A series which looks at the way in which the geography of a place has influenced its social, economic and political structure. Through the use of maps, photographs and diagrams combined with text, the books present a geographical view of a place which helps us understand what has happened there in the past and the events that are taking place there at the present time. The books are thus not just geography books but background books to world current affairs. They are useful because they make normally quite difficult subjects understandable and "real" to young readers aged 8 to 13. They also have cross-curricular uses. databank and index.