Geography and Migration

This major reference collection describes and reviews the contribution which geographers have made to the charting, description, analysis and understanding of this age-old phenomenon. Migration is one of the dominant forces reshaping modern societies. The traditional concerns of geographers with flows, spatial differentiation and the power of place have given them unique understandings in the study of migration relevant to contemporary problems. Geographers have been able to make a distinctive contribution to knowledge about this phenomenon, from the laws of Ravenstein to the humanistic accounts of those caught up in refugee movements. Geography and Migration includes macrolevel descriptions to examine whether migration takes place in discernible flows and whether there are regularities in migration patterns or in the characteristics, origin and behaviour of migrants. Micro and macro-level explanations follow and address the impact of life cycle, quality of life and search factors. The final section includes essays and papers on the impact of migration on participants, source areas and destinations.