How physical and climate regions affect people's culture?

Answer 1

I am no expert, but I have observed that climate affects tangible aspects of culture, which in turn may affect the intangible aspects of culture. In both of the following examples, based on my personal experience living in both warm and cold climates, the "tangible" aspect of culture is the architecture of homes: Example 1: A warm year-round climate (with a lot of "hot" thrown in) breeds the problem of ways for people to stay cool in their homes. As sun heats the sides of houses and warms them up, people begin to build their homes wall-to-wall with no space between as a way to eliminate surface area for the sun to heat. People then end up with neighbors who are very close in proximity, and they become accustomed (aculturated?) to having limited personal space, and to sharing many items so as to maximize the space alotted them. This could lead to close-knit communities and families. Example 2: A cold climate breeds the problem of trying to heat houses and structures during the cold months. Because the ground can freeze and transfer the cold, people begin to build basements to eliminate the direct contact with frozen ground. People also build structures with large windows and sides to the sun, to absorb as much heat as possible. They also use materials that absorb the heat, such as wood, and fill hollow walls with insulation. These types of structures benefit from exposure to the sun, so space surrounding the house is important for it to function. People then become accustomed to having space, to drawing lines on the ground to designate "mine" vs "yours" and being personally responsible for obtaining the things you need. This could lead to individualism and possibly to capitalism.