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This review article represents an attempt at highlighting the important research conducted by geographers in rural areas of South Africa. Acknowledging the challenges facing many review articles on broad disciplines or sub-disciplines such as rural geography, the paper mostly focuses on selected research that took place over the last two and a half decades or so, that covers the areas of land rights, biodiversity conservation and justice, rural development and livelihoods. The conclusion is that rural geography research in South Africa is of major significance in South Africa’s attempts to fulfil many of the post-apartheid goals of improving the lives of the marginalized. It is also argued that research conducted under the rural geography banner can grow in the same pace as the new challenges emerge, including being in positive interaction with other sub-disciplines (e.g. urban geography) in addressing challenges such as urban–rural fringe and urban sprawl. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article presents the views of geographer R. Cole Harris in response to the criticism of his paper "The Simplification of Europe Overseas," published in the December 1977 issue of the journal "Annals of the Association of American Geographers." He says that his critics may find his analysis premature, and may think that he has ignored some power relationships, particularly those affecting labor. But, his paper is a foray, not nearly a final word. Also, he is convinced that his foray is supported by the current literature and that it is timely.

The article presents the views of geographer Robert D. Mitchell in response to the paper "The Simplification of Europe Overseas," published in the December 1977 issue of the journal "Annals of the Association of American Geographers." He argues that the presence or absence of labor exploitive institutions, especially slavery and indentured servitude, produced fundamentally different colonial societies and patterns of social relations. Power and authority within the family were often based on legal control over land and indirectly over labor.

The article presents the views of geographer Adrian Pollock in response to the paper "The Simplification of Europe Overseas," published in the December 1977 issue of the journal "Annals of the Association of American Geographers." He appreciates that the article author presented an insightful account of the effects of new land on the immigrant societies of French Canada, Dutch South Africa, and English New England. However, he thinks that for New England the analysis is premature. This is so because, as yet, there is lack of proper knowledge of the early colonists' background and experience adequate enough to enable one to judge whether colonial conditions or inherent attitudes, practices, and institutions were the most important in determining the nature of colonial society.