This volume is the result of an initiative of the Commission on the
Coastal Environment of the International Geographical Union. The initial
concept from which the plan has proceeded was presented at the 24th
International Geographical Congress in Japan in 1980. AUTHORSHIP AND
COVERAGE All of the articles in this volume have been written by
specialists familiar with the coastal segment discussed. Nearly all have
been prepared by citizens of the country (and, for that matter, even
each subregion) considered. In the case of exceptions (e.g. Suriname),
the authors have conducted fieldwork on the coast of the country they
treat. In order to preserve the "on-the-spot" integrity of the volume,
it was decided not to fill in the blanks along the world's coastline
with library researched chapters. Thus, coverage is variable. Nearly
every coastal country in Europe is represented whereas for Africa and
South America there are major gaps. In addition, there are 2 instances
of overlap. In the case of England (with a shoreline of nearly 3,000 km)
a complementary chapter on Lincolnshire (with a shoreline of only 155
km) is included. The other case is the general article on the Baltic
Coast of the USSR which is supported by chapters on Estonia and
Lithuania.