This book is the second in a series of five on Understanding Geography, and takes as its central theme the interaction between man and his environment. The book is divided into 9 chapters. The first chapter deals with the earth’s position and movements in space, and examines the factors which influence the earth’s climate. Chapter two traces the evolution of man from his ape-like ancestors to modern man, and the distribution of people in the world. The other chapters in the book outline the distribution of major natural regions, and present the main features of their climate and natural vegetation. The regions are Equatorial Forests, Savanna Lands, Tropical Deserts, Mediterranean Lands, Prairies and Steppes, Northern Forests and Polar Regions. In each chapter, traditional patterns of life and land use are described, and changes and modern improvements shown.