Modern Geography has come a long way from its roots in simply mapping and naming the regions of the world. Spanning both physical and human Geography, the discipline today is unique as a subject bridging the divide between the sciences and humanities, and between the environment and our society. This Very Short Introduction reveals why.

Human Geography: The Basics is a concise introduction to the study of the role that humankind plays in shaping the world around us. Whether it’s environmental concerns, the cities we live in or the globalization of the economy, these are issues which affect us all. This book introduces these topics and more including: global environment issues and development cities, firms and regions migration, immigration and asylum landscape, culture and identity travel, mobility and tourism agriculture and food. Featuring an overview of theory, end of chapter summaries, case study boxes, further reading lists and a glossary, this book is the ideal introduction for anybody new to the study of human geography.

This introductory level text explores various theoretical approaches to human-environment geography, demonstrating how local dynamics and global processes influence how we interact with our environments. Introduces students to fundamental concepts in environmental geography and science Explores the core theoretical traditions within the field, along with major thematic issues such as population, food and agriculture, and water resources Offers an engaging and unique view of the spatial relationships between humans and their environment across geographical locations around the world Includes a variety of real-world policy questions and emphasizes geography’s strong tradition of field work by featuring prominent nature-society geographers in guest field notes

Old powers are falling. New states are emerging. The gap between East and West is narrowing. What are the problems facing the emerging new world order? Can action at the community level affect global issues? An Introduction to Political Geography, in its first edition helped shape the study of the discipline. Entirely revised and updated, this new edition explores political and geographic change within the same accessible framework. John Short emphasises the need for a fluid approach to the study of the international order, the nation state, as well as social movements. Though the world is becoming smaller, popular access to power remains an elusive goal. An integrated world economy may well perpetuate past inequalities just as political systems continue to work by exclusion. The global village and the ecological approach this implies, must be paid particular attention when examining the political geography of participation. An Introduction to Political Geography reviews the history of the rise and fall of centres of power, draws on a wide range of detailed international case studies to illustrate current trends, and discusses future developments.

Brings political geography to life—explores key concepts, critical debates, and contemporary research in the field. Political geography is the study of how power struggles both shape and are shaped by the places in which they occur—the spatial nature of political power. Political Geography: A Critical Introduction helps students understand how power is related to space, place, and territory, illustrating how everyday life and the world of global conflict and nation-states are inextricably intertwined. This timely, engaging textbook weaves critical, postcolonial, and feminist narratives throughout its exploration of key concepts in the discipline. Accessible to students new to the field, this text offers critical approaches to political geography—including questions of gender, sexuality, race, and difference—and explains central political concepts such as citizenship, security, and territory in a geographic context. Case studies incorporate methodologies that illustrate how political geographers perform research, enabling students to develop a well-rounded critical approach rather than merely focusing on results. Chapters cover topics including the role of nationalism in shaping allegiances, the spatial aspects of social movements and urban politics, the relationship between international relations and security, the effects of non-human actors in politics, and more. Global in scope, this book: Highlights a diverse range of globally-oriented issues, such as global inequality, that demonstrate the need for critical political geography Demonstrates how critiques of political geography intersect with decolonial, feminist, and queer movements Covers the Eurocentric origins of many of the discipline’s key concepts Integrates advances in political geography theory and firsthand accounts of innovative research from rising scholars in the field Explores both intimate stories from everyday life and abstract concepts central to contemporary political geography Political Geography: A Critical Introduction is an ideal resource for students in political and feminist geography, as well as graduate students and researchers seeking an overview of the discipline.