...A. Justify your choice of the two most significant environmental/geographic factors that contributed to the development or expansion of the United States. I am choosing the Gold Rush and the Dust Bowl as my two significant factors that have contributed to the development or expansion of the US. The Dust Bowl. In the middle of the 19th century many people were traveling across the US looking for land to farm and make homes on. When they reach the Midwest they thought they had found paradise. The grass was tall and rich all the way from Canada to Texas. Men started to clear the land and started planting crops of wheat. The most ideal was the Southern Plains. The only down side was once the trees and grass was removed the top soil had nothing to hold it into place. The water from the ground that would have gone to the roots of the trees and grass flowed into nearby water ways, such as creeks and rivers. The southern plains were the place to be in the 1930’s. They grew wheat which the government was paying top dollar for because of World War I. The wheat and corn was used to help feed the soldiers and other countries as well as many Americans. In the summer of 1931 a great drought hit the southern plains, turning the once fertile ground into dry brittle dirt. But the lack of water was not the only reason the ground was so dry. The farming practices at that time were depleting the soil of all the nutrients needed to help crops grow. The drought did not stop...
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...Williams GKE Task 1 Geography plays a very vital role in the development of the early human societies. The development occurred as people of different regions interacted with others and shared as well as extended their acquired knowledge. This led to primitive people establishing and populating the regions. Physical geography and the culture of the people of Mesopotamia shaped the society of the day (Maisels, 1999). Just as Mesopotamia, the same physical geography is seen to have contributed to the development of United States through the process of diffusion of people and their ideas. Mesopotamia, is the birthplace to early civilisation and early agriculture, and this is attributed to its critical geographical features, which included rivers and fertile flat lands. The easy accessibility of water from the rivers Tigris and Euphrates provided the people with the knowledge to bring in more dependable food sources. These two rivers run almost parallel to each other, and together the rivers formed the greatest agriculturally productive alluvial plain. It is on these alluvial plains that the initial crop plantations were experimented. After this was successful, the people started coming up with other means of tapping the water and expanding the land under irrigation. The region was also filled with lots of plants that were easy to domesticate (Maisels, 1999). Therefore, the culture of the people was influenced by the physical geography, and this contributed to the development of early...
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...1 Geography and the Development and Diffusion of Human Societies GKE TASK 1 Michelle Murray Western Governors University GKE Task1 2 A. The two rivers, Tigris and Euphrates are substantial examples of geographical and environmental factors that impacted the development of the Mesopotamia civilization. Mesopotamia- “known as the land between two rivers”. (Hollar,2011). Details Tigris river is 1180 miles long deeper but shorter than the Euphrates river. The Euphrates River is 1700 miles long and not as deep only flat boats can ride along this river. (Hollar,2011). I believe both rivers contributed to the Mesopotamia civilization and were significant geographical and environmental factors. The two rivers were a point of focus from the beginning. They provided rich soil perfect for agriculture, deposits of mud and clay to build their community, mode of transportation and water for irrigation for crops. The use of these valleys’ soil and water were signs of innovation and exchange. The Mesopotamians made the Fertile Crescent fertile with their irrigation technology. (Keita,n.d) They had to create an irrigation system so they could better operate the river’s water. Along with the fertile soil, proper irrigation and organized labor they reaped the benefits of the land. They were able to grow a surplus of food not only for the community...
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...Task 1 Carrie A. Nuxoll Western Governor’s University Themes in U.S. and World History/GKE1 March 10, 2013 Have you ever wondered about any great significant physical geographic factors that contributed to the development of our great United States? I must say, to do this, you must first look at the history of past great human societies trials and tribulations. For example, take a look a look at the history of Egypt and the Nile Valley civilizations. According to our course readings, Keita (2007) feels these ancient civilizations “were defined by the rich alluvial soils that annual floods deposited along the Nile banks and in the delta and the flood plains”. These annual floods gave rise to the development of these early civilizations by cultivating ingenuity, such as a rudimentary calendar, in which these civilizations could plan their years around cultivating the rich fertile land, and in turn, produced goods for these societies to make use of. This lead to the immigration of other societies to the area in order to flourish. With these immigrants came the process of diffusion. According to a PowerPoint created by our readings, diffusion can be defined as a geographic way of describing the way things spread [ (R. Whiting, 2014) ]. As course mentor Robert Whiting, of General Education Social Science states in his PowerPoint presentation, almost anything people think, make, or do can be diffused to another society and that people often change or adapt things to their...
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...Gke Task 1 Geographic and environmental factors have a momentous impact on the development of trade and migration systems. Those systems and migration patterns lead to correlations among diverse people and their cultures. Therefore, geography and resources have an influence on the growth and relations between societies. Two of the most significant geographical and environmental factors that have led to the development and expansion of the United States is the growth of industry after the Civil War, and the abundance of agriculture. After the Civil War, the population in the United Sates more than doubled and industrial growth was also rapid because of the large quantity of natural resources. The United States had enormous assets such as coal, copper, petroleum, iron, water power and timber. Due to this immense supply of natural resources, many immigrants came to the States for work and many rural workers traveled many miles to flourish as well. There were many jobs like coal mining, constructing railroads, and silver and gold mining that promised wealth, like in the California Gold Rush. When gold was discovered in 1849 in California, people came from all over the world and with such an influx of people and the following development, California became an official state in 1850. Gold wasn’t the only abundant resource in the U.S. With the production of coal and other minerals, exporting to other countries was in high demand and expanded...
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...Task 1: Geography and the Development/Diffusion of Human Societies Part A: Mesopotamia is regarded as the birth place of civilization. “Historians believe that large civilizations began in Mesopotamia between 4,000 and 3,000 B.C.E.” (Wandrei, 2015). The most significant geographical factor that I feel contributed to the development of this society was the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. These rivers are part of a larger area referred to as the “fertile crescent” due to its rich soil. The soil is extremely rich due to the large amount of silt (a mixture of rich soil and tiny rocks) deposits left from the rivers during flooding, making ideal farming areas. Although the area was ideal for farming it was still extremely difficult to do due to this regions climate that usually only produced ten inches or less of rain. So with the drought and still occasional flooding, the Mesopotamian society had to learn how to control these factors to be able to succeed in this region. They had to build an irrigation system to help protect their homes from the floods and move water to their fields during the droughts. With this irrigation system it allowed for them to have a surplus in crop. Also, having access to the rivers allowed for them to trade some of their surplus crops to obtain other needed supplies to help continue building their society. “With irrigation and the necessary drainage, southern Mesopotamia became a land of plenty that could support a considerable population” (Edzard...
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...Themes in U.S. and World History GKE Task 1 Geography and the Development and Diffusion of Human Societies A. One significant physical geographic factor that contributed to the development of Mesopotamia was the location of, and access to, the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers, as well as their tributaries. Located in a region known as the “Fertile Crescent”, Mesopotamia was able to utilize these rivers for transportation and irrigation of crops. As a result of flooding by the Euphrates, large silt deposits provided rich soil and promoted the cultivation of emmer, barley, beans, olives, grapes and flax. In turn, these harvested crops provided not just food for the farmers but also served as a trade medium with nomadic tribes in the area. Because of the availability of water and rich soils, the area was attractive to settlement and communities developed. The clay soil also was an excellent material for the production of bricks which were used to build more permanent structures. In order to divert the waters, irrigation canals were dug and dams were built. The need for cooperation between individuals in order to complete some of the larger irrigation and flood control projects led to the growth of government and the establishment of laws. None of this would have been possible without the presence of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. B. The diffusion of the chariot between societies came about primarily due to its primary designed purpose. The original purpose of the...
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...GKE - Task 1: Geography and the Development/Diffusion of Human Societies Part A The Nile River was a significant geographic factor that contributed to the development of Egypt. This 6,695 Kilometer river; which is the largest river in the world contribution to Egypt's early human society in a way that is difficult to replicate. (The River Nile Facts, 2008). The Nile River provided drinking water for farmers and others who lived alongside the banks of the Nile. Also the Nile River floods predicted essentially how crops harvested. If there was too much water, the irrigation system could be damaged and if there was too little, there could be famine. This, however, did not deter the farmers, because they knew that this was their livelihood and their means of survival. The annual floods began from July to October. After the floods water receded, crops were ready for harvest from February. There were three seasons; the time of which the floods occurred , the receding of the water and the preparation for harvesting by preparing the soil and planting the seeds. There was also transportation of goods along the Nile River. This enabled the Egyptian civilization to attain economic growth. Therefore, it is clear what a significant factor the Nile River played and contributed to the development of Egypt. It's contribution was unprecedented. (Orlin, 2010) Part B The process of diffusion regarding Tea is a story that is truly amazing. The story of how Tea originated in...
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...Chapter 1 - Geography Matters: Definitions: * Human geography the study of the spatial organization of human activity and of people’s relationships with their environments * Cartography: the body of practical and theoretical knowledge about making distinctive visual representations of Earth’s surface in the form of maps * Map projection: a systematic rendering on a flat surface of the geographic coordinates of the features found on Earth’s surface * Ethnocentrism: the attitude that a persona’s own race and culture are superior to those of others * Imperialism: the extension of the power of a nation through direct/indirect control of the economic and political life of other territories * Masculinism: the assumption that the world is and should be shaped mainly by men for men * environmental determinism: a doctrine holding that human activities are controlled by the environment * globalization: the increasing interconnectedness of different parts of the world through common processes of economic, environmental political and cultural change * ecumene: the total habitable area of a country. Sine it depends on the prevailing technology, the available ecumene varies over time. Canada’s ecumene is so much less than its total area. * Geodemographic research: investigation using census data and commercial data (i.e. sales data and property records) about populations of small districts to create profiles of those populations for market research ...
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...Foundations: c. 8000 B.C.E.–600 C.E. Major Developments 1. Locating world history in the environment and time 1. Environment 1. Geography and climate: Interaction of geography and climate with the development of human society a. Five Themes of Geography – consider these 1. Relative location – location compared to others 2. Physical characteristics – climate, vegetation and human characteristics 3. Human/environment interaction – how do humans interact/alter environ a. Leads to change 4. Movement – peoples, goods, ideas among/between groups 5. Regions – cultural/physical characteristics in common with surrounding areas b. E. Africa first people – 750,000 years ago started to move 1. moving in search of food c. Role of Climate – End of Ice Age 12000 BCE – large areas of N. America, Europe, Asia became habitable – big game hunters already migrated 1. Geographical changes - 3000 BCE Green Sahara began to dry up, seeds to forests – N. America 2. Effect on humans – nomadic hunters didn’t move so much a. Settle near abundant plant life – beginning of civilization b. Sedentary life w/ dependable food supply 3. milder conditions, warmer temperatures, higher ocean...
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...ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY Y U K O A O YA M A J A M E S T. M U R P H Y SUSAN HANSON KEY CONCEPTS IN key concepts in economic geography The Key Concepts in Human Geography series is intended to provide a set of companion texts for the core fields of the discipline. To date, students and academics have been relatively poorly served with regards to detailed discussions of the key concepts that geographers use to think about and understand the world. Dictionary entries are usually terse and restricted in their depth of explanation. Student textbooks tend to provide broad overviews of particular topics or the philosophy of Human Geography, but rarely provide a detailed overview of particular concepts, their premises, development over time and empirical use. Research monographs most often focus on particular issues and a limited number of concepts at a very advanced level, so do not offer an expansive and accessible overview of the variety of concepts in use within a subdiscipline. The Key Concepts in Human Geography series seeks to fill this gap, providing detailed description and discussion of the concepts that are at the heart of theoretical and empirical research in contemporary Human Geography. Each book consists of an introductory chapter that outlines the major conceptual developments over time along with approximately twenty-five entries on the core concepts that constitute the theoretical toolkit of geographers working within a specific subdiscipline. Each entry provides...
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...Delving Inside the Mind of an Autistic Savant Terence M. Aud Florida State College at Jacksonville Delving Inside the Mind of an Autistic Savant Unravelling the mind of an autistic savant is a difficult task. The cause and cure of savant syndrome is still unknown. How is it possible to understand an autistic savant without a cause or remedy? New technology, research, education, and observation is the only way to get a closer glimpse of understanding this fascinating syndrome. An autistic savant (also known as savant syndrome) is someone that has overall sublevel intelligence with outstanding ability in an exclusive area. The first known person diagnosed as an autistic savant was in 1751. Only ten percent of the individuals declared to be...
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...Evol. Inst. Econ. Rev. 4(1): 143–170 (2007) ARTICLE Econo-physics: A Perspective of Matching Two Sciences Yuri YEGOROV Institute for Advanced Studies, Stumpergasse 56, A-1060, Vienna, Austria, and University of Vienna, Department of Industry and Energy, Brünner Strasse, 72, A-1210, Vienna, Austria. E-mail: yegorov@ihs.ac.at Abstract The present article marks some potentially fruitful dimensions of economic research based on principles of economic theory but using more analogies with physics. Molecular structure of society with its different states, principles generating spontaneous order different from “invisible hand”, social analogies of the concepts of temperature and pressure in physics are investigated. Some analogies between phase transitions in physics and transition between different social regimes can reveal the areas of stability of liberal regimes as well as possibility of spontaneous emergence of different social orders. A possibility to expand neoclassical economics to capture Marxism and nationalism in a formal mathematical framework is also discussed. Keywords: economic structures, origin of order, econo-physics, socio-physics. 1. Introduction This article is methodological. It focuses on economic and social questions that are rarely touched by economic theorists despite their obvious importance for our understanding of economic processes in the world. No fully formalized model will be proposed here. Instead, the focus will be on interaction between...
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...at: Email Alerts: http://rer.aera.net/alerts Subscriptions: http://rer.aera.net/subscriptions Reprints: http://www.aera.net/reprints Permissions: http://www.aera.net/permissions Downloaded from http://rer.aera.net at UNIV OF SOUTH FLORIDA on February 10, 2011 Review of Educational Research June 2009, Vol. 79, No. 2, pp. 625–649 DOI: 10.3102/0034654308325896 © 2009 AERA. http://rer.aera.net Understanding Technology Adoption: Theory and Future Directions for Informal Learning Evan T. Straub The Ohio State University How and why individuals adopt innovations has motivated a great deal of research. This article examines individuals’ computing adoption processes through the lenses of three adoption theories: Rogers’s innovation diffusion theory, the Concerns-Based Adoption Model, the Technology Acceptance Model, and the United Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. Incorporating all three models, this article suggests technology adoption is a complex, inherently social, developmental process; individuals construct unique yet malleable perceptions of technology that influence their adoption decisions. Thus, successfully facilitating technology adoption must address cognitive, emotional, and contextual concerns. This article also focuses specific attention on adoption theory outside of a formal organization and the implications of adoption theory on...
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...for Security Policy Ambassador Gérard Stoudmann Director Geneva Centre for Security Policy June 19, 2006 To comment, please email Ms. Bethany Webster at b.webster@gcsp.ch. All copyrights are reserved by the authors. Avenue de la Paix 7bis P.O. Box 1295 CH-1211 Geneva 1 Telephone Telefax www.gcsp.ch +41 22 906 83 17 +41 22 906 16 49 info@gcsp.ch Dr. Nayef R.F. Al-Rodhan Ambassador Gérard Stoudmann Definitions of Globalization: A Comprehensive Overview and a Proposed Definition Abstract Many authors have attempted, with relative success, to define globalization in a variety of ways. Some claim that it cannot be done, others claim that it would constrain the meaning to do so, and still others have defied these two beliefs and have constructed a working definition. Despite differing opinions about developing a definition, all authors agree on one thing: that defining this term is anything but easy. This paper will attempt to provide a comprehensive overview of the existing definitions of globalization and introduce our proposed definition: “Globalization is a process that encompasses the causes, course, and consequences of transnational and transcultural integration of human and non-human activities.” All copyrights are reserved by the authors. 2 Dr. Nayef R.F. Al-Rodhan Ambassador Gérard Stoudmann Definitions of Globalization: A Comprehensive Overview and a Proposed Definition Introduction Globalization is not a single concept that can be defined...
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