The Mediterranean Environment and Society

This book addresses contemporary geographical issues in the Mediterranean Basin from a perspective that recognizes the physical characteristics and cultural interactions which link the different Mediterranean states as a recognisable geographic entity. Sixteen chapters each deal with a major geographical issue currently facing the Mediterranean, each providing an invaluable summary of the extensive but widely dispersed literature relating to Mediterranean issues. Particular emphasis is placed on the interaction between society and environment in terms of environmental management, differential regional development and its associated political, demographic, cultural and economic tensions.

Introduction Geological evolution of the Mediterranean basin Mediterranean climate Earth surface processes The Graeco-Roman Mediterranean The Mediterranean in the Medieval and Renaissance world The Ottoman Mediterranean and its transformation, c. 1800-1920 Politics and society in the Mediterranean Basin Mediterranean economies: the dynamics of uneven development The European Union's Mediterranean policy from pragmatism to partnership Population growth: an avoidable crisis? Five narratives for the Mediterranean city The modernisation of Mediterranean agriculture Tourism and uneven development in the Mediterranean Water a critical resource Forests, soils and the threat of desertification Coastal zone management Conclusion: from the past to the future of the Mediterranean.