Continents that are spread out in an east-west direction, such as Eurasia, had a developmental advantage because of the ease with which crops, animals, ideas and technologies could spread between areas of similar latitude .
What advantages did Eurasia have compared to the Americas?
Eurasia had access to large domesticable animals that boosted agriculture and provided transportation , whereas the Pleistocene extinction killed off the majority of large mammals in the Americas. Plant food production was more prolific in Eurasia, and more people had turned from hunting and gathering to agriculture.
What are the main geographical differences between Eurasia and the Americas?
The Americas span a much greater distance north-south (9,000 miles) than east-west ; only 3,000 miles at the widest, narrowing to a mere 40 miles at the Isthmus of Panama ... In contrast, the major axis of Eurasia is east-west.” Diamond explores what effect this difference had on human history.
What are the main ideas of Jared Diamond on the geographical advantages of Eurasia over other continents?
Jared Diamond’s basic theory is that some countries developed more rapidly than others and were able to expand and conquer much of the world because of geographic luck .
How did the shape and location of the continents influence early civilizations according to Jared Diamond?
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.
How did the shape of the continents impact their development?
Continents that are spread out in an east-west direction, such as Eurasia, had a developmental advantage because of the ease with which crops, animals, ideas and technologies could spread between areas of similar latitude . ... But the influence of continental formation runs even deeper than this.
What is the main idea of Guns Germs and Steel?
In Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jared Diamond outlines the theory of geographic determinism , the idea that the differences between societies and societal development arise primarily from geographical causes. The book is framed as a response to a question that Diamond heard from Yali, a charismatic New Guinean politician.
What separates Asia from Africa?
Asia is separated from North America to the northeast by the Bering Strait and from Australia to the southeast by the seas and straits connecting the Indian and Pacific oceans. The Isthmus of Suez unites Asia with Africa, and it is generally agreed that the Suez Canal forms the border between them.
What separates Asia from Europe?
In the east, the Ural Mountains separate Europe from Asia. The nations of Russia and Kazakhstan straddle both continents.
Is France Transcontinental?
By contrast, non-contiguous transcontinental countries are those states that have portions of territory that are separated from one another either by a body of water or by other countries (such as in the case of France).
Why is agriculture the worst mistake in human history?
Archaeologists studying the rise of farming have reconstructed a crucial stage at which we made the worst mistake in human history. Forced to choose between limiting population or trying to increase food production, we chose the latter and ended up with starvation, warfare, and tyranny.
What 3 things does Diamond say all great civilizations have in common?
Jared Diamond: All great civilizations have had some things in common – advanced technology, large populations, and well-organized workforce .
What is Jared Diamond’s main argument?
In the Pulitzer-prize winning book Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, author Jared Diamond argues that environmental differences rather than inherent differences between races are responsible for some cultures becoming dominant in the modern world .
What is the significance of the shape of the continents Jared Diamond?
The first and most basic cause is the shape of the continents: their “axes.” A continental landmass with an “east-west axis” supposedly is more favorable for the rise of agriculture than a continent with a “north- south axis.”[3] Diamond divides the inhabited world into three continents (he uses the word “continent” ...
Why did Spain have such a weapons advantage over the Incas?
Like mentioned before, they had more access to guns and the technology because they were closer to the Fertile Crescent than the Incas . ... While the Americas were isolated and had no knowledge about steel, the Europeans got the knowledge of steel because of the Fertile Crescent’s knowledge spreading through the lands.
Is Diamond an environmental determinist?
Jared Diamond was influential in the resurgence of environmental determinism due to the popularity of his book Guns, Germs, and Steel, which addresses the geographic origins of state formation prior to 1500 A.D. ... They argue that geographic differences cannot explain economic growth disparities after 1500 A.D.
