Geographic axes and the persistence of cultural diversity

Global Cultural Variety and Geography

Global cultural variety has been greatly impacted by geographic variances brought forth by rivers, mountains, and climate. Some nations today have linguistic diversity, while others have remained heterogeneous (Darden and Mylonas, 2016). The cohesiveness or dissolution of cultures is determined by the homogeneity or heterogeneity that results from the variation in the occupants’ environments. This essay aims to explain how geography has influenced the growth of variety in the context of various cultures.

Climate and Cultural Similarity

Less variety in the climate is caused by the latitudinal distance between the various continents (Darden and Mylonas, 2016). Less climatic changes lead to similarity in weather conditions that subsequently support the development of the same agricultural cultures (Laitin, Moortgat and Robinson, 2012). Similarly, the narrower distance between continents facilitates faster exchange and spread of cultures. After the sharing of the cultural ideas, they are then systematically spread to greater levels. Therefore, it is a fact that cultural homogeneity exists more in the lines of latitude differences than in the lines of the longitudinal differences.

Regional Integration and Cultural Exchanges

According to Darden and Mylonas (2016), the regional integration leads to outsourcing of services which is accompanied by cultural exchanges and spreading. For instance, an integrated territory makes the ruling elites outsource education, allowing the introduction of foreign culture and thus the development of higher heterogeneity in ethnicity. States which are closely located are exposed to more cultural invasions and are usually characterized by population homogenizing strategies.

Geographical Factors and Cultural Spread

Moreover, the distance from the equator and the existence of the mountains between countries are also geographical factors that either promote or hinder cultural spread and development (Laitin, Moortgat and Robinson, 2012). For example, historically, countries that were closer to the equator experienced more languages and hence different cultural language growth (Laitin, Moortgat and Robinson, 2012). Besides, countries with fewer mountains experience faster spread of the languages because there are little or no hindrances to communication. Gamble et al. (2011) assert that patterns of the origin of the new gecko have shown consistency with the biographical scenario. The flora and the fauna that are found in South America are linked to in situ evolution. However, the following variations are due to long-term geographical isolation of the continents.

Human Adaptation and Cultural Geography

The geography influences those cultural developments for the people who occupy different areas. Human beings have the ability to adapt to different geographical conditions that they meet so as to cope with geographic features such as arctic cold, island isolation, deserts, and mountains. Human beings are known to interact with the land, and this leads to cultural geography which consists of different languages, religions, economics, and migrations.

The Impact of Geography on Clovis Cultural Development

The Clovis population in Canada has various cultural orientations. The development of the cultures among the Clovis was due to receding ice caps that took place in Canada in the 1920s (Curry, 2012). Curry (2012) argues that the ancient migration of the Clovis hunters made them be the earliest geographical occupants of America and thus introducing a new culture. In essence, the population diversification of the Clovis population was facilitated by their geographical migration.

Conclusion

In conclusion, geography has immensely contributed to the development of different cultures across the globe. Some of the geographical features that have impacted the development of cultures include the mountains, rivers, receding of the ice caps, climate, and deserts among others.

References

Curry, A. (2012). Coming to America. Nature, 485(7396), 30. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/openview/89704cfbc6862e30b767e6bab3a26cb0/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=40569

Darden, K., & Mylonas, H. (2016). Threats to territorial integrity, national mass schooling, and linguistic commonality. Comparative Political Studies, 49(11), 1446-1479.

Gamble, T., Bauer, A. M., Colli, G. R., Greenbaum, E., Jackman, T. R., Vitt, L. J., & Simons, A. M. (2011). Coming to America: multiple origins of New World geckos. Journal of evolutionary biology, 24(2), 231-244.

Laitin, D. D., Moortgat, J., & Robinson, A. L. (2012). Geographic axes and the persistence of cultural diversity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(26), 10263-10268.