Land

Land is one of the world's most emotionally resonant resources, andcontrol over it is fundamental to almost all human activity. Fromthe local level to the global, we are often in conflict over theground beneath our feet. But because human relationships to landare so complex, it can be difficult to think them through in aunified way. This path-breaking book aims to change that bycombining insights from multiple disciplines to develop a frameworkfor understanding the geopolitics of land today.
Struggles over land, argues Derek Hall, relate to three basicprinciples: its role as territory, its status as property, and theways in which its use is regulated. This timely introductionexplores key dimensions of these themes, including inter-state warsover territory, the efforts of non-governmental organizations toprotect property rights and environments in the global South, andthe 'land grabs' attempted by contemporary corporationsand governments. Drawing on a wide range of cases and examples -from the Afghanistan-Pakistan border to the Canadian Arctic,China's urban fringe to rural Honduras - the book providesnew ways of thinking about the political dynamics of land in the21st century.
This richly detailed and authoritative guide will be of interest tostudents across the social sciences, as well as anyone interestedin current affairs and contemporary geopolitics.