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World Historical Geography
Regional Trends and Global Themes
Jaime Moreno-Tejada (Author)
9781394329144, Wiley
Paperback / softback, published 9 April 2026
320 pages
25.2 x 18 x 2.3 cm, 0.635 kg
A groundbreaking guide to world history through regional geography and interdisciplinary insight World Historical Geography: Regional Trends and Global Themes examines world history through the lens of geography, where landforms, climates, and spatial relationships are not background elements but central agents of change. Bridging the humanities and natural sciences, this unique textbook integrates recent research in paleoclimatology, paleogenetics, and archaeology to uncover how physical and human geographies have shaped distinct historical trajectories across the globe. By foregrounding geography as both context and catalyst, Jaime Moreno-Tejada equips students to think critically about historical causality and regional specificity from a global perspective. The text divides the world into twelve regions and follows a geographic path from Sub-Saharan Africa to the Caribbean. Each chapter identifies a dominant regional trend—including climate variation, political centralization, or mobility—and weaves it into a broader historical narrative. Throughout the book, 36 concise, interdisciplinary micro-essays (Global Themes) explore key concepts such as domestication, rivers, slavery, and ethnogenesis, both complementing the core material and providing flexible entry points for thematic exploration. Providing a grounded yet expansive understanding of how geography continues to inform the human story, World Historical Geography: Regional Trends and Global Themes: Offering unique global scope while maintaining depth of analysis within each region, World Historical Geography: Regional Trends and Global Themes is perfect for undergraduate and graduate courses in World History, World Geography, and Area Studies, as well as core curricula in History, Geography, and Global Studies programs.
List of Maps xi Preface xii Introduction 1 Chapter 1: Sub- Saharan Africa 7 What Is Sub- Saharan Africa? 7 Beginnings 9 The Human Journey Across Tropical Africa 16 Dryland Kingdoms 18 Ethiopia and East Africa 22 The European Input 26 Sub- Saharan Africa in the Anthropocene 28 References 30 Global Themes 1.1 Disease 10 1.2 Climate 13 1.3 Globalizations 23 Chapter 2: North Africa and Southwest Asia 35 What Is North Africa and Southwest Asia? 35 The Early Levant 39 The Great Rivers 43 The Ancient Eastern Mediterranean 47 The Arab World 50 North Africa and Southwest Asia in the Anthropocene 54 References 56 Global Themes 2.1 Deserts 36 2.2 Domestications 41 2.3 The 4.2 ka event 45 Chapter 3: Europe 61 What Is Europe? 61 The Earliest Europeans 63 Southern Europe 68 Northern Europe 73 Europe in the Anthropocene 76 References 80 Global Themes 3.1 Hunting and gathering 67 3.2 Anthropogenic landscapes 70 3.3 Smoke pollution 77 Chapter 4: The Russian Domain 85 What Is the Russian Domain? 85 Eastern Europe and the Steppe 87 The Russian Core 92 The Russian Periphery: Siberia 95 The Russian Periphery: The Caucasus 99 The Russian Domain in the Anthropocene 100 References 104 Global Themes 4.1 Grasslands 89 4.2 Cold climates 97 4.3 The birth of the oil industry 101 Chapter 5: Central Asia 109 What Is Central Asia? 109 The Nomads’ Territory 111 Northwest China and the Silk Road 113 Iranians and Turks, Arabs and Mongols 119 Central Asia in the Anthropocene 124 References 128 Global Themes 5.1 Pastoralists 114 5.2 Languages 120 5.3 Irrigation 126 Chapter 6: East Asia 133 What Is East Asia? 133 China’s First Core: The Yellow River 135 China’s Second Core: The Yangzi River 139 The Northeast 144 East Asia in the Anthropocene 149 References 151 Global Themes 6.1 Erosion 137 6.2 Transportation 142 6.3 Volcanoes 148 Chapter 7: South Asia 155 What Is South Asia? 155 The Indus Valley 157 The Ganges Valley 159 Peninsular India 161 South Asia’s Second Millennium 165 South Asia in the Anthropocene 167 References 174 Global Themes 7.1 Religions 163 7.2 Famine 168 7.3 The Demographic Transition 170 Chapter 8: Southeast Asia 177 What Is Southeast Asia? 177 The Mainland: Foundations 179 The Mainland: The Mandala Kingdoms 183 Insular Southeast Asia 188 Southeast Asia in the Anthropocene 193 References 195 Global Themes 8.1 Swidden cultivation 181 8.2 Slaveries 186 8.3 Cities 190 Chapter 9: Australia and Oceania 199 What Is Australia and Oceania? 199 Sahul (Australia and New Guinea) 202 Ancient Oceania 207 Modern Pacific Geographies 210 Australia and Oceania in the Anthropocene 212 References 216 Global Themes 9.1 Islands 200 9.2 Geographies 205 9.3 Anthropology 213 Chapter 10: North America 221 What Is North America? 221 Prehistoric Geographies 223 Horses and Cattle: The Mexican Pattern 231 Private Land: The US Pattern 234 North America in the Anthropocene 239 References 241 Global Themes 10.1 Archaeology 225 10.2 The Little Ice Age 229 10.3 Frontiers 238 Chapter 11: Latin America 247 What Is Latin America? 247 Origins 249 Geographies of Social Complexity 252 Colonial Encounters 257 Latin America in the Anthropocene 262 References 263 Global Themes 11.1 Rivers 250 11.2 Highlands and hills 256 11.3 The potato and its impact 259 Chapter 12: The Caribbean 269 What Is the Caribbean? 269 The Archaic Caribbean 271 Colonial Geographies: 1500– 1650 275 Colonial Geographies: 1650– 1850 279 The Caribbean in the Anthropocene 284 References 286 Global Themes 12.1 Winds 271 12.2 Paleogenetics 277 12.3 Diaspora 283 Conclusion 289 Index 292
Subject Areas: Geography [RG]
