- A key goal of this book is to help you "gain skills ... to empower critical thinking about the complicated issues and themes of world regional geography as they interact with diversity amid globalization". (Rowntree et al., p. 30)
- This first chapter is one of the most important of the book, because it introduces themes and concepts that the authors use throughout the text and lays the foundation for understanding the remaining chapters. The themes and concepts developed in this chapter are used in each succeeding chapter as a framework for learning about the regions of the world.
- This chapter introduces and explains a number of foundation concepts in geography, including topics that will appear in each chapter associated with a region of the world. They are:
- Population and settlement
- Cultural coherence and diversity
- Geopolitical framework
- Economic and social development.
- Among the specific concepts and models that you should understand from this chapter are the following:
- The dynamic tension between diversity and globalization and its relevance to the study of geography.
- What factors affect population growth and change, including: Vital statistics (birth, death, and growth rates); Demographic transition; Population pyramid; Migration pushes and pulls; Urbanization.
- Culture as a dynamic, evolving force including: Cultural imperialism, nationalism and syncretism; Expressions of culture, such as language and religion.
- Geopolitical fragmentation and unity, including: Nations and states; Centrifugal and centripetal forces; Global terrorism; Colonialism and decolonialism.
- Geography of wealth and poverty, including: More- and less-developed countries; Core-periphery model; Economic development indicators; Social development indicators.
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