Harm de Blij Realms, Regions and Concepts

Harm de Blij (1935-2014) was a famous geographer  known for his studies in regional, geopolitical and environmental geography. He was an author of dozens of books, a professor of geography and he was the Geography Editor for ABC’s ​Good Morning America from 1990 to 1996. Following his stint at ABC de Blij joined NBC News as a Geography Analyst. De Blij died following a battle with cancer on March 25, 2014, at the age of 78. De Blij was born in the Netherlands and according to Michigan State University’s Department of Geography, he obtained his geography  education all over the world. His early education took place in Europe, while his undergraduate education was completed in Africa and his Ph.D. work was done in the United States at Northwestern University. He also has honorary degrees at several American universities for his work. Throughout his career, De Blij has published over 30 books and more than 100 articles. Geography: Realms, Regions and Concepts Of his more than 30 book publications, De Blij is most well-known for his textbook Geography: Realms, Regions and Concepts. This is an exceptionally important textbook because it offers a way to organize the world and its complex geography. The book’s preface says, â€Å"One of our aims is to help students learn important geographic concepts and ideas, and to make sense of our complex and rapidly changing world† (de Blij and Muller, 2010 pp. xiii). In order to meet this goal de Blij’s divides the world into a realm and each chapter of Geography: Realms, Regions and Concepts begins with a definition of a particular realm. Next, the realm is divided into regions within the realm and the chapters go through a discussion of the region. Finally, the chapters also include a variety of major concepts that affect and create the regions and realms. These concepts also help to offer an explanation into why the world is divided into the specific realms and regions. In Geography: Realms, Regions and Concepts, de Blij refers to realms as â€Å"global neighborhoods† and he defines them as â€Å"the basic spatial unit in [his] world regionalization scheme. Each realm is defined in terms of a synthesis of its total human geography†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (de Blij and Muller, 2010 pp. G-5). By that definition a realm is the highest category within de Blij’s breakdown of the world. In order to define his geographic realms de Blij came up with a set of spatial criteria. These criteria include similarities between the physical  environment and humans, the history of areas and how the areas function together via things like fishing ports and transportation routes. When studying realms it should also be noted that although the larger realms are different from each other, there are transition zones between them where differences may blur. World Regions of  Geography: Realms, Regions and Concepts According to de Blij, the world has 12 different realms and each realm is different from the others because they have unique environmental, cultural and organizational properties (de Blij and Muller, 2010 pp.5). The 12 realms of the world are as follows: 1) Europe2) Russia3) North America4) Middle America5) South America6) Subsaharan Africa7) North Africa/Southwest Asia8) South Asia9) East Asia10) Southeast Asia11) Austral Realm12) Pacific Realm Each of these areas is its own realm because they are very different from one another. For example, the European realm is different from the Russian realm due to their different climates, natural resources, histories and political and governmental structures. Europe for instance, has an extremely varied climate within its different countries whereas a large portion of Russia’s climate is very cold and harsh for much of the year. The world’s realms can also be divided into two categories: those that are dominated by one major nation (Russia for example) and those that have many different countries with no dominant nation (Europe for instance). Within each of the 12 geographic realms, there are many different regions and some realms may have more regions than others. Regions are defined as smaller areas within the realm that have similar characteristics in their physical landscapes, climates, people, histories, culture, political structure and governments. The Russian realm includes the following regions: the Russian core and peripheries, the Eastern Frontier, Siberia and the Russian Far East. Each of these regions within the Russian realm is very different from the next. Siberia, for example, is a sparsely populated region and it has a very harsh, cold climate but it is rich in natural resources. By contrast, the Russian core and peripheries, particularly the areas around Moscow and St. Petersburg, are very heavily populated and though this area has a harsher climate than regions in say, the Austral Realm, its climate is milder than the Siberian region within the Russian realm. In addition to realms and regions, de Blij is known for his work on concepts. Various concepts are listed throughout Geography: Realms, Regions and Concepts and many different ones are discussed in each chapter to explain the different realms and regions throughout the world. Some concepts discussed about the Russian realm and its regions include oligarchy, permafrost, colonialism and population decline. These concepts are all important things to study in geography and they are important to the Russian realm because they make it different from other realms in the world. Different concepts such as these also make the regions of Russia different from one another. Permafrost, for example, is a significant landscape characteristic found in northern Siberia that makes that region different from the Russian core. It could also help to explain why the region is more sparsely populated since building is more difficult there. It is concepts such as these that explain how the world’s realms and regions have come to be organized. Importance of Realms, Regions and Concepts Harm de Blij’s realms, regions and concepts is an extremely important topic within the study of geography because it represents a way to break down the world into organized, easy to study pieces. It is also a clear and concise way to study world regional geography. The use of these ideas by students, professors, and the general public is shown in the popularity of Geography: Realms, Regions and Concepts. This textbook was first published in 1970 and it has since had 15 different editions and sold over 1.3 million copies. It was estimated to have been used as a textbook in 85% of undergraduate regional geography classes.

What You Should Do to Find Out About Junior Essay Samples Before Youre Left Behind

What You Should Do to Find Out About Junior Essay Samples Before You're Left Behind My academic qualifications prove that my dedication and individual qualities will go quite a distance in my general development. Literature is also regarded as an interesting portion of the topic. however, it isn't o popular since most students aren't able to fathom the criticality of the exact same. Status of a parent or family background of parents effect the evolution of a young child what's status of a kid in their house. Most likely, the students will truly enter a play, and it gives everyone an opportunity to show off their distinctive talent. The Fundamentals of Junior Essay Samples That You Will be Able to Learn From Starting Right Away Writing an outline is a rather effective approach to think through how you'll organize and present the data in your essay. Everything will get far better. Writing good compositions is essential in the English Language in the feeling that it permits th e student to have the ability to express what is in their mind regarding a specific matter. It is critical that the application essay is personal and distinctive. The introduction or the introductory paragraph is quite a relevant facet of your essay on account of the simple fact it states the most important idea of your composition. Just writing the essay outline is not going to do, you have to be well conscious of how to use the exact same to propagate your essay. In English Language, compositions or essays actually are one of the most crucial facets of the subject. The essay demands proficient handling and expert strategy. A number of the essays require that you describe what's happening and a number of them are about why it's happening. A well-written essay doesn't guarantee that you are going to be accepted into an organization, much is dependent on whether you satisfy the selection criteria. For instance, if you're writing an essay on How Global Warming can be decreased, it's going to be a great idea which you take a minute to define what global warming is about in your introductory paragraph. The last point to observe is the best way to compose a conclusion for an expository essay. The subject can be associated with science or literature. These forms of essays attempt to demonstrate the way you can present a specific candidate and also show that the person has been qualified to join the organization. These IELTS sample essays are categorised in a manner that makes it simple for you to observe how certain essay question types ask that you give certain responses to be sure the question is completely answered. The Hidden Gem of Junior Essay Samples You might take note that national junior honor society essays are somewhat difficult to learn at first. The structure of organization is extremely spread, it is composed of many chapters in high schools around the nation. On the contrary, it would motivate me to do better in my classes to be able to continue to keep my GPA in the most suitable place so that I would have the ability to keep on participating in NHS without fo rgetting the significance of being a true scholar. Nowadays you possess the chance to demonstrate your potential and a strategy to attain success throughout long classes and studying at home. Public schools may not offer religious instruction but might teach about religion. It's possible that you visit a service offering written help online. College admissions officers have the daunting job of sifting through hundreds (or in some instances thousands) of applications and selecting the applicants that satisfy the admission criteria. Consequently, students from all institutions are going to have a chance to access similar working materials no matter their status. Leadership is among the most significant traits to have not just in school but outside too. Statement of Purpose is among the hardest thing that you'll ever write if you apply to graduate school. National Junior Honor Society is a fantastic opportunity.

The Harmful Effects of Timbering Free Essays

How does the role of politics and legislation that affect the timber industry today compare to that of a hundred years ago? In the early years of West Virginia†s statehood there was a government that tried to build it†s own identity. Starting out as an underdeveloped state that was rich in natural resources, there was an urgency to erect industry within West Virginia. Upon examination of West Virginia today, one can see the same desire to maintain and increase industry in the state. We will write a custom essay sample on The Harmful Effects of Timbering or any similar topic only for you Order Now It is my belief that today, as well as a hundred years ago, the government views industry as it†s top priority versus state residents and the safety of the environment. I will now attempt to compare and contrast the role politics and legislation has played in the growth and development of the timber industry in the state of West Virginia for the last 100 years. In the early years of West Virginia statehood a definite emphasis was put on industrial growth. Before this industrial growth there was a revolution that took place. As a result of the Constitution of 1863, the law became more industry oriented and moved away from being a protector of philosophy and culture. Following the Constitution of 1872, there was a facilitation to allow the â€Å"transfer of land from smallholders to the coal and lumber companies (Lewis p.103-105).† One of the main goals in the early years of statehood in West Virginia was to establish a strong, striving capitalistic economy. However, their ideas on how to achieve this varied throughout the state. Should the state remain an agricultural society, or move to an industrial society? This struggle continued, and this is when the role government played in the economy was determined (Lewis p. 106). As the timber industry grew in West Virginia â€Å"lumbermen began to demand that the law help them to overcome their lack of capital so they could develop the state†s resources.† The greatest problem at this time was the lack of transportation. The government began to accommodate the timber industry. Corporations were given the right to dam streams or change their flow, with legal permission (Lewis p.107). Ronald Lewis, author of Transforming the Appalachian Countryside, writes that: Public subsidy to improve water transportation for lumber was never undertaken in West Virginia, especially in comparison to with the public assistance provided to railroads. The lumber industry during this period developed no giant corporations that could compare with the railroads, and so its ability to exert political power was comparatively limited. It was through indirect stimulus that the law promoted investment in the lumber industry, which conformed the theme of nineteenth century policy (Lewis p.108). The timber industry flourished through an â€Å"indirect stimulus† of breaks given and provided to the railroads. Legislators gave entrepreneurs many rights to assist with industrial growth, such as building dams across streams or changing the path of a stream, so long as it did not interfere with steamboats and other lumber companies. If a log washed up on someone†s personal property and they disturbed it within the first ten days, they were punishable by law (Lewis p.108). According to Ronald Lewis it is the belief of James Willard Hurst, a prominent legal scholar and I concur, that the government sided with business and exploited the people. There is enough evidence of court decisions and legislation that favors industry and business over the common man, to validate Hurst†s belief. The previous paragraphs depict an industry that thrived although it has slowed down somewhat in the last 100 years. Now, I am going to examine the timber industry in West Virginia today. My source will be Ken Ward†s articles that have appeared in the Charleston Gazette about the regulations imposed on the timber industry. Ward†s articles, in my opinion, are biased in favor of the timber industry. However, when writing upon a subject that is so controversial, it is nearly impossible to not show a bias. An examination of how things have changed, will not show a great deal. However, it is safe to say that more money changes hands today. Today there are more regulations, mostly where permits and licenses are concerned than 100 years ago. â€Å"Anyone who is conducting timber operations, purchasing timber, or buying logs for resale has to obtain a permit from the division of Forestry (Ward, State timbering law).† To attain and keep this license, applicants have to pay $50 a year. At every timber operation there has to be at least one person who has completed a certification course from the Division of Forestry. This person is trained in first aid, soil erosion prevention, and safe conduct of timbering (Ward, State timbering law). The Forestry Division is supposed to be notified within three days of any and all timbering operations. The notification should include the names of those who own the timber. There should also be included a sketch map of the location complete with roads used for the hauling and stream crossings (Ward, State timbering law). In Ken Ward†s article, †¦Critics say more rules are necessary, but backers say present law is sufficient, a Morgantown geologist, Richard diPretoro stated that he believes the timber industry is under-regulated, comparatively speaking. The coal industry, which is much bigger than timbering in West Virginia today, has much stricter regulations. Strip Miners have to return the land to previous contour when they are finished. Those in the timber industry can leave the land any way they so desire (Ward, Critics say more rules†¦). Loggers are supposed to follow a set of guidelines known as â€Å"best management practices.† These are a set of voluntary guidelines set up to protect the environment. Environmentalist would like to see regulations for the timber industry become more stringent. However, the director of the state Division of Forestry, Bill Maxey, feels that they have more regulations than they need. I†m not sure that Bill Maxey†s statement is free of prejudice, because the Division of Forestry is responsible for overseeing loggers and well as promoting the growth of wood product businesses. In my opinion, that would be conflict of interest. Many people interviewed in Ward†s article discuss how the environmental damage done by the coal industry is more harmful and will last longer than that of the timber industry. Joel Stopha, a wood products marketing specialist, states, â€Å"Poor timber harvesting practices will cause only a few years of water quality problems(Ward, Critics say more rules†¦).† We have the means to ensure that we have no water quality problems whatsoever. So, how does the role of politics and legislation compare in regards to the timber industry today to that of 100 years ago? I believe that the state government is still mainly focused on the growth of industry in West Virginia just as we were in the beginning of our statehood. Today we see more regulation in the form of different fees and licenses required. As with everything else in this world, things change. Of course, the timber industry is no different. However, other than the natural changes that occur, there really has not been a huge change in the fact that the state government still favors industry over the state residents and this is reflected in the way the state government is failing to enforce the laws that protect the bodies of water in this state by allowing the timber industry to contaminate bodies of water even if it is for â€Å"only a couple of years.† How to cite The Harmful Effects of Timbering, Essay examples