Geography for Nongeographers

Geography for Nongeographers Frank R. Spellman Government Institutes An imprint of THE SCARECROW PRESS, INC. Lanham • Toronto • Plymouth, UK 2010 ................. 17645$ $$FM 02-03-10 13:00:10 PS PAGE i Published by Government Institutes An imprint of The Scarecrow Press, Inc. A wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. 4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706 http://www.govinstpress.com Estover Road, Plymouth PL6 7PY, United Kingdom Copyright ᭧ 2010 by Government Institutes All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review. The reader should not rely on this publication to address specific questions that apply to a particular set of facts. The author and the publisher make no representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the completeness, correctness, or utility of the information in this publication. In addition, the author and the publisher assume no liability of any kind whatsoever resulting from the use of or reliance upon the contents of this book. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Spellman, Frank R. Geography for nongeographers / Frank R. Spellman. p. cm. ISBN 978-1-60590-686-7 (pbk. : alk. paper)—ISBN 978-1-60590-687-4 (electronic) 1. Geography. I. Title. G128.S655 2010 910Ј.02—dc22 2009046974 ⅜ϱ ீThe paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992. Printed in the United States of America ................. 17645$ $$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 Landforms 27 3 Weathering 51 4 Running Water Systems 59 5 Glacial Landforms 75 6 Volcanic Landforms and Plate Tectonics 95 7 Wind-Eroded Landforms 111 8 Coastal Features 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 CONTENTS 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. Moreover, many practitioners are specialists (e.g., engineers, environmental scientists, environmental health professionals, medical professionals, epidemiologists, water quality technicians, toxicologists, environmental scientists, occupational health and safety professionals, industrial hygienists, teachers, and so forth). Herein lies the problem—that is, specialization. My view is that practitioners of any blend, flavor, or type should absolutely know the ins and outs of their field of specialization but in doing so should also be generalists with a wide range of knowledge—not just specialists whose knowledge may be too narrowly focused. Again, based on personal experience, my students, for example, who have generalized their education (spread out their exposure to include disciplines in several aspects of general studies), versus those who narrowly specialize, are afforded many more opportunities to broaden their view of the world and increase their chances for upward mobility in employment ventures. They have had a much better opportunity to ascend to upper management positions because with on-the-job experience and their generalized education—their holistic view of the world and life around them—they become well-rounded individuals, ready to undertake just about any challenge they may face. Is this not the standard characteristic of a successful person? Geography for Nongeographers fills the gap between general introductory geography texts and the more advanced environmental geography books used in graduate courses. Geography for Nongeographers fills this gap by surveying and covering the basics of geography. This book is a nontechnical survey for those with little background in geography—presented in reader-friendly written style. Geography is a multidisciplinary field that incorporates aspects of biology, chem- istry, physics, ecology, geology, meteorology, pedology, sociology, and many other fields. Books on the subject are typically geared toward professionals in these fields. This makes undertaking a study of geography daunting to those without this specific background. However, this complexity also indicates geography’s broad scope of im- pact. Because geography affects us (sometimes in profound ways such as volcanism, earthquakes, border wars, social/cultural norms, and so forth), it is important to un- derstand some basic concepts of the discipline. vii ................. 17645$ PREF 02-03-10 13:00:16 PS PAGE vii viii PREFACE Along with basic geographical principles, the text provides a clear, concise presen- tation of the consequences of the physical interactions with the environment we in- habit. Even if you are not tied to a desk, the book provides you, the nongeographer, with the jargon, concepts, and key concerns of geography and geography in action. This book is compiled in an accessible, user-friendly format, unique in that it explains scientific concepts in the most basic way possible. Moreover, the text is packed with information students need to get ready for SAT exams. Each chapter ends with a chapter review test to help evaluate mastery of the concepts presented. Before going on to the next chapter, you should take the review test, compare your answers to the key provided in the appendix, and review the perti- nent information for any problems you missed. If you miss many items, review the whole chapter. Again, this text is accessible to those who have no experience with geography—it is an entry-level, nonfiction science book especially designed for lay people— nonspecialists. If you work through the text systematically, you will acquire an understanding of and skill in geographical principles—adding a critical component to your professional knowledge. ................. 17645$ PREF 02-03-10 13:00:16 PS PAGE viii I THE BASICS ................. 17645$ PRT1 02-03-10 13:00:19 PS PAGE 1 Topography and various landforms have a lot to do with where people live on Earth. Obviously, the scene shown here is not conducive to fulltime human habitation. ................. 17645$ PRT1 02-03-10 13:00:37 PS PAGE 2 CHAPTER 1 Introduction As a young man, my fondest dream was to become a geographer. However, while working in the customs office I thought deeply about the matter and concluded it was too difficult a subject. With some reluctance I then turned to physics as a substitute. —Attributed to Albert Einstein (later debunked) Geography, to many, remains a baffling subject, seemingly simplistic yet intimidating. —Keith M. Bell (2007) For many of us, the only thing we remember about the geography we were taught in school is a few of those capitals of countries and states throughout the world and in the United States that we had to memorize. Also, there were those maps—maps everywhere: maps pinned to every classroom wall and the maps in textbooks—and that globe of the world that stood in the corner of the classroom. Those maps and globes caused many of us to gaze at them and to let our minds escape in wonderment to so many mysterious, far-off places. Geography that is all about maps and the capitals of states and countries is how many of us then (the challenge of facing a blank outline map of the United States with the charge to name the states and capitals) and today would sum up what geography is all about. Intuitively, of course, we know that geography is about much more; it is just so difficult, beyond the maps, foreign countries, and capital cities, to define. This book explains what geography is all about. One thing is certain: though we spend some time discussing maps and mention a capital or two, geography is much more than just maps and capitals. You will learn this as you make your way through this book. What Is Geography? While the word geography is derived from Greek (geo referring to Earth and graphy meaning picture or writing) and literally means ‘‘to write about the Earth,’’ the subject of geography, as mentioned, is much more than the names of capitals and maps. Geography is a science, an all-encompassing science that seeks to bridge and under- stand, through an understanding of location and place, the world’s physical and 3 ................. 17645$ $CH1 02-03-10 13:01:26 PS PAGE 3 4CHAPTER1 human features. Geography teaches us where things are and how they got there; it looks at the spatial connection between people, places, and the Earth. Some have called geography the ‘‘mother of all sciences.’’ This title is well suited and fitting because all other disciplines took root from its existence.

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