The Andes: A Geographical Portrait

ISBN-13: 9783319342474 / Angielski / Miękka / 2016 / 368 str.

Axel Borsdorf; Christoph Stadel; Brigitte Scott

Opis

Complete with fascinating pictures and comprehensive diagrams, this book presents a comprehensive overview of the Andes, offering readers a better understanding of this natural area as well as its problems.

Recenzje

"The book is richly illustrated with about 400 of the authors' photographs. Most are excellent images that are effective at engaging and informing the reader. ... They have prepared an excellent comprehensive regional geography informed by years of research, publication, travel, and residence in the region. This book will serve as a useful guide and key reference tool for understanding the Andean region for years to come." (Robert B. Kent, The AAG Review of Books, Vol. 4 (3), July, 2016)

Spis treści

1 Introduction.- 2 Factors, Processes and Spaces of Physical Geography.- 3 Conservation and Protected Areas.- 4 The Cultural Development of the Andes.- 5 Ethnic and Demographic Structures and Processes.- 6 Rural and Urban Settlements.- 7 Economic Structures and Regions.- 8 The Andes as Transport Space.- 9 Geo-Political and Religio-Geographical Parameters.- 10 Development Aspects and Perspectives.- Epilogue.- Glossary.- References.

Blurb

The Andes are attracting global interest again: they hold valuable mineral resources, tourists appreciate their great natural beauty and the diversity of indigenous cultures, climbers scale rock and ice faces, while many others are intrigued by regional political developments, such as the Bolivarian revolution in Venezuela or the almost unfettered hegemony of the neoliberal economic model in Chile.

This volume is the first attempt for decades to present a complete overview of the longest mountain chain on the planet – a region of remarkable climatic, floristic and geologic diversity, where advanced civilization developed well before the arrival of the Spanish. Today the Andes continue to be characterized by their ethnic, demographic, cultural and economic diversity, as well as by the disparity of local socioeconomic groups. The Andean countries pursue a wide range of approaches to tackle the challenges of making the best use of their natural and cultural potential without damaging their ecological basis, as well as to overcome economic disparity and foster social cohesion. This book provides insights into this unique region and its most pressing issues, complemented by a wealth of pictures and comprehensive diagrams, which, in sum, help to better understand these fascinating mountains.