Discusses the history, environment, cultures, economies, and natural resources of Australia, Antarctia, and Oceania.

A guide to early printed maps of Australia, Antarctica and the South Pacific.

“This bracing history charts the myths, the exploration, and the inhabitants of the all-too-real and wild circumpolar ocean to our south.” —The Sydney Morning Herald, Pick of the Week Unlike the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Arctic Oceans with their long maritime histories, little is known about the Southern Ocean. This book takes readers beyond the familiar heroic narratives of polar exploration to explore the nature of this stormy circumpolar ocean and its place in Western and Indigenous histories. Drawing from a vast archive of charts and maps, sea captains’ journals, whalers’ log books, missionaries’ correspondence, voyagers’ letters, scientific reports, stories, myths, and her own experiences, Joy McCann embarks on a voyage of discovery across its surfaces and into its depths, revealing its distinctive physical and biological processes as well as the people, species, events, and ideas that have shaped our perceptions of it. The result is both a global story of changing scientific knowledge about oceans and their vulnerability to human actions and a local one, showing how the Southern Ocean has defined and sustained southern environments and people over time. Beautifully and powerfully written, Wild Sea will raise a broader awareness and appreciation of the natural and cultural history of this little-known ocean and its emerging importance as a barometer of planetary climate change. “A sensitive portrait of a complex ecosystem, from krill to blue whales, and of the ice, winds, and currents that are critical to the circulation of the world’s oceans.” —Harper’s “Wilderness seekers will rejoice in this stirring portrait . . . McCann deftly navigates both natural glories and archival complexities.” —Nature

Horoscopes of Asia, Australia and the Pacific is the second of five volumes on mundane astrology compiled by Marc Penfield. Included in this extensive volume, which is the only astrology book specific to this part of the world, are the charts of the Persian, Japanese and Chinese Empires. Of particular interest are the original charts of Afghanistan, Nepal, Oman and Thailand, the data for which has just recently been discovered by the author.

"Delve into this underwater world with ocean experts Sylvia A. Earle and Linda K. Glover, who have devoted their lives to understanding the ocean and who share their insights in this atlas, along with those of 27 other scientists and specialists. Other stunning data and imagery are revealed by the skills of expert photographers, cartographers, and illustrators. Ocean: An Illustrated Atlas distills decades of research, firsthand observations, scientific data, and analyses and engages and informs all who may want to more deeply explore the nature of this blue planet." "Accompanying the text are more than 100 maps, including 5 extraordinary new maps showing the nature of the seafloor of the major ocean basins in detail not published before. More than 170 photographs and three dozen illustrations provide new ways of looking at this amazing place, with a perspective on the past, present, and future of the ocean and on how it relates to human economies, health, security, and the very existence of life."--BOOK JACKET.

Vital Water Graphics is compiled by the United Nations Environment Protection Agency (UNEP) in order to provide an easy accessible resource on state of the world's waters. The goal of this publication is to produce a clear overview, through a set of graphics, maps and other illustrations, on the state of the world's fresh and marine waters. It illustrates the causes, effects, trends and threats facing our water sources, with examples of areas of major concern and future scenarios for the use and management of fresh coastal and marine waters. Additional graphics and links to relevant websites on topics presented in this publication are available on the accompanying CD-ROM.