No longer does the study of geography mean just memorizing names and locations of places. Today, geography is the understanding the characteristics of places and the complex interconnections among them. This new edition is arranged into six volumes by world region; North American and the Caribbean; South and Central America; Africa; Europe; Asia; Australia, Oceania and the Antarctic. Each volume includes the following categories: Geographical Concepts and Worldview; Human Geography, including Political Geography; Regional Breakdown; Physical Geography; Economic Geography; Biogeography and Natural Resources; and Gazetteer. These broad categories are further segmented into 20-25 chapters that include hydrology, climatology, natural resources, population distribution, culture regions, exploration, urbanization, agriculture, industries, engineering projects, transportation, and communications.