Influences of Geographic Environment by Ellen Churchill Semple (i love reading books .TXT) 📖

Coast articulations of continents. Importance of size in continental articulations. Historical contrast of large and small peninsulas. Peninsular conditions most favorable to historical development. Length of coastline. The continental base of the peninsulas. Continental base a zone of transition. Historical contrast between base and extremity. Continental base a scene of invasion and war. Peninsular extremities as areas of isolation. Ethnic unity of peninsulas. Peninsulas as intermediaries. Peninsulas of intercontinental location. Atlantic peninsulas of Europe Chapter XIII—Island Peoples Physical relationship between islands and peninsulas. Character of insular flora and fauna. Endemic forms. Paradoxical influences of island habitats upon man. Conservative and radical tendencies. The case of Japan. Islands as nurseries and disseminators of distinctive civilizations. Ancient Cretan civilization. Limitation of small area in insular history. Sources of ethnic stock of islands. Ethnic divergence with increased isolation. Differentiation of peoples and civilizations on islands. Differentiation of language in islands. Archaic forms of speech in islands. Unification of race in islands. Remoter sources of island populations. Double sources. Mixed population of small thalassic isles. Mixed population of island markets. Thalassic islands as goals of expansion. Political detachability of islands. Insular weakness due to small area. Island remains of broken empires. Political autonomy of islands based upon area and location. Historical effects of island isolation; primitive retardation. Later stimulation of development. Excessive isolation. The case of Iceland. Protection of an island environment. Factor of protection in Ceylon and Japan. Character of the invaders as factor. Islands as places of refuge. Convict islands. Penal colonies on uninhabited islands. Island prisons for political offenders. Islands as places of survival. Insular survivals of manners and customs. Effects of small area in islands. Political dominion of small islands. Economic limitations of their small area. Poverty of alluvial lowlands in islands. Dense populations of islands. Density of population in Polynesia. Various causes of this density. Crowded and vacant islands. Oceanic climate as factor. Relation of density to area. Island resorts. Density of population affected by focal location for trade. Overflow of island population to the mainland. Precocious development of island agriculture. Melanesian agriculture. Intensive tillage. Japanese agriculture. The case of England. Emigration and colonization from islands. Modern emigration from islands. Maritime enterprise as outlet. Artificial checks to population. Polyandry. Infanticide. Approved by the state. Low valuation of human life. Cannibalism in islands. Chapter XIV—Plains, Steppes And Deserts Relief of the sea floor. Mean elevations of the continents. Distribution of reliefs. Homologous relief and homologous histories. Anthropo-geography of lowlands. Extensive plains unfavorable to early development. Conditions for fusion in plains. Retardation due to monotonous environment. Value of slight elevations. Plains and political expansion. Arid plains. Distribution and extent of arid plains. Pastoral life. Pastoral nomads of Arctic plains. Historical importance of steppe nomads. Mobility of pastoral nomads. Tendency to trek. Seasonal migrations. Marauding expeditions. Depredation and conquests of African nomads. Forms of defense against nomad depredations. Pastoral life as a training for soldiers. Military organization of nomads. Capacity for conquest and political consolidation. Scope of nomad conquests. Centralization versus decentralization in nomadism. Spirit of independence among nomads. Resistance to conquest. Curtailment of nomadism. Supplementary agriculture of pastoral nomads. Irrigation and horticulture. Effect of diminishing water supply. Scant diet of nomads. Checks to population. Trade of nomads. Pastoral nomads as middlemen. Desert markets. Nomad industries. Oriental rugs. Architecture of nomad conquerors. Arid lands as areas of arrested development. Mental and moral qualities of nomads. Religion of pastoral nomads. Fanaticism as a force in nomad expansion. The faith of the desert. Chapter XV—Mountain Barriers And Their Passes Man as part of the mobile envelope of the earth. Inaccessibility of mountains. Mountains as transit regions. Transition forms of relief between highlands and lowlands. Importance of transition slopes. Piedmont belts as boundary zones. Density of population in piedmont belts. Piedmont towns and roads. Piedmont termini of transmontane routes. Cities of coastal piedmonts. Piedmonts as colonial or backwoods frontiers. Mountain carriers. Power of mountain barriers to block or deflect. Significance of mountain valleys. Longitudinal valleys. Passes in mountain barriers. Breadth of mountain barriers. Circuitous routes through folded mountains. Dominant trans-montane routes. Brenner route. Pass of Belfort. Mohawk route. Height in mountain barriers. Contrasted accessibility of opposite slopes. Its ethnic effects. Persistence of barrier nature. Importance of mountain passes. Persistent influence of passes. Geographic factors in the historical importance of passes. Intermarine mountains. Pass roads between regions of contrasted production Passes determine trans-montane roads. Navigable river approaches to passes. Types of settlements in the valley approaches. Lower settlements. Pass cities and their markets. Pass peoples. Transit duties. Strategic power of pass states. Chapter XVI—Influences Of A Mountain Environment Zones of altitude. Politico-economic value of varied relief. Relief and climate. Altitude zones of economic and cultural development. Altitude and density belts in tropical highlands. Increasing density with motive of protection. Motive of protection in primitive peoples. Geographic conditions affecting density of mountain population. Sparsity of population in the Alps. Terrace agriculture. Geographical distribution. Terrace culture of the Saracens. In the Himalayas. In Tibet and China. In ancient Peru. Terrace agriculture in mountainous islands. Among mountain savages. Fertilizing Economy of level land for houses and villages. Perpendicular villages Mountain pastures and stock-raising. Mountain herdsman and shepherds. Communal ownership of mountain pastures. Haymaking in high mountains. Methods of curing hay in mountains. Winter industries of mountain peoples. Overpopulation and emigration. Forms of temporary emigration. Permanent emigration. Polyandry. Female infanticide. Effects of polyandry and polygamy. Marauding tendencies in mountaineers Cattle-lifting.