How do you think geographic features affected where people lived?

Answer 1

People obviously need water to survive so we tend to live close to rivers and on ocean coasts (the USA is a great example of this). The water also leaves behind sediment (silt) which helps make the soil more fertile and better for all types of crop to grow.

People don't tend to live near mountains but do live on hills. This is because when you stand on a hill, you can see for miles around in all directions but if it is too high up like a mountain, you might suffocate.

In poorer countries or countries with a lot of tourism, settlements are often located in valleys (most natural, but some artificial valleys). The advantage of living in a valley is that, when it rains, water flows down the side of the valley and can be collected in a ditch or in farmland. Valleys also have the advantage of being nice, peaceful places to live in so are frequently used for tourism.

Speaking of tourism, tourist cities have been established all over the world along Coastlines and in quiet places, often with few animals living in the area. Tourists also enjoy eating fish so the number of 'fishing settlements' has increased dramatically in the past 40 years - leading to many aquatic animal species becoming extinct.

Another huge geographic factor which has affected where people live is the animal populations. Since people need food, animals and plants are essential for our existance. Therefore, we have followed many populous animal species setting up camps and villages. For example, humans followed the woolly mammoth during the ice age. We hunted the mammoths and, when their numbers started to decline, we moved and found them again until they became fully extinct. This happened mostly in Africa and South America.

As well the environment changed evolution of both us and animals. It changed all of the environment around you.