On Tuesday/Wednesday (October 6/7), we will have a quiz on the major climates and physical features of the world. Each of these factors have had a major impact on the development of human civilizations.
Climate Zones
The tropical zone extends from the Tropic of Cancer at 22.5° north latitude to 22.5° south latitude. The weather tends to be warm year around and typically has a lot of rainfall. The tropics do not have distinct seasons. Farming is possible, but deforestation can lead to soil erosion, making farming more difficult.
Related, dry climates can appear in these latitudes when there is little rainfall. Farming can be difficult or even impossible. A great example is the Sahara Desert that covers much of North Africa.
The temperate zones extend from the Tropic of Cancer to the Arctic Circle at 66° north latitude and from the Tropic of Capricorn to the Antarctic Circle at 66° south latitude. Temperatures are usually moderate and are ideal for farming. Most of the ancient civilizations we will study were located in a temperate climate.
The polar regions extend from the Arctic and Antarctic Circles to the North and South Poles. Temperatures remain cold even during the long summer days. Farming is impossible so people survive by fishing or hunting.
More information is available on this Wikipedia article (which is also the source of the above images).
Physical Features
Mountains have high elevations and steeply sloped sides. They are difficult areas for farming or building structures (though some cultures have developed solutions such as terraced farming and cliff-dwelling structures).
Rivers provide water and nutrients that are valuable for farming. Most of the world’s great ancient civilizations began near a river, such as the Nile River in Egypt.
Plains are flat areas of land that are usually great for farming and building cities.
Plateaus are also flat, but they tend to have higher elevations, rugged landscape, and rocky soil, which makes them less suitable for farming.