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This paper summarizes the physical and human geography of the southwestern part of Greenland, stretching from Upernavik at the southern end of Melville Bay in approximately 73° N latitude, southward to Cape Farewell in approximately 60° N latitude. It is along this southwestern coast of Greenland that modernization has token place, and it is here that development is proceeding rapidly. Since about six-sevenths of Greenland is buried under ice, only a narrow strip of land is exposed along the coastline, never exceeding one hundred miles. Most of the 22,000 people live along this coastal fringe. Of mixed Eskimo and European origin, these "Greenlanders" have increased rapidly in numbers in the last half-century, and are now straining the restricted natural resources of the country. Denmark, which has governed the country for almost two centuries, has traditionally maintained a strict policy of isolating Greenland from outside contacts. This has protected the natives and given them a high standard of education, reasonably good health, and a carefully planned economy insulating them from the vagaries of world prices. Today this traditional policy is being questioned. Intensive efforts are now being made to modernize West Greenland through building efficient harbors, power stations, fish processing plants, by raising still higher educational standards, and by speeding up Greenland's self-government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

THE subject of this paper and that of President Russell's address of last Year reveal in striking fashion the wide scope of the field in which geographers work. Comparison of the treatment in the two papers wilt, I hope, demonstrate the justification for assuming that the same body of readers may find common interest in the two extremes. This is possible in all our work only if each of us, in developing our special area of interest, will follow Russell's example in striving to maintain its geographic quality. We can do this if we keep in the forefront of our thinking, that the core of geography is "the study of places," that is, the analysis of the significant differences that distinguish the various areas of the world from each other. Among the differences that are significant to this areal differentiation, one of the more obvious are differences in landforms; one of the least obvious to the eye, but nonetheless important in molding the character of areas, are the differences in their political organization. In pursuing these and other separate topics, geographers "radiate out in diverse directions" "and for various distances, toward the cores of other disciplines." As long as they remain "ever conscious of where they are" in reference to the central core, they may hope to understand each other's purposes. "Questions of boundaries always seem pedantic in comparison with questions concerning the cores of disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over wide areas of the earth the railroad has been a decisive instrument in the creation of many of the most important patterns of human geography. Railroads are clearly phenomena of prime geographical interest, yet if it is true that "each means of transport has its own technological characteristics and its spatial layout, or network," it is equally true that their understanding of the inherent geographical implications of these characteristics and networks is far from satisfactory. The following paper attempts to add a further dimension to this common quest by focusing upon the comparative genetic character of two railroad networks.

Delves into the importance of the study of election statistics for political or social geography. Examination of the significance of geographic influences in the analysis of British Parliamentary elections by E. Krebheil; Belief regarding the determination of actions of men by public opinion; Correlation between election results and occupation statistics.

Pays tribute to Professor Albert Perry Brigham, one of the charter members of the Association of American Geographers. Contributions of Brigham to the association; Development of human geography.

Presents a commentary on J. G. Hajdu's analysis of German social geography in his paper "Toward a Definition of Post-War German Social Geography" that was previously published in the 1968 issue of the "Annals of the Association of American Geographers." Points addressed in the paper that should receive greater emphasis; Lack of theoretical framework; Prevalence of German social geography considered as locational analysis in human geography.

Recent work on the distribution of central places has suggested that, when defined in terms of the range and threshold of a good, a hierarchical spatial structure of central places will occur The results of a central place investigation Presented here show that variations in the settlement pattern of an area preclude such a development. Instead, variations in the ratio between threshold and range values show that, in any part of the area studied, the spatial structure of central places does not correspond with an overall hierarchy.

Focuses on the contribution of the science of geography on the conduct of war and subsequent reconstruction. Production of geographic data; Selection of military geography; Considerations on the physical economic and political geography.

Presents a reply to a commentary on the article regarding German social geography. Views on disputes about determinism in geography; Apology on certain remarks in the article regarding the contradiction between quantitative methods and social geography; Tasks of German social geographers.

An analytical objective human geography is possible without theory. The idealist philosophy can be used to draw a sharp distinction between the explanation of rational human actions and other phenomena. A rational human action is explained by reconstructing the thought behind it. The human geographer has no need of his own theories, because he is concerned with the theories expressed in the actions of those being investigated. Procedures for testing the worth of an idealist interpretation of a set of actions arc just as appropriate, objective, rigorous, and intellectually responsible as those advocated by positivist philosophers for theoretical explanations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human error concerning the geography of the earth has been recurrent throughout historic time. Some kinds of error arise because of the problems of dealing with phenomena in the three-dimensional zone forming earth-space. The broad curvature of the earth, the sheer diversity of earth-space, and the patterns of change through time all form pitfalls for the geographer who is, thereby, liable to error in his descriptive analyses. The problems of placing percepts (things perceived) against concepts (mental abstractions) make for difficulties in analyzing the three-dimensional spatial zone in which geographers work. Among the kinds of error committed there are avoidable varieties, such as the inexact use of descriptive and analytical language, the uncritical use of statistical data, the acceptance of unreliable data, and the confusion of the several kinds of spatial distributions. Less avoidable error derives from the formulation of hypotheses accounting for phenomena which, when critically examined against accurate data, turn out to be inadequate, incomplete, or wrong. Such early hypotheses may actually become stimulants to progress in research; the Huttonian theory of the observable causation for landforms in time produced all of modern landform theory while at the same time producing many errors in analytical explanation. The construct of a model, per conceptualization, risks dangers of obscuring effective explanation owing to the fact that models normally can originally be only caricatures of reality. The Davisian cycle of erosion so obscured progress for a long period by its overacceptance. Social Darwinism, similarly, obstructed effective explanation for a period. The persistence of error becomes an obstruction to progress in geography. The overlong employment of Maury's simple model of the earth's wind systems was such a persistence. Currently the dichotomy of the dualism phrased as physical geography and human geography constitutes an error of persistence. The elimination of avoidable error and the replacement of inadequate to erring hypotheses require a continuing process of critical review, lest avoidable error continue into persistent error. However, on the present errors of inadequate hypotheses may be built the progress of geography in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses a scheme of culture-area classification for Middle America. Division of the area between the Euro-African Caribbean Rimland and the Euro-Indian Mainland; Basis of the delimitation upon the racial make-up of the population of the two segments; Use of the racial factor as a primary criterion for the Rimland-Mainland differentiation.

Explores the role of exclaves in political geography. Value of exclaves in illustrating the relations of states in difficult geographical circumstances; Illumination of the importance of uninterrupted territory; Definition of exclaves.

To sum up briefly: Firstly, the laws we invent are generalizations covering a vast number of data, not the laws of command which strict determinism suggests. If we find analogies in social laws it is because we must work on statistically derived means of behavior, rather than on the seemingly exclusive categories—like cause and effect—of the physical sciences. Secondly, the search for ultimate causes is as meaningless as the limiting of geography to examine one cause among many. Each circumstance must be set against the historical frame of reference wherein its origin lies, and it is in that context that the geographer will most nearly approach the solution of causes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the influence of agriculture on the human settlement in Eastern Nova Scotia. Decline in agricultural productivity due to the domestic immigration of rural industries to urban areas; Historical background on the origin of settlers in the country; Crops produced in the country.

Presents the study which explores the population geography of Belgian Africa as of June 1954. Estimation of the African populations of the Belgian Congo and of Ruanda-Urundi; Issue concerning the method used to record the identity and vital events in the life of each individual in the area; Account of major population groupings within tropical Africa.

Explores the population patterns in tropical Africa. Account of the growing realization that population numbers and characteristics constitute a pivotal element in geographic studies; Reason for the exclusion of the dry tropics from tropical Africa; Characterization of the available population data for tropical Africa by meagerness of detail and relative unreliability.

Presents the study which explores the geography of population trends in the U.S. as of June 1954. Objectives of the study; Implications of the tendency among social scientists to study statistics showing trends at the national level without bothering to examine them in terms of the major socio-economic environments into which the nation may be subdivided; Review of major population changes in the U.S. between 1940 and 1950 in terms of regional and urban-rural location.

Delves into the unified field theory of political geography. Aspects of a valid theory; Account of the growth of a conviction through the attempt to make political geography intelligible and useful to political scientists; Definition of political geography.

Discusses the geography of population. Clarification relative to the structure and facets of population geography; Slight recognition in treaties on content and methodology of geography; General treatment of population in treaties on human geography; Inferior position of population geography; Position of man in geography; Dynamics of population numbers.

Explores the aspect of the social geography of Indiana. Distribution of numerous products in the state; Correlation of this distribution with the aspects of the climate, soil, topography and geologic formations; Differences in climate influence and the production of notables.

Discusses the essential features of a program of training for students intending to conduct researches in economic geography. Data on the nature of economic geography; Focus on earth sciences, social sciences and geographical techniques; Influence of the academic and practical objectives in the training.

Discusses the problem of training for research in political geography. Illustration of the scope of political geography; Complexities in the nature of political groups; Impact of political and personal conflicts on political geography.

Presents a round table discussion on problems in cultural geography in the U.S. Rise and decline of mining towns in the Rocky Mountains; Land classification in Great Plains; Composition and delineation of several culturo-geographic areas in Great Lakes.

Reports on the classification of the major agricultural regions of the earth. Recognition and distribution of the totality of landscape; Combination of environmental conditions; Considerations on the pertinent elements of the natural environment.

Discusses key issues concerning planning in pioneer settlement in geography. Margin of the cultivable earth where life conditions are subnormal and where more of less specialized modes of cultivation and community organization are key to permanent occupation; Economic systems under which pioneers operate; Implications on agriculture and geography.