Unit10 climate and people’s life
Man has been on earth about one million years. He has managed to live on very part of the planet, even thought some climates have made life more difficult than others. Sometimes man moved; sometimes he remained and endured the discomforts. Where man has remained, he apparently has undergone some physical changes that have helped him adapt to his climate.
It is thought that differences in skin color are the result of climatic adaptation. People from hot climates generally have burning black or brown skin that resists the sun’s burning rays. The lightest skinned people generally come from colder regions, where they have less exposure to the sun. people with skin of other color, such as yellow, red, and olive, generally come from areas where they have also had to adapt to other climates.
Man’s size also seems to vary according to climate. People living in colder regions are generally larger than those living in hotter ones. This difference might be explained by the fact that big people have less skin compared to his weight, the easier it is for him to keep warm.
As part of the natural environment, climate greatly affects human activities. Climate has significant effect on agriculture. Climatic factors such as the length of the growing season, the total amount of rainfall, and the daily and seasonal changes in temperature restrict the kinds of crops that can be grown.
Climate also affects transportation. In areas of frequent storms, transportation is often slowed down or interrupted. Water transportation in many areas is impossible if the river is frozen. Land transportation may be blocked by heavy snowfall. Air travel especially is affected by stormy weather.
Major concentrations of population in the world are in the humid, warmer regions, where the development of agriculture is not restricted by poor climatic conditions. Fewer people live in areas with very dry, very wet, or very cold climates. However, with the development of technology, such as air conditioning and central heating, people are becoming less confined to so-called favorable climates.
It is true that man changes his living habits in order to adjust to climate, but climate changes his
as well, though more slowly. Man adapts constantly to changes, and science has played an important part in helping people adjust to almost any condition. By learning more about his climate , man will find a way to adapt to or control it and live a more comfortable life.