General Overview of World Agricultural Geography

Author: Zhang Tongzhu, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2000-04-01
Features: The General Theory of World Agricultural Geography (hereinafter referred to as The General Theory) is a part of the Series of World Agricultural Geography and the last of the first 11 books in the series. It is based on the global perspective of world agriculture, focusing on the relationship between the distribution of world agricultural production and geographical conditions, the main agricultural natural resources and their utilization status, as well as the characteristics of agricultural layout, types of differentiation, and development trends. Adhering to the principle of "making use of foreign experience for China's own development," it pays attention to introducing and analyzing the experiences and lessons of foreign agricultural layout and management for reference in China's development of export-oriented agriculture in a localized manner. The General Theory adopts a thematic structure, with each topic largely self-contained but also coordinated with others to ensure systematicity and form a complete monograph. The content of each topic primarily focuses on the analysis of practical issues, emphasizing the development and transformation of resources, the economic geographical analysis of layout factors, and a comprehensive analysis of the causes of the formation and changes of agricultural sectors and crop distribution from natural, socio-economic, and agricultural technology perspectives. Special attention is given to the impact of technological progress and policy factors on agricultural layout. In terms of content elaboration, dynamic analysis is emphasized, particularly the changes since World War II, through which the clues and patterns of contemporary agricultural development and changes are identified. In terms of geographical layout, attention is paid to the description of regional differentiation and the analysis of spatial structures, reflecting the differences in structural advantages and disadvantages through spatial characteristics. The book places importance on the use of comparative methods, including both vertical and horizontal comparisons, to deeply reveal issues and elucidate the intrinsic mechanisms of layout. Under the conditions of a market economy, the analysis of international agricultural trade is also considered. In certain chapters, theoretical summaries and discussions are conducted based on the analysis of practical issues.