Longitudinal and Latitudinal Effects on Early Societies
Throughout Chapter 10, Jared Diamond discusses how latitude and longitude played a role in the advancement of societies, beginning with their food production. Civilizations who inhabited areas near the equator were heavily influenced by societies on the same latitude. Therefore, this influence and spread of new ideas allowed these societies to advance more quickly (especially in Eurasia) than independent and isolated societies. Given the tilt of the Earth, these civilizations living along the equator were also guaranteed with long days (compared to those with higher longitude) and consistent weather which allowed them to harvest crops and lead to a head start in written work and political organization.
One theme that I began to track was how changes in longitude lead to the repetition of the domestications of already domesticated crops and animals. One noticeable obstacle causing this was the inability to spread "founders" to countries who had a different longitude but similar living conditions. For example, page 180 discusses how Mexico had the appropriate climate to raise the animals of South American Andes but these animals were not able to get into Mexico because of the hot climate in Central America, dividing these two countries of similar environmental conditions. I found five other examples of civilizations unable to spread to other countries that were north or south because of these obstacles.
Further research on longitude and latitude clarified that climate and environment tend to be remain the same along the equator. Also because of the earth's rotation and tilt, areas on the equator are guaranteed a 12 hour day all year, every year. On page 176, Diamond states that "germination, growth, and disease resistance of plants are adapted to precisely those features of climate". These long days along the equator allowed crops to get plenty of sunlight and consistent weather therefore growing more quickly than those further North or South.
I was interested in researching whether or not civilizations near the equator are more culturally diverse. At one point, Diamond states that immigrants are more likely to move to a civilization with similar climate and environment because that is what they have adapted to. Due to the fact that the equator has constantly the same day-length and tends to have consistent temperatures, does this mean that civilizations of the same latitude are more diverse than civilizations with the same longitude because of its consistency?
At first this question may seem contradictory as one at first might think that all civilizations near equator are the same as they bear the same environment. However the whole equator is 24,902 miles long horizontally (east to west)*. There is no way that every civilization on this wide range of land is exactly the same. They must vary, at least slightly, in culture. Since the equator is the longest latitudinal ring around the earth, it allows for the most combination of cultural diversity. Considering that it is easier to travel east to west, civilizations living among the equator can more easily spread their culture. In my opinion, civilizations located on (or near) the equator are more diverse compared because of how long the equator is and the ease of spreading ideas, innovations and people from east to west (rather than north to south).
*Fun Fact: While learning about the length of the equator, I found that the equator is actually shorter north to south than east to west due to oblate spheroid.
URLS (mainly consists of websites containing information on the equator)
https://www.windows2universe.org/geography/latitude_longitude.html&edu=elem
https://www.nature.com/news/how-geography-shapes-cultural-diversity-1.10808
http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/about-us/161-our-solar-system/the-earth/day-night-cycle/195-is-the-sun-always-up-for-exactly-12-hours-at-the-equator-beginner
One theme that I began to track was how changes in longitude lead to the repetition of the domestications of already domesticated crops and animals. One noticeable obstacle causing this was the inability to spread "founders" to countries who had a different longitude but similar living conditions. For example, page 180 discusses how Mexico had the appropriate climate to raise the animals of South American Andes but these animals were not able to get into Mexico because of the hot climate in Central America, dividing these two countries of similar environmental conditions. I found five other examples of civilizations unable to spread to other countries that were north or south because of these obstacles.
Further research on longitude and latitude clarified that climate and environment tend to be remain the same along the equator. Also because of the earth's rotation and tilt, areas on the equator are guaranteed a 12 hour day all year, every year. On page 176, Diamond states that "germination, growth, and disease resistance of plants are adapted to precisely those features of climate". These long days along the equator allowed crops to get plenty of sunlight and consistent weather therefore growing more quickly than those further North or South.
I was interested in researching whether or not civilizations near the equator are more culturally diverse. At one point, Diamond states that immigrants are more likely to move to a civilization with similar climate and environment because that is what they have adapted to. Due to the fact that the equator has constantly the same day-length and tends to have consistent temperatures, does this mean that civilizations of the same latitude are more diverse than civilizations with the same longitude because of its consistency?
At first this question may seem contradictory as one at first might think that all civilizations near equator are the same as they bear the same environment. However the whole equator is 24,902 miles long horizontally (east to west)*. There is no way that every civilization on this wide range of land is exactly the same. They must vary, at least slightly, in culture. Since the equator is the longest latitudinal ring around the earth, it allows for the most combination of cultural diversity. Considering that it is easier to travel east to west, civilizations living among the equator can more easily spread their culture. In my opinion, civilizations located on (or near) the equator are more diverse compared because of how long the equator is and the ease of spreading ideas, innovations and people from east to west (rather than north to south).
*Fun Fact: While learning about the length of the equator, I found that the equator is actually shorter north to south than east to west due to oblate spheroid.
URLS (mainly consists of websites containing information on the equator)
https://www.windows2universe.org/geography/latitude_longitude.html&edu=elem
https://www.nature.com/news/how-geography-shapes-cultural-diversity-1.10808
http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/about-us/161-our-solar-system/the-earth/day-night-cycle/195-is-the-sun-always-up-for-exactly-12-hours-at-the-equator-beginner
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