Publisher's Synopsis
This is a comprehensive scientific publication on these regions, suitable for anyone with an interest in the subject. Almost 38,000 of the approximately 45,000 tropical islands on our planet with a minimum size of 5 hectares (7,000 being in the Atlantic Ocean) are systematically described and illustrated with typical examples. Apart from those islands which are of special geographical interest, this volume focuses on those where international tourism is a significant factor in the local economy, for example the Seychelles, Sri Lanka, R union or Hawaii, together with their specific regional problems such as rainforest, destruction, rice cultivation, the impact of monocultures, etc. This book is not only intended for reading; it is also a useful reference work providing a wealth of often surprising information, maps, diagrams and photos, lists and indexes, completed with a new list, giving the location of more than 3,000 islands. The text is illustrated with numerous photos taken by the authors during their journeys in the tropics.
