This volume introduces students to the humid tropics, a lush region defined by climate and conditions of temperature and moisture. Insightful text tells how, under natural conditions, the tropical world supports a rich rainforest ecosystem, while tropical areas with poor soils generally support an economy based on low-yield, shifting cultivation. Students will learn about intriguing high civilizations of antiquity, and about the Europeans who later colonized most of these environs. The Tropics explains that although the region suffers from political instability and poverty, its problems are...

This volume introduces students to a waterless world encompassing some of the most barren and least populated places on Earth. Students will discover how deserts, covering about one-fifth of Earth's surface, compel adaptation by nature and culture alike. Where adequate fresh water is available, humans have prospered for thousands of years. And ancient desert cultures in Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and coastal Peru were among the earliest cradles of civilization. This colorful book also highlights the contrast between empty, arid lands and densely populated desert areas, such as the...

This volume introduces students to the climatic "ends of the Earth," one of the planet's most unique and perhaps most challenging ecosystems. Polar Regions reveals how these stark locations, once believed to be inhospitable, have in fact been home to a number of culture groups. Hardy Inuit (Eskimo), Sami (Lapps), Aleut, Samoyed, and others have successfully adapted to bone-chilling temperatures and harsh landscapes. Readers will also learn how mid-latitude peoples of the past century began to recognize the Poles' strategic importance, their rich resources, and their value in scientific...