectonics Wind-Eroded Landforms Coastal Features 27 51 59 75 95 111 127 PART III: CLIMATE AND WEATHER ASPECTS 9 Climate and Weather 135 PART IV: SOIL ASPECTS 10 Soil 173 PART V: ECOLOGICAL ASPECTS 11 Ecology 197 PART VI: HUMAN AND CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY 12 Human Geography: Thematic Units 241 v ................. 17645$ CNTS 02-03-10 13:00:13 PS PAGE v vi C ON TE NT S Appendix A: Worldwide Industry and Economic Development 311 Appendix B: Answers to Chapter Review Questions 329 Index 335 About the Author 343 ................. 17645$ CNTS 02-03-10 13:00:13 PS PAGE vi Preface Why is this book on geography for the nongeographer? Answer: This book is for people, nonspecialists, who want to learn about geography without taking a formal course. It can serve as a classroom supplement, tutorial aid, self-teaching guide, or home-schooling text. Based on personal experience, I have found that many professionals do have some background in geography (don’t we all?), but many of these folks need to stay current (remember that former country X is country Y today and country Z tomorrow). We live in a dynamic, ever-changing world and society. M