This is the third in a series of regional physical geography texts that will be produced by Oxford University Press.
Their aim is to provide a relatively durable statement of physical conditions on the continents. Each volume will include a discussion of some of the main environmental factors (tectonics, geology, climate, hydrology, etc.), a discussion of some of the main types of environments (permafrost terrains, forests, deserts, mountains, etc.) with an emphasis on the linkages between different components of the environment, and a consideration of some of the main environmental issues related to human use of the land (air pollution, radioactive contamination, deforestation, the desiccation of the Aral Sea, and nature conservation and protection).