Make a list of ways geography has affected humans.

Answer 1

First, geography impacts societies socially and culturally through varying resources, climates and distance. This could range from access to fresh water and how they use it to using agriculture techniques versus following herd migrations. An example of water access would be the struggle over control of the West Bank in the Middle East in comparison to the Mississippi which feeds public utilities.

These differences impact culture, beginning with how different obstacles need to be overcome. For instance, Incan farmers used elevated tiers to hold water and utilize mountainsides for agriculture, which also kept the soil from eroding as quickly. Now, compare those methods with irrigation and groundwater digging in low elevations in areas where droughts are common. Even more simply, think about how fish and livestock in food is dependent on geography.

As mentioned before, geography brings obstacles, but these obstacles also initiate the need for invention, i.e., boats, trains, cars and planes. Climate impacts how housing is built. Rainy areas tend to have slanted rooves to avoid flooding. Shotgun houses, although rumored to have creole superstitious origins, were popular in the hot US southern and Midwestern states because they promoted airflow. Additionally, compare those with Middle Eastern architecture in Saudi Arabia where it is common for an entire room to remain unenclosed by skylight, rain not really being an issue due to the climate. The room also has cultural significance, women spending most of their time at home accept when escorted outdoors. The room enables women to still be outside but not in public.

I could go on, but that should give you some ideas for your list. Remember to think about factors relating to survival. The World Health Organization also has resources about how climate change effects mosquitos and how that relates to higher amounts of malaria and other zoonotic illnesses. This also applies to geography, those diseases being specific to regions of certain climates because of mosquitos as a vector/cause.