Administrative Subdivisions of Countries: A Comprehensive World Reference, 1900 Through 1998 - Hardcover

Law, Gwillim

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0786407298 ISBN 13: 9780786407293

Publisher: McFarland Publishing, 1999

Synopsis

In marked contrast to the United States, with its territorial stability, some countries, such as Bulgaria and Ethiopia, reorganize their regional subdivisions frequently. This immense, large-format reference work simplifies the comparison of decades' worth of data from such countries. With this book in hand, one can answer any administrative subdivision question about any state or province in the world from 1900 through 1998. For each country there is at least one table, and usually several. Histories of subdivision changes and lists of alternate names for subdivisions in each country add to the work's research value. All relevant national and international standards such as ISO and FIPS codes are listed, as well as time zones, populations, areas and capitals for each subdivision. There are summary tables for international comparisons of population density, land area and other points of interest, and a comprehensive index of names.

About this title

About the Author

A former mathematics professor, Gwillim Law is a data administrator for a company that maintains worldwide geographical information. He lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Reviews

Organized alphabetically and covering the twentieth century up to 1998, this reference source contains statistical and narrative details about political subdivisions of each country in the world. These territorial categories have a variety of names: states, provinces, prefectures, departments, territories, republics, regions, counties, boroughs, islands, kingdoms, and districts.

Each entry contains similar information: the two-letter code for the country, the language, the time zone, the capital, a short historical overview, the origin of the country's name, and basic population and land statistics. In addition, except for the countries and land areas that have no political subdivisions, there is a chart identifying the political subdivisions and a list containing a variety of statistical information about population, land size, and capital (or "principal town") of the subdivision. The larger entries, such as India and the U.S., also provide other information: "territorial extent" descriptions of geographic details related to each subregion; a historical chronology focused on changes in the political subdivisions; and historical comparative statistics by date and subdivision. A very complete index listing all the identified administrative subdivisions completes the book.

Some of the information in this compendium is available in standard reference sources that are updated annually, such as The Europa World Yearbook (Europa) and The Political Handbook of the World (CSA). Although there is sometimes more detail about the political subregions of each country in Administrative Subdivisions of Countries, the statistics in the two-volume Europa World Yearbook are more up-to-date and include statistical estimates based on formulas. For example, the Europa statistics on the subdivisions in Mongolia total more than 200,000 more people than what is listed in Administrative Subdivisions. The Europa statistics also include population density numbers for the subdivisions, whereas Administrative Subdivisions contains only simple population statistics for the country's subregions. However, Europa doesn't consistently identify subdivisions for all countries (e.g., there is no listing of political subdivisions for Turkey). Administrative Subdivisions does list all subregions where they exist.

Given the fact that a significant amount of the information in this volume is readily available in standard reference sources and that many of the statistics listed in this volume will probably be updated in upcoming censuses, Administrative Subdivisions of Countries is recommended only for large academic and public libraries and for specialized libraries where historical information on the world's political subdivisions is needed.

Edition details

• Publisher: McFarland Publishing
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0786407298
• ISBN 13: 9780786407293
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 457