What are the cultures, or ways of life, of people living on the plains of Africa, the rain forests of South America, the river valleys of South Asia, the mountainous islands of Japan, and other distant places? You will find answers to such questions in this book. [This book] describes the cultures, geography, and history of major world regions: Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Western Europe, and Russia and Eastern Europe. In addition, the text discusses the current issues and problems that confront each region in our fast-changing world.-Pref.