Blog 24

1. Israel
2. Jordan
3. Lebanon
4. Syria
5. Iraq
6. Saudi Arabia
7. Yemen
8. Georgia
9. Armenia
10. Azerbaijan 
11. Kuwait 
12. Bahrain 
13. Qatar the United Arab Emirates
14. Oman 
15. Iran
16. Kazakhstan 
17. Uzbekistan
18. Turkmenistan
19. Kyrgyzstan
20. Tajikistan
21. Afghanistan 
22. Pakistan 
23. Russia 
24. Nepal
25. India 
26. Maldives
27. Mongolia
28. China
29. Buthan
30. Bangladesh
31. Myanma
32. Thailand
33. Sri Lanka
34. Singapore
35. Laos
36. Vietnam
37. Cambodia
38. Brunei
39. Malaysia
40. Indonesia
41. North Korea
42. South Korea
43. Taiwan
44. the Philippines
45. Japan
46. East Timor

Blog post 23

1)According to Jared Diamond, what allowed Europeans to develop the power necessary to conquer (take over) large portions of the world? 

Geography-having the most productive crops and animals allowed Europeans to develop guns, germs, and steel, and ultimately, to conquer the world.

2)Why were the Europeans who settled the South African cape(tip) so successful? Describe two reasons. 

The temperature and the climate in the South African cape is nearly the same as what the Europeans had at home. Because the Cape and Europe have a similar latitude (distance from the equator), they can grow the same types of crops and raise the same types of livestock in Africa as they did back home in Europe.

3)How did disease allow the Europeans to conquer the native populations in the Americas-and in the African-cape? 

Europeans introduced germs that these populations had never before been exposed to, particularly smallpox. Because Europeans had been exposed to the disease over the course of centuries, their bodies had built up a natural resistance (antibodies) to these diseases. When the people of the Americas and the South African cape came into contact with these germs, they were killed in massive numbers, making settlement of these lands much easier for the Europeans.

4)The Europeans who settled the tropical areas of the African continent introduced killer germs to the native populations. However, Europeans also suffered from the effects of germs native to Africa. Describe how native African germs worked against the European settlers. 

The Europeans were experiencing a reversal of the pattern they were used to. Rather than introducing germs to the people they hoped to conquer, they were being infected by the germs that were indigenous to Africa and losing their livestock and their own lives as a result.

5)How did the native Africans protect themselves from the germs that caused diseases such as Smallpox and Malaria? Give specific examples cited in the film. 

The native Africans had developed immunity to Smallpox through repeated exposure over thousands of years and vaccinations they had developed that could provide immunity for life. In addition, the Africans also knew how to avoid diseases like Malaria by preventing infection. This was done by choosing to live in high, dry areas where the mosquitoes responsible for spreading the disease do not typically live. Because the Africans lived in small communities spread out over relatively large areas, they could minimize the transmission of diseases such as Malaria when outbreaks occurred. Because European settlers did not understand the causes of Malaria, they concentrated their settlements near rivers and water sources where they faced the greatest exposure to Malaria. Because they all lived in close proximity, epidemics were frequent and deadly to the settlers.

6)How has the colonization (European take over) of Africa created countries filled with disease? Give specific examples from the film.

Because European colonists in the late 1800’s forced the native Africans out of their small villages and into cities and large, crowded communities to mine and ferry the continent’s natural resources, they took the successful economic and social systems away from these people. By putting so many people together in areas where diseases like Malaria are easily spread, the native populations have lost the immunity they once had to these diseases. This is caused, in part, by the strains of the disease mutating, causing drugs to be less effective. As a result, there are high numbers of people infected with and dying from diseases like Malaria. In addition, new diseases, such as HIV/AIDS are now also spread more easily because of so many people living in densely populated areas.

7) A Wha is the number one public health problem in Zambia? B) Who are the people mainly affected by this? 

Malaria. It is the number one killer of African children under the age of 5.

8)How has disease made poverty (poorness) worse in many African countries such as Zambia? 

It has decreased life expectancy dramatically. The average lifespan in Zambia is only 35 years. Because the disease affects so many children so frequently, many mothers who would normally be working and contributing to the society are instead sitting in hospitals nursing sick children.

9)According to data from the film, how has Malaria effected the overall growth in Africa over the last 50 years? 

Malaria has caused 1% NEGATIVE growth in Africa EACH YEAR for the past 50 years. This has caused them to become poverty stricken.

10)Describe how other tropical countries such as Malaysia and Singapore have developed rich economies despite having many of the same geographical and health problems faced by African nations.

By understanding their environment and realizing the burdens that their geography and certain germs could cause, these governments planned and executed measures to eliminate diseases like Malaria. As a result, they were able to develop rich economies and capitalize on the positive aspects of their geography.

Blog post 22

1. At the time that the Spanish conquistadores invaded the Inca Empire, they were armed with state of the art weaponry. Describe this weaponry.

horses that made them appear like god-like half man, half beast warriors, body armor, guns, and steel swords. 

2. What is Jared Diamond’s explanation for why the Spanish had advanced to steel swords while Inca’s were still making tools and weapons from bronze?

Because Europe was geographically close to the Fertile Crescent, they inherited the 7,000 years of metal technology that had been developed there. Because they had a diversified society that allowed for specialization, the Spanish devoted time and effort to producing the longest, strongest, sharpest swords possible.

3. How did the battle tactics used by the Spanish conquistadors help the small army defeat the  Inca army that outnumbered it by the thousands?

The Spaniards begin by surprising the Incas, firing their guns and coming out of hiding on horseback. As they rode, the conquistadors used their swords to hack, cut, and stab the Incas who were panicking and fleeing rather than standing firm. Had the Incas known more about this style of fighting, they could have been victorious by sheer numbers if they had stood their ground against the cavalry.

4. According to Jared Diamond, what made the Europeans “accidental conquerors”?

Because of their geographic location and history, the Europeans were the first to acquire guns, germs, and steel, therefore they could conquer other lesser developed civilizations.

Blog post 21

Viewing Guide:  Guns, Germs, and Steel: Episode 1

Directions: Before viewing the film, read each question below so you know what information and ideas you should be looking for as you watch Episode 1. Record your answers to each question by providing as many facts, details, and examples as possible to answer each question.

1. According to Jared Diamond, what are the three major elements that separate the world’s  “haves” from the “have nots”?

Guns, Germs, and Steel

2. Jared Diamond refers to the people of New Guinea as “among the world’s most culturally diverse and adaptable people in the world”, yet they have much less than modern Americans.Diamond has developed a theory about what has caused these huge discrepancies among different countries, and he says it boils down to geographic luck. Give several examples from the film to support Diamond’s theory
Answers will vary but could include discussion of people living in the Middle East and all of their resources compared to the relatively small amount of resources provided by the jungle areas of New Guinea, and how having more food resources and the ability to store them led people to become more agrarian and less reliant on being hunter-gatherers. This, in turn, allowed societies to develop specialists who could improve and develop technologies in a variety of areas. Societies that were not blessed with growing conditions that support nutrient rich crops or allow for their easy, long-term storage are simply not as successful at farming, thus must continue to rely on hunting and gathering to survive.

 3. For thousands of years, people have been cultivating crops. Describe the process used to domesticate crops and create plants that yielded bigger, tastier harvests
By domesticating crops, we mean that people interfere with what actually happens in nature by planting and harvesting at specific times, choosing only the biggest, tastiest, easiest to harvest seeds from the crops, and selecting individual plants for usein breeding the next year’s crops to increase the harvest.

4. According to Diamond, livestock also plays a significant role in a civilization’s ability to 

 become rich and powerful. How did the domestication of animals help people? Give several examples.

breeding animals for use as meat and for their milk as well as providing other resources such as skins for clothing, using the animals as beasts of burden/plowing, and using the animals for transportation or warfare. In addition, animals were important to farming because they could eat the stubble from the fields and provide the fields with fertilizer at the same time.

5. List the animals that can be domesticated and where they can be found.

llama-South America, Asia, North Africa, and Europe had the others: goats, sheep, pigs, cows, horses, donkeys, camels, water buffalo, reindeer, yaks, nithans, and cattle.

6. Looking at the list of animals and locations from question 5, discuss how Diamond’s theory about geographic luck applies here.

The idea that domesticated animals led to greater productivity, and the majority of these domesticable animals were native to the temperate climates of the world where the most powerful civilizations developed.

7. How did the movement of the early civilizations of the Fertile Crescent (Middle East) further support Diamond’s idea that geography played a key role in the success of a civilization?

The Fertile Crescent had a dry climate and a fragile environment. The people of the time did not have conservation methods. Instead, they over-exploited the land and environment. Over time, the land could no longer support them. The fact that the Fertile Crescent shared the same latitude with Europe and Asia allowed them to move their crops and animals to these areas and continue to thrive. Had they not lived adjacent to land masses that could support their crops and animals, they may have died out.

8. Do you agree with Jared Diamond when he says of a civilization's ability to gain power, 

 wealth, and strength, “…what’s far more important is the hand that people have been dealt, the raw materials they’ve had at their disposal.” Why or why not?

Blog post 20

1.) According to the article, what are the two fundamental aspects of Japan's aging crisis?

There are two fundamental aspects behind Japan’s aging population. One aspect is the increase in the proportion of the elderly in the total population. The other is the slower growth of the population, arising directly from the declining fertility rate. 

2.) By 2030, what percentage of the Japanese population will be elderly dependents (aged 65+)? 

33%

3.) What is the direct economic impact of Japan's aging population?

The decreased workforce is causing the Japanese economy to cease to grow.

4.) How is the Japanese government attempting to address the labor shortages?

The government has tried to meet labor shortages by encouraging more employment of women and older workers, and using more robots and other automation

Blog post 19

According to Malthus, what is the general nature of all animated life?

That is the constant tendency of all animated life to increase beyond the nourishment provided for it.

According to Malthus, what is the most positive check on human population growth that has existed in history?

Law of our nature which makes food necessary to the life of man, population can never actually increase beyond the lowest nourishment capable of supporting it, a strong check on population, namely, the difficulty of acquiring food, must be constantly in operation.

Describe Malthus’ idea of arithmetic growth of food supply v geometric growth of human population. 

population increases exponential place food supply increases arithmetic

Discuss Malthus’ idea of positive and preventive checks on human population. Provide examples of both.  

these are practices which you limit reproduction or fertility. these include abstinence which necessitates moral restraint and delay of marriage. Malthus was aware that moral restraint was difficult as people gain pleasure from sex. yet he was not in favor of artificial birth control methods.

RESEARCH: Was Malthus Right? Read the article and do some outside research if necessary and decide whether or not Malthus was right.  
Yes he was right

blog post 18

1) The One Child Policy- official program initiated in the late 1970s and early ’80s by the central government of China, the purpose of which was to limit the great majority of family units in the country to one child each. The rationale for implementing the policy was to reduce the growth rate of China’s enormous population. It was announced in late 2015 that the program was to end in early 2016.

2) Deng Xiaoping created the policy on September 25, 1980.

3) There were some exceptions, for example, twins, triplets, quintuplets, and parents within some ethnic minority groups or those whose firstborn was handicapped were allowed to have more than one child. Methods of enforcement included making contraceptive methods available, offering financial penalties and employment opportunities, imposing sanctions against those who violated the policy, and at times, invoking stronger measures such as forced abortions and sterilizations

4) The one-child policy produced consequences beyond the goal of reducing population growth. Most notably, the country’s overall sex ratio became aimed toward males—roughly between 3 and 4 percent more males than females. Traditionally, male children have been preferred—particularly in rural areas—as sons inherit the family name and property and are responsible for the care of elderly parents. Another consequence of the policy was a growing proportion of elderly people, the result of the concurrent drop in children born and rise in longevity since 1980. That became a concern, as the great majority of senior citizens in China relied on their children for support after they retired, and there were fewer children to support them. A third consequence was instances in which the births of subsequent children after the first went unreported or were hidden from authorities. Those children, most of whom were undocumented, faced hardships in obtaining education and employment. Although the number of such children is not known, estimates have ranged from the hundreds of thousands to several million.


5) I watched it

Blog 17

Describe the economic and cultural forces that shape the choice to have children—or not- in each of the countries listed in the article. Use the first hand accounts from the women in each of the countries to build your answer. You will also want to include background information about fertility rates and how we use them as human geographers. *Your response must be a minimum of 4 paragraphs. 



Answer-

The economic and cultural forces that effect fertility rates in these countries are:

France- The French fertility rate went from 2.9 in 1960 to 1.9 in 2017.  In France women make 72% of the income that men make.  The wage gap exists in this country.

Saudi-Arabia- Women in Saudi-Arabia have one of the lowest rate of labor force participation and have low economic power.  25% of the women in this country are in the workforce.  Women earn 22% of mens earnings.  In Saudi-Arabia women have very little choice in what they want to do in life, this is because men have so much power over them.  For example, the women in the account wanted to travel abroad to study media, but her dad made her study something else.

China- In China there is a limit to how much children you can have.  This limit has brought fertility rate down from 5.8 children in 1960 to 1.7 children in 2017.  The culture of women working has also led to a steep decline.  A recent crackdown on gender discrimination has also led to decreased fertility rates.  Women in china get very little sympathy.  In the account, a pregnant women was told to go. on a business trip.  worried that the condition she was in was not fit for traveling, she reached out to her CEO, who was also female.  her CEO said "overcome it".  The company that she worked hard for treated her poorly even tho she was pregnant.

Nigeria- The fertility rates have not changed much compared to other countries like China.  In 1960, the fertility rate was 6.4, in 2017 it was 5.5.  Nigeria is predicted to be a main contributor to world population growth. 


Fertility Rates are important statistics that can help determine wether the population of a place will drop or increase.  Fertility rates are the amount of live births per woman 15-65 years of age.   

blog 16
Video Notes:

• 10 million people in the year 10,000 BC
• 1800 was when population became 1 billion
• This is because of the industrial revolution
• Most of the growth has been from Asian countries
• The population grew so slow because most of the children born died before they could grow up
• Thanks to medical advances, the children died less and people live longer
• Today the average fertility rate is 2.5 
• Its was 5 in 1963 
• It is still decreasing
• One of the most important things to happen is two child families to become most common
• The best geographers project that population growth will stop at 11 billion people
• Education is so important for the progress of a country

Blog 15

1. Somalia
2. Ethiopia 
3. Kenya
4. Madagascar
5. Tanzania 
6. Malawi
7. Swaziland
8. Lesotho
9. South Africa 
10. Egypt
11. Sudan
12. South Sudan
13. Uganda
14. Rwanda
15. Burundi
16. Zambia
17. Zimbabwe 
18. Libya
19. Chad
20. Central African republic 
21. Democratic republic of the Congo
22. Angola
23. Namibia
24. Botswana
25. Niger
26. Nigeria
27. Cameroon
28. Equatorial Guinea 
29. Gabon
30. Congo republic 
31. Algeria 
32. Mali
33. Burkina
34. Ghana
35. Togo
36. Benin
37. Morocco
38. Western Sahara
39. Mauritania
40. Senegal
41. Gambia
42. Guinea Bissau 
43. Sierra Leone
44. Liberia
45. Djibouti
46. Eritrea
47. Tunisia 
48. Malawi
49. Guinea 
50. Comoros
51. Sao Tome + Principe
52. Cote D'Ivoire 

Blog #14

KQ1: Where is the worlds population distributed?

LO1. Define Population, Demography, and the key demographic indicators

Population- refers to the size and distribution of the Earth’s human population

Demography- a social science which entails the statistical study of human populations

In class we discussed mortality rates and how they can be used to find out population count and the stats that are associated with it.  We also learned how to use crude birth and crude death rates to find population increase/decrease.  

IMR- Infant mortality rate (0-1 years old)

CMR- Child mortality rate (0-5 years old)

Demographic Collapse- When the population suddenly plummets

We also talked about how we find out stats like population change

Rate of Natural Increase (RNI): a statistic that expressed a country or region’s annual growth rate; expressed as a percentage

• Made up of crude birthrate. (…/1000)
• Gives us # of births
• Made up of crude death rate (…/1000)
• Gives us # of deaths
• CB-CD= RNI
• To calculate the RNI, demographers subtract the death rate (number of deaths per 1,000 people/year) from the birth rate (number of birth per 1,000 people/year) and convert the answer to a percentage.

Blog post 13

KQ3: Why are different places similar

LO1: Define Cultural diffusion

Cultural diffusion is the process of spreading cultural traits from one region to another.

LO2: Describe the five types of cultural diffusion that occur

• Expansion diffusion: an innovation or idea that develops in a source area and remains strong there, while also spreading outward to other areas. This can include hierarchical, stimulus, and contagious diffusion.
• Relocation diffusion: an idea or innovation that migrates into new areas, leaving behind its origin or source of the cultural trait.
• Hierarchical diffusion: an idea or innovation that spreads by moving from larger to smaller places, often with little regard to the distance between places, and often influenced by social elites.
• Contagious diffusion: an idea or innovation that spreads based on person-to-person contact within a given population.
• Stimulus diffusion: an idea or innovation that spreads based on its attachment to another concept.

LO3: Describe historical + modern examples of diffusion

• Silly Bandz- Contagious diffusion
• Christianity- Hierarchal diffusion
• McDonalds- Expansion diffusion  

Today in class we discussed how diffusion works and some examples of diffusion.  We used McDonalds as an example.  McDonald's started in Southern California and grew exponentially.  

blog post 11

KQ3 Why Are Different Places Similar? 

LO1: Define Globalization

LO2: Identify and describe the facilitators of globalization

LO3: To understand our personal connections to the global process. 

LO1: Globalization is the process of interaction and integration among people, companies, and governments worldwide. As a phenomenon, globalization is considered by some as a form of capitalist expansion which entails the connection of local and national economies into a global, unregulated market economy. 

Today in class we discussed the facilitators of globalization and how globalization works  

Blog post 12

1. Russia
2. Finland
3. Estonia
4. Belarus
5. Latyia
6. Lithuania 
7. Ukraine 
8. Moldava
9. Norway
10. Sweden
11. Denmark
12. Poland
13. Czech Republic 
14. Slovakia
15. Romania 
16. Bulgaria  
17. Turkey
18. Cyprus
19. Germany 
20. Austria 
21. Hungary
22. Serbia
23. Kosava
24. North Macedon 
25. Greece
26. Sloven 
27. Croatia 
28. Bosnio 
29. Montenegro 
30. Albania
31. Iceland 
32. Netherlands 
33. Belgium 
34. Switzerland 
35. San Marino 
36. Italy  
37. Vatican City  
38. Sicily   
39. Ireland 
40. England
41. Luxembourg 
42. Libechenstein  
43. France
44. Corsica
45. Andorra
46. Portugal 
47. Spain

blog post 10

LO1: Define region, formal region, functional region, and vernacular region

• Region- a collection of places that have a universal and shared characteristic 
• Formal region- a region who's boundaries are clearly defined
• EX) countries, cities, counties, provinces 
• Functional region- usually encompasses a central point with defined boundaries and the area around it that is connected via a well-developed network of transportation and communication systems 
• Nodal Regions
• Vernacular region-  a region that does not exist on maps
• Perceptual regions
• The way we see it

LO2: To compare and contrast the different types of regions that human geographers use

Formal regions are definitive areas who's boundaries are clearly known and shown.  A functional region is a region in which the region sprouts out from a central focal point via a well developed network of transportation and communication systems.  A vernacular region is a region that does not physically exist.



Today I class we discussed the 36' 30 line and how it splits the U.S. in half.  We also talked about how for a certain period of time, the Mason Dixon line separated north from south.  We also did an activity that involved us stating 5 thing we think of when we hear the term south or southern.  It really showed what the stereotypical view for southern parts of the U.S are.

Blog Post 9

Today in class we discussed how different places can have the same toponym, and that we have to be specific in describing these places so we are aware of which one we are talking about.  Also, we did an exercise that challenged us with the task of picking settlement locations based on site and situation observations.

LO1: Define place, location, toponym, site, situation

• A place is something that refers to the physical aspects of the location
• A location is a particular place or position
• A toponym is the name of the place
• The description of the features of a place is a site
• The environmental conditions of a place is its situation

LO2: Identify and describe the 3 ways human geographers describe location 

The 3 ways that geographers describe locations are through longitude and latitude, describing the location through other locations relative to it, and by describing the location by its site and situation.

1650 map choice 

Location E as the best location because

• It has a mountain to the north protecting it from attacks
• close to ocean and river for fish and water
• close to farmland for more food 
• has sandbars protecting it from sea attack

I did not chose any other location because

• Location B has no fresh water near by + it is not protected from attacks
• Location C has nothing protecting it from attack
• Location D has no farmland or ocean for a source of food
• Location A is very prone to attack, has no farmland, and no fresh water

1830 map choice

Location A was the best location because

• It has. a waterfall near by that can be harnessed for power
• Plenty of rivers to provide fresh water
• Swampland to provide fish for food and protection

I did not chose any other location because

• Location B has no food source or protection
• Location C has no protection, fresh water source, or power source 
• Location D has no fresh water source or power source  

1880 map choice

Location C was the best choice beacuse 

• It is accessible to railroads
• Has access to coal
• Has access to fish from the sea
• Has access to good farm land
• Does not have to worry about a water source because of technology of the time

I did not chose any other location because

• Location D is harder to access by railroad (further away than C)
• Location E has no coal or farmland
• Location B has no access to coal or farmland.  It is also very hard to get railroad access because of the mountians
• Location A is hard to access by railroad and has no farmland

Blog post 8

Today in class we took a test
That is all I know that we did because I was not there

today in class we discussed how timezones work and how different countries change their timezone based on the greater good for said country.  We learned how the time either increases or decreases by one hour after we pass the UTC

Today in class we dicussed the degree variations of longitude and latitude lines.  We learned how to find out to write down the degrees of the lines on a map.  And how to calculate the difference between the lines.  

9/12/19

Today in class make a physical version of our mental maps.  This assignment made me realize how long of a drive I have to take to get to school (I live in PA).  I am accustomed to the 20-30 min drive required.  Putting the route on paper opened my mind to how much miles I travel.  This assignment also made me realize that I do not actually know the route that well.  When you put the route on paper, you have to estimate and guess where all the turns are and how long the road actually is.

9/10/19

We use mental maps every single day.  We use them to get to school, to get to class, to get to specific locations such as a store or a vacation spot, to get around our own home, and many other personal reasons.  One feature that makes mental maps special is the fact that they are in your head.  This means that you continually add layers of information to the maps based on new experiences. Our mental maps reflect our growing understanding of the world around us.

9/9/19

Today in class we discussed the importance of maps over the course of history.  Maps are a. vital component when it comes to exploration.  Even though maps are not perfect, they still provide a semi accurate picture of the earths surface.  Maps have evolved a large amount over. time.  They used to be strictly for plotting land and water masses.  Now, there's a map for almost anything.  For example, weather maps, forest fire maps, and population maps.  

9/4/19

Human geography is the study of human influence on the land around them.  Human geo studies how different civilizations, ethnical groups, and races formed the land around them in order to thrive.  Today in class we talked about how certain countries influence others either by colonizing them, or just being in close proximity to one another.  For example, Great Britain and Australia and Texas and Mexico.  These influences have caused the groups of people to change who they are.  It also caused them to make decisions based on the influence of the other country.