The Power of Place: World Regional Geography series - includes 26 half-hour video programs providing penetrating insights into a range of geographic issues around the globe. The 26 programs typically contain two 10-minute documentary-style case studies. Each fulfills two major goals: to characterize an individual region within the eleven geographic realms explored and to communicate an important concept from a variety of systematic approaches (i.e., physical, political, historical, economic, and cultural). To motivate the study of geography, we have used television to do what it does best: to tell compelling stories and to give the viewer a feel for the place - something difficult to reproduce in other media. These are the stories that really teach geography. This series provides a creative and insightful examination of the many geographic forces currently shaping our contemporary world.

The series includes:

Unit I. Introduction: Program 1: Earthly Visions

Program 2: Boundaries and Borderlands

Unit 2. Europe: Confronting New Challenges

Program 3: Supranationalism and Devolution

Program 4: East Looks West

Program 5: The Transforming Industrial Coreland

Program 6: Challenges on the Periphery

Unit 3. Russia's Fracturing Federation:

Program 7: Facing Ethnic and Environmental Diversity

Program 8: Central and Remote Economic Development

Unit 4. North America: The Post-Industrial Transformation

Program 9: Inner vs. Edge Cities

Program 10: Ethnic Fragmentation in Canada

Program 11: Regions and Economies

Unit 5. The Geographic Dynamic of the Pacific Rim

Program 12: The Japanese Paradox: Small Farms and Megacities

Program 13: Global Interaction

Unit 6. Middle America: Collision of Cultures

Program 14: Migration and Conquest

Unit 7. South America: Continent of Contrasts

Program 15: Andes and Amazon

Program 16: Accelerating Growth

Unit 8. North Africa/Southwest Asia: The Challenge of Islam:

Program 17: Sacred Space under Siege?

Unit 9. Sub-Saharan Africa: Realm of Reversals:

Program 19: The Legacy of Colonization

Program 20: Understanding Sickness, Overcoming Prejudice

Unit 10. South Asia: Aspiring India:

Program 21: Urban and Rural Contrasts

Unit 11. China and Its Sphere:

Program 22: Life in China's Frontier Cities

Program 23: China's Metropolitan Heartland

Program 24: The Booming Maritime Edge

Unit 12. Southeast Asia: Between the Giants:

Program 25: Mainland Southeast Asia

Program 26: Maritime Southeast Asia To order call 1-800-LEARNER or go to www.learner.org. $389.00 curriculum package (26 programs on 13 cassettes, teachers guide, and right to duplicate one set of programs); $199.00 for series (26 programs on 7 cassettes); $39.95 per cassette plus shipping and handling.

Africa: Continent of Contrasts - From Capetown to Cairo, African landscapes and peoples present a kaleidoscope of vivid contrasts. This beautifully illustrated overview compares and contrasts lifestyles in Africa's varied climatic regions. Emphasis is placed on sub-Saharan Africa, although North Africa is also considered. This program is highly recommended for use in World Regional Geography courses. 35 minutes. #099V, $69.95. To order call 800-762-0060, fax 409-294-0233, or go to www.infsol.com/amn

Africa: Sierra Leone, Ghana, Kenya - The plight of minority populations, international trade agreements, and preservation of wildlife are featured in this program. In refugee camps in Sierra Leone, 850,000 Liberians are welcomed by its residents, who share with them their meager resources. Ghana's economy is based on cocoa. A 1993 agreement between producer and consumer nations has brought production in line with demand, and ensured adequate cocoa supplies at fair prices. Internationally known Kenyan anthropologist Richard Leakey struggles to safeguard the country's large wild animal reserve from poachers. 26 minutes. # BVL6631, $89.95. To order phone: 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767, or go to www.films.com

Africa: Tanzania, Mozambique, Lesotho - Health efforts, peace negotiations, and minority and political issues are featured in this program. UN efforts in Tanzania to eradicate schistosomiasis - a tropical disease affecting 200 million people - are detailed. Families displaced by the 16 year Mozambique civil war are beginning to reunite, because of recent UN peace accords. Positive political changes in South Africa hold no promise of a better life for the men of neighboring Lesotho, who are the main labor source for South African gold mines. 29 minutes. # BVL6632, $89.95. To order phone: 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767, or go to www.films.com

Africa: Tunisia, Libya, Egypt - Women's issues, health, and population growth are featured in this program. Tunisia, a diverse nation of open-minded people, is predominantly Muslim. Women, however, share equal rights with men and hold jobs from police officers to airline pilots. In Libya, the UN is attempting to stamp out the killer screwworm fly before it spreads throughout Africa, southern Europe, and Asia. A third segment documents Egypt's ongoing struggle to balance population growth with limited resources and land mass. 31 minutes. # BVL6630, $89.95. To order phone: 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767, or go to www.films.com

Asia: Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam - Progress versus culture, preserving archaeological sites, and rebuilding war-torn nations are featured in this program. A Frenchman and a Laotian are working together to improve the lives of local farmers. In Cambodia, efforts by the UN to preserve Angkor Wat, the famous archeological site, are detailed. In Vietnam, American Bob Sidell is helping the people of Dai Loc to rebuild infrastructures. 28 minutes. # BVL6634, $89.95. To order phone: 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767, or go to www.films.com

Asia: Mongolia, China, Nepal - Economic transition and wildlife preservation are featured in this program. Mongolia finds itself free of Soviet domination but without currency and facing an economic crisis. A young Englishman dedicates himself to protecting and preserving the panda population of China. And in Nepal, the country's 500-member rhinoceros population is threatened with extinction. Efforts to save them are detailed. 30 minutes. # BVL6633, $89.95. To order phone: 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767, or go to www.films.com

Bangladesh: Living with Flooding - Bangladesh is peculiarly vulnerable to cyclones and seasonal flooding. Making extensive use of graphics, this program explains why. To understand the true impact of the floods, the program takes a close look at the more than 200,000 people who live on the island of Moheshkhali, which is on average barely 20 inches above sea level. Why do its inhabitants live there? How do they make a living? What is life like living with so much vulnerability to flooding? 20 minutes. # BVL6166, $99.00. To order call 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767, or go to www.films.com

Brazil: New World in the Tropics - This program traces the history of Brazil's reliance on the exportation of its natural wealth - sugar, gold, diamonds, coffee, rubber - and the importation of manufactured goods. It also poses the problems of rapid industrialization and the need to use the country's resources wisely as well as overcome illiteracy and poverty. 30 minutes. # BVL3546, $89.95. To order phone: 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767 or go to www.films.com

Central America: Costa Rica - The topics of economic development, education, and self-help are featured in this program. We see how the country uses coffee and banana exports to propel itself forward as a developing nation; how and why it chose educating its people over building an army; and how it remains a peaceful democratic anomaly in Latin America. A second segment shows how the country uses its bamboo supplies to construct homes for the poor. 20 minutes. # BVL6626, $89.95. To order phone: 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767, or go to www.films.com

Central America: Cuba - Topics featured in this program include the preservation of cultural heritage and the environment. Specifically, the program discusses the many historical sites of Havana that have been saved from destruction by UNESCO; a second segment talks about efforts under way to rescue the Bay of Havana from the ravages of pollution. 17 minutes. # BVL6627, $89.95. To order phone: 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767, or go to www.films.com

Drugs and Health: Peru, Uganda, Turkey - In Peru, where drug dealers are exploiting local Indians for their supplies of coca leaf to manufacture cocaine, a new program is encouraging cultivation of coffee and "cochinilla," a natural coloring, to improve the tribe's economy and discourage production of the leaf. The second segment discusses the 10 year Uganda civil war, which, combined with a raging AIDS epidemic, could leave 5 million children orphaned by the year 2000. In Turkey, Doctor Gulay Isik, an anesthesiologist, is introducing the art of acupuncture to a skeptical Turkish population. 28 minutes. # BVL6640, $89.95. To order call 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767 or go to www.films.com

Ecology and the Environment: Galapagos, Mauritania, Madagascar - George, the last living Galapagos turtle in the archipelago, is mascot to some Galapagos children who are trying to save other threatened species. Mauritania, a country between the desert and the Sahel zone, is shown in a death struggle with the desert, which has advanced from 50 to 100 miles into its territory over the past 15 to 20 years. The final segment focuses on Madagascar's unique medicinal plant life, including the periwinkle used in an anti-leukemia drug, and asks how the plant life can be preserved and the wisdom of its traditional healers utilized. 30 minutes. #BVL6637, $89.95. To order phone: 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767 or go to www.films.com

Economic Development: Colombia, Bolivia, India - Efforts by Colombian peasants to help themselves by constructing decent, sturdy homes are documented in this program. Bolivian Indians have increased their farm yields by up to 1000 percent, using an ancient cultivating system of raised beds and canals. The program also examines how Germany, which bans the import of products processed with the chemical pentachlorophenol, can protect the environment without penalizing poor Indians who rely on the leather industry for economic survival. 28 minutes. #BVL6638, $89.95. To order phone: 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767, or go to www.films.com

Egypt: Land of the Pharaohs - This program provides an informative look at ancient Egypt - its startling architecture and countless contributions to modern science and the arts. More recently, in contemporary Egypt, agricultural and economic reforms initiated by Abdel Nasser and Anwar Sadat held the promise of a prosperous future. 30 minutes. #BVL3759, $89.95. To order phone: 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767 or go to www.films.com

Europe: A Modern Profile- Entire series: #BVL7401, $889.00. To order call 800-257-5126, fax 609-275-3767, or go to www.films.com

France - This interestingly-filmed program presents modern France as a product of its main parts: food, wine, revolution, politics, and love. Topics include the French Revolution; French isolationism; anti-Semitism; anti-immigration policies; Paris as an icon of French culture; cultivation of the romantic French rural image; and the societal erosion of joie de vivre. In one segment, Egyptian women discuss racial prejudice in French society. Some English subtitles. 30 minutes. #BVL7407, $99.00.

Greece - Behind its classical façade lies a modern Greece more tied to its rural traditions than to its ancient past, more fixated on old hostilities with the Turks than on its image as the cradle of democracy. This profile of that nation explores the Greek identification with the concept of village, and the diligent, near obsessive preservation of regional traditions and values. Topics include political divisions; the role of the Greek Orthodox religion; Greek xenophobia; historical animosities with Turkey; and a new threat from the Balkan states. Some English subtitles. 30 minutes. #BVL7409, $99.00.

Ireland - Ireland, the youngest country in Western Europe, has an ancient Celtic culture dating back to the 6th century BC, with archaeological sites older than the pyramids. This program examines the country's legendary past within the context of its present and future. Topics include the 1840s potato famine; mass emigrations to America, Australia, and England; the 1916 Easter rebellion; the influence of the Catholic Church; role of the IRA; Irish independence; roots of the current conflict in the North; reestablishment of Gaelic as the national language; and the widening generation gap. 30 minutes. #BVL7405, $99.00.

The Netherlands - The modern Netherlands is a strictly partitioned nation, where people and institutions, from broadcasting companies to schools, are categorized by politics, social orientation, and religion. The four major categories include Socialist, Liberal, Protestant, and Catholic. The Netherlands' 16th century split from Spain, and its 17th century Golden Age of New World imperialism, provide the historical backdrop for these societal divisions. Other topics discussed include Calvinism; Rembrandt; the World War II German occupation; Dutch complicity in the Holocaust; Anne Frank; and the liberal revolution of the 1960s. Some English subtitles. 29 minutes. #BVL7406, $99.00.

Portugal - Magellan. Vasco da Gama. Portugal is a nation known for famous explorers. By their own admission, the Portuguese are a restless lot, continually on the move. This program traces their journey through history to the present-day nation state. Topics include New World discoveries; Portugal's long-standing hostilities with Spain; the African colonies of Angola and Mozambique; and historical trade alliances with England. Also discussed are the fall of the Portuguese monarchy; the 1974 coup that ousted dictator Antonio Salazar; and African immigrants as a modernizing influence in Portuguese society. In a final segment, the Portuguese are once again on the move, as workers seek jobs in more prosperous European nations. Some English subtitles. 31 minutes. #BVL7410, $99.00

Spain - The days of the conquistadors have long since passed, but in many ways Spain remains locked within its glorious history, a slave to tradition. This program searches for the modern face of Spain by examining its social and economic progress, or lack of it, since Franco. Main topics include the Spanish Civil War, the failed rise of the middle class, and the illusion of Spain as a prosperous nation. Also examined are Spain's myriad ethnic traditions; politics; Catholicism; family traditions; urbanization; Spanish duende (soul); the South as a cliché for all of Spain; and general apathy of the Spanish people toward change. Some English subtitles. 30 minutes. #BVL7404, $99.00

United Kingdom - Despite the United Kingdom's historical resistance to invasion, the modern UK can no longer insulate itself from the influences of Europe and the world. This program provides an overview of UK society as it exists today. Topics covered include the Scottish Nationalist movement; the "troubles" in Northern Ireland; Britain's refined system of social class; the cultural revolution of the 1960s; the growing role of women; multicultural influences; and the differing attitudes of UK citizens toward the royalty. 30 minutes. #BVL7402, $99.00

The Germans: Portrait of a New Nation - Five years after unification, Germany is emerging as Europe's most powerful country. Its size, geography, economic strength, and military potential assure Germany a central role in shaping the post Cold War world. Despite its strengths, though, Germany also faces a number of challenges. To understand better the profound changes taking place in Germany today, this program profiles individuals and families from both former East and West Germany and features interviews with leading public officials and experts, including an exclusive interview with German Chancellor Helmut Kohl. 58 minutes. #BVL5999, $89.95. To order phone: 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767, or go to www.films.com

Human Rights: Haiti, Turkey, Oman - The first segment of this program documents Haiti's two-century struggle to end violence and institute voting rights for its people. In Turkey, 300,000 Bulgarian citizens exiled by Bulgaria's outgoing Communist regime are making new lives for themselves and their families. In Oman, economic windfalls from the 1967 oil boom have done little to reduce high rates of illiteracy among women. 28 minutes. #BVL6639, $89.95. To order call 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767, or go to www.films.com

India: Farming and Development - Traditional farming in India is undergoing change and this program examines this through the case of a farmer and his family, who live in Trivandrum in the south of India. Here, farmers are moving away from the traditional cultivation of rice, to grow cash crops like spices and pineapples. The reasons are complex, but provide a fascinating insight into understanding farming in India. 20 minutes. #BVL6163, $99.00. To order call 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767, or go to www.films.com

India: Land of the Monsoon - The monsoon theme, as it affects three very different regions of India, is used to explore the relationship between people and environment in South Asia's largest country. Video footage from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, the Ganges Plain, and Rajasthan give this program an outstanding visual impact. 22 minutes. #769V, $49.95. To order call 800-762-0060, fax: 409-294-0233, or go to www.infsol.com/amn

Indonesia: The Story of a Volcano - The fertile slopes of the Merapi volcano in Java are densely populated. But the farming families that live here are taking a calculated risk - the volcano is one of the most active in the world! The process of eruptions is explained with graphics, and the program follows a family determined to return to their village, which was last devastated by an eruption in 1994. As the program explains, the danger of living on the slopes of the volcano is preferable to life in a relocation camp. 20 minutes. #BVL6167, $99.00. To order phone: 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767, or go to www.films.com

Indonesia: Urban Development in Jakarta - Like many cities in the Far East, Jakarta is expanding rapidly - far more rapidly than it can provide basic services. Roads are continuous traffic jams and most of the population have no running water or sewage system. Although the economy is burgeoning, life for the ordinary citizen of Jakarta is a tremendous struggle. To give a sense of what life is like for the average Jakartan, the program follows a 12 year old boy on his daily routines - from his home in a cramped apartment, to school during the day, to selling magazines on the streets by night. 20 minutes. #BVL6168, $99.00. To order call 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767, or go to www.films.com

Introducing China - This program explores the physical geography, history, and lifestyles of the People's Republic of China. 28 minutes. #143V, $59.95. To order call 800-762-0060, fax 409-294-0233, or go to www.infsol.com/amn

Introducing East Asia - Aspects of life and landscape in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and China are presented in this overview program designed as an introduction to the East Asian region. 25 minutes. #144V, $59.95. To order call 800-762-0060, fax 409-294-0233, or go to www.infsol.com/amn

Introducing Latin America - From tropical rainforest to cosmopolitan cities, Latin America is a study in contrasts. This two part program provides an overview of the physical and cultural geography of Middle and South America. Student reviews indicate the success of these videos as teaching tools. Introducing Latin America: The Land, 28 minutes. Introducing Latin America: The People, 27 minutes. #073V, $79.95. To order call 800-762-0060, fax 409-294-0233, or go to www.infsol.com/amn

Introducing the Amazon - This program, videotaped on location in Ecuador, Peru, and Brazil, describes the Amazon as a river and as a rain forest region and examines forces for change that may destroy this important ecosystem. Lives of the region's peoples, both Native Americans and Hispanic subsistence farmers are considered as are proposals for less exploitive development. 23 minutes. #087V, $49.95. To order call 800-762-0060, fax 409-294-0233, or go to www.infsol.com/amn

Iran: A Modern Dilemma - This program traces the history of the Persian Empire from the first millennium BC to the establishment of modern-day Iran. It describes how the country gained full control of its petroleum resources, the Shah's efforts at modernization, and Iranian life after the 1979 revolution. 29 minutes. #BV3764, $89.95. To order phone: 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767, or go to www.films.com

Iraq: Cradle of Civilization - Present day Iraq covers the Biblical land of Sumer, the kingdom commanding the ancient mother rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates. Over millennia, many great civilizations have risen and fallen - those of Sumer, Babylon, and Baghdad, city of the Arabian Nights. 29 minutes. #BVL3763, $89.95. To order phone: 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767 or go to www.films.com

Israel: Land of Destiny - This program provides a look at Israel, past and present, as Holy Land of Judaism, Islam, and Christianity, and as a source of age-old conflict. The program considers the state's development of kibbutzim, public housing, and new cities to accommodate its increased population. 29 minutes. #BVL4663, $89.95. To order phone: 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767, or go to www.films.com

JAPAN 2000 SERIES -Entire series: #BVL7162, $465.00. To order call 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767 or go to www.films.com

Against All Odds - Two controversial projects with environmental implications are examined in this program. The planned construction of a bypass around Honshu Island will provide a link to the west at the expense of the natural coastlines of two remote islands. A second discussion centers on Wakasa Bay and a series of nuclear power plants which the Japanese government constructed in its effort to reduce Japan's dependency on foreign oil. Local residents express their fear of nuclear accidents and contamination. 20 minutes. #BVL7163, $129.00

Changing Lifestyles - This program looks at the different ways Japanese people live, and what the future holds for the next generation. An expensive high-rise apartment is compared with projects designed to provide cheaper housing and relieve city overcrowding. A young rural family discusses the advantages and disadvantages of their chosen lifestyle. A young woman compares her lifestyle with that of her more traditional parents. 20 minutes. #BVL7166, $129.00

The Future of the Countryside - This program examines problems experienced by Japanese farmers, and what the government is doing to help. We go to a family-run rice and vegetable farm, where members subsidize their income by working at a nearby factory. A timber-yard manager discusses efforts to develop better forest management practices. Also discussed are the effects of the GATT agreement on government rice subsidies. Alternate growing methods are suggested in the face of soil contamination. 20 minutes. #BVL7165, $129.00

The Hi-Tech Road - This program discusses the area around Osaka Bay and how the high-tech re-tooling of industries is saving jobs. Panasonic and Nippon Steel are both discussed as industries in decline. However, large scientific research centers and advances introduced by the steel industry are providing new jobs. 20 minutes. #BVL7164, $129.00

Jerusalem - A case study of one of the world's most famous cities ties together many of the threads that are important for understanding the North African-Southwest Asian region. 19 minutes. #453V, $49.95. To order phone: 800-762-0060, fax: 409-294-0233, or go to www.infsol.com/amn

The Kuzbass - This program travels on the Trans-Siberian Railway nearly 1000 miles east of Moscow to Novolkuznetsk, in the center of Kuzbass. The Kuzbass is a region deep in Siberia, with bone-chilling winters, bordered by forests and marshes on one side and mountains on the other. It is also at the heart of Russia's heavy industrial heartland. The program explores the town of Novokuznetsk, which is dominated by a huge steel mill that can be seen and smelled from any where in town. We look at the old Stalinist center of town and its high-rise suburbs, and go to a country house (dacha) in the surrounding wooded mountains. The program also interviews local residents who describe what life is like in the region. 20 minutes. #BVL6580, $89.95. To order phone: 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767, or go to www.films.com

The Making of Modern Europe - Co-written with Joseph Kraus, an expert on European Studies, this program traces the threads of unity and disunity in Europe from Roman times to the present. An excellent case study in political geography and Europe's ever-changing map as well as a good introduction to the European region. 26 minutes. #270V, $59.95. To order call 800-762-0060, fax: 409-294-0233, or go to www.infsol.com/amn

Mayas, Aztecs and Incas - Three of the great pre-Hispanic civilizations of the Americas are presented in this program which was developed specifically for courses in which only one or two lecture periods can be devoted to the role of Native American civilizations in the creation of Latin America. 25 minutes. #051V, $49.95. To order phone: 800-762-0060, fax: 409-294-0233, or go to www.infsol.com/amn

Mexico: Land of Paradox - This program provides a portrait of Mexico as a stable, progressive country with a rich heritage and a promising future. Current issues covered include overcrowding, the poverty of farmers in a land of plenty, and how the country's vast oil reserves are to be utilized. 30 minutes. #BVL3545, $89.95. To order phone: 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767, or go to www.films.com

The Moscow Region - Moscow and its surrounding region represent the largest population center in Russia. This program looks at what makes this city of ten million distinctive as a great capital city, and examines Moscow's role as the center of urban and economic development in the new Russia. Three-dimensional graphic simulations of the city allow viewers to "fly" across the landscape and into Moscow to understand its network of roads, railroads, and suburbs. In addition to looking at Moscow's role as the seat of the government, the program goes to several local businesses, including a factory, a bank, and the biggest McDonald's in the world. 20 minutes. #BVL6579, $89.95. To order phone: 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767, or go to www.films.com

Nigeria: A Tale of Two Families - This program reflects the diversity of the entire continent. Nigeria is Africa's most populous country, and ranges from tropical forest in the south to sub-Saharan savanna in the north. The program looks at the effect of climate on the lives and survival strategies of two farming families living in very different locations, and at the influence of culture on the children and their ambitions. 20 minutes. #BVL5093, $69.95. To order phone: 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767, or go to www.films.com

Norilsk: Life in the Arctic - Although northern Russia is one of the most inhospitable places on earth, over 200,000 people live in the city of Norilsk, which lies inside the Arctic Circle. This program explores this extraordinary city and it's surrounding tundra. The area is rich in minerals and the program focuses on how its delicate ecology is affected by open cast mining, nickel smelting, and oil pipelines. The region can only be reached by air or through a nearby port. The program goes in midwinter and observes as an ice-breaker clears a channel. The program also travels into the arctic wilderness to meet the nomadic native peoples and experience their way of life and to understand the impact that the industrialization of the area has had on them. 20 minutes. #BVL6583, $89.95. To order phone: 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767, or go to www.films.com

Saudi Arabia: Kingdom of Black Gold - This program covers the history and development of Saudi Arabia, and how it became the world's largest exporter of oil. 29 minutes. #BVL3765, $89.95. To order phone: 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767, or go to www.films.com

South America: Brazil - Human rights, environmental issues, and Brazil's drug problem are featured in this program. The efforts of ethnologist Porfirio Carvailho to save the Waimiri-Atraori Indians of the Amazon from extinction are detailed. A second segment shows how Sweden and Brazil are cooperating in the development of energy from biomass. A third segment focuses on the drug problem in Sao Paulo and a soccer program designed to save city youths from lives of drugs and crime. 29 minutes. #BVL6628, $89.95. To order call 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767, or go to www.films.com

South America: Paraguay - Economic development issues, politics, and human rights are featured in this program. The first segment details the 35 year reign of terror under dictator General Alfredo Stroessner, and the country's efforts to forget its painful political past. The second segment shows how the country provides economic assistance to its hordes of street vendors. A third segment details the plight of the Pai Indians, and how devastation of the Amazon forest is depriving them of life resources. 29 minutes. #BVL6629, $89.95. To order call 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767, or go to www.films.com

The Steppes of North Caucasus - This program joins a small group of farmers for the wheat harvest on the vast plains of the Russian Steppes. It is some of the best farmland in the country - flat, fertile, and very hot in the summer - and it's about as far south as one can go in the new Russia. The program explores the impact on farming methods and the way of life for Russian farmers, as the giant collective farms of the Communist era have given way to farmers who now own their own land. Using three-dimensional graphics and aerial photography, the program flies over the region's geographical relationship to the rest of Russia. 20 minutes. #BVL6582, $89.95. To order phone: 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767, or go to www.films.com

The Volga River - This program explores the characteristics of a great river system as we travel its length, from its source between Moscow and St. Petersburg to its delta on the Caspian Sea. The program examines many of the river's characteristics, from the reservoirs formed by a series of huge hydroelectric dams to the concentration of heavy industry on the river and the resulting pollution, and explores the river's vital importance to commerce. Boatmen, ecologists, marine biologists, and sturgeon fishermen also contribute their impressions of life on and around the Volga. 20 minutes. #BVL6581, $89.95. To order phone: 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767, or go to www.films.com

Yugoslavia: Before the Fall - This program looks at the history and people of this short-lived federation of Serbs, Croats, Bosnians, Montenegrins, Macedonians, and Slovenians, a country built from the rubble of two World Wars on a 2000 year foundation of invasion at the crossroads of Europe. This is an ideal introduction to the cultural and political conditions that preceded the recent devastation of the Balkans. 29 minutes. #BVL4661, $89.95. To order call 800-257-5126, fax: 609-275-3767, or go to www.films.com

Video policy: 1 free tape per 100 new textbook orders.