Geography studies the relationship of humans and the natural environment, and these 40 essays examine those geographical events that have most profoundly shaped global society in the opening decades of the 21st century.

Explore how these events have transformed how people interact with the environment, from political and economic issues such as elections, market practices, and war, to cultural and social issues such as racism and gender stereotyping at work. Landscapes, regions, cities, nature, society, development - our entire existence - is tied up with space and geography, and thus geography is well-placed to provide important insights and perspectives on the complex events and issues of our time. Geography in the 21st Century studies the world's rapidly changing environments and its shifting economic, political, and cultural landscapes.

The entries address social, political, economic, and environmental events - from the Arab Spring Movements to the Mexico border crisis in the USA - that are often complex, transnational, and interrelated. Clear explanations help readers understand the historical and geographical continuity and confluence that underlie these defining moments. All chapters follow the same structure to provide consistency throughout and allow students to compare multiple events. Each begins with an overview of the event; followed by a background section that describes the historical and geographic context within which the event occurred; then a section on social, political, economic, and environmental Impacts that describes the results of the event; and a section that analyzes the event from a spatial or geographic perspective and explains why it is important. Each chapter also includes a list of references and sources for further reading and a sidebar on a related topic.

Jayson J. Funke teaches geography at Western Connecticut State University, USA.
Waquar Ahmed is Associate Professor of geography at the University of North Texas, USA.
Ipsita Chatterjee is Associate Professor at the University of North Texas, USA.
Stephen M. McCauley is Associate Professor of Teaching at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, USA.