CONCEPT PREVIEWS

After reading this chapter, you should be able to:

appreciate the relevance to businesspeople of four elements of geography: (1) location, (2) topography, (3) climate, and (4) natural resources

understand the importance of a country’s location in political and trade relationships

understand how surface features contribute to economic, cultural, political, and social differences among nations and among regions of a single country

comprehend the importance of inland waterways and outlets to the sea

recognize that climate exerts a broad influence on business

understand why managers must monitor changes in the discovery and the use of mineral resources and energy sources

understand why managers must be alert to changes in a nation’s infrastructure

appreciate the impact environmental disasters such as the Alaskan oil spill and the Ixtoc 1 well blowout have on global and multinational firms

describe the major issues of the relationship between environmental sustainability and international business

develop a working definition of environmentally sustainable business