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Geographic Luck

Geographic Luck. The Question. Why do areas like North America, Europe, and Asia have so much technological development and wealth while huge continents like Africa have high rates of poverty and disease and remain relatively undeveloped?. “Guns, Germs, and Steel” by Jared Diamond.

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Geographic Luck

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  1. Geographic Luck

  2. The Question Why do areas like North America, Europe, and Asia have so much technological development and wealth while huge continents like Africa have high rates of poverty and disease and remain relatively undeveloped?

  3. “Guns, Germs, and Steel” by Jared Diamond

  4. The Answer (according to Jared Diamond) Geographic luck Some countries developed more rapidly than others and were then able to expand and conquer much of the world because of geographic luck.

  5. Year 10,000 BC • The world is equal • We are all Hunter and Gathers • Hunting our food • Gathering from the land what we can • Moving to find food

  6. Advanced Civilizations require • Advanced technology • Large populations • Specialized workforce QUESTION: Are Hunter/Gatherers “advanced civilizations”?

  7. Hunter/Gatherers  Agricultural SocietyThe road to “advanced civilization” • Get more food than you need, store it for later • Settle down and Build cities • Not everyone has to be a farmer • Development of “specialists” within the civilization who develop the technologies necessary to make these civilizations more profitable, stronger, and more powerful than others around them

  8. Two things needed forAgriculture: • cultivating specific crops • the domestication of certain animals Crops: grows easily, stores over time, a lot of nutrients. Two examples: wheat and barley Domesticate animals: to help you do work, in particular farming

  9. Video - Animals 10,000 years to domesticate animals 2 Millions animals; 148 are domesticated • QUESTION: Of the 148, how many animals have been domesticated to do farming? • QUESTION: Where do you find these animals? • #5 – 3:30 – 4:52 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0edh5Itvhy8

  10. Earliest development of people who go from Hunter/Gatherers to Agricultural Society • The Fertile Crescent Why here? • Geographic Luck • Best place for native crops and native animals

  11. Video – Spread of Agriculture leads to a head start for some cultures • Question: What happened to the Fertile Crescent? • Question: How does latitude affect what happens in Europe and USA? • Discussion: Egypt • #6: 0:30 – 5:29 • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBHs_1_xCN8

  12. What happened to the Fertile Crescent? • Destroyed the environment • Use all water • Cut down the trees • Over farmed Latitude • similar climate • moved crops and animals and still prospered

  13. Egypt • Growth of population • Specialized workforce (scribes, engineers) • Technology

  14. What have we learned? Hunter/Gatherers  Agricultural Society • The cultures who make this move first have an advantage Why do some make this move before others? • Geographic Luck • The natural resources plus the native species and climate provided by their geography led some cultures to become more agricultural and less dependent on hunting and gathering.

  15. Jared Diamond’s Theory Diamond asserts that those living in temperate climates with indigenous plants and animals that could be domesticated were more likely to develop advanced civilizations. Next comes: Guns, Germs and Steel

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