Influences of Geographic Environment eBook

Ellen Churchill Semple
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 789 pages of information about Influences of Geographic Environment.

Influences of Geographic Environment eBook

Ellen Churchill Semple
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 789 pages of information about Influences of Geographic Environment.
of inland waterways—­Rivers and railroads—­Natural unity of every river system—­In arid lands as common source of water supply—­Tendency towards ethnic and cultural unity in a river valley—­Identity of country with river valley—­Rivers as boundaries of races and peoples—­Rivers as political boundaries—­Fluvial settlements and peoples—­Boatman tribes or castes—­River islands as protected sites—­River and lake islands as robber strongholds—­River peninsulas—­River islands as sites of trading posts and colonies—­Swamps as barriers and boundaries—­Swamps as regions of survivals—­Swamps as places of refuge—­The spirit of the marshes—­Economic and political importance of lakes—­Lakes as nuclei of states—­Lakes as fresh-water seas.

CHAPTER XII.  CONTINENTS AND THEIR PENINSULAS

Insularity of the land-masses—­Classification of land-masses according to size and location—­Effect of the size of land-masses—­Independence due to location versus independence due to size—­Continental convergence and ethnic kinship—­Africa’s location—­The Atlantic abyss—­Geographical character of the Pacific—­Pacific affinities of North America—­The Atlantic face of America as the infant Orient of the world—­The Atlantic abyss in the movements of peoples—­Races and continents—­Contrast of the northern and southern continents—­Effects of continental structure upon historical development—­Structure of North and South America—­Cultural superiority of Pacific slope Indians—­Coast articulations of continents—­Importance of size in continental articulations—­Peninsular conditions most favorable to historical development—­The continental base of peninsulas—­Continental base a zone of transition—­Continental base the scene of invasion and war—­Peninsular extremities as areas of isolation—­Ethnic unity of peninsulas—­Peninsulas as intermediaries.

CHAPTER XIII.  ISLAND PEOPLES

Physical relationship between islands and peninsulas—­Character of insular flora and fauna—­Paradoxical influences of island habitat on man—­Conservative and radical tendencies born of isolation and accessibility—­Islands as nurseries and disseminators of distinctive civilizations—­Limitation of small area in insular history—­Sources of ethnic stock of islands on nearest mainland.  Ethnic divergence with increased isolation—­Differentiation of peoples and civilizations in islands—­Differentiation of language—­Unification of race in islands—­Remoter sources of island populations—­Double sources—­Mixed population of small thalassic isles—­Significant location of island way stations—­Thalassic islands as goals of maritime expansion—­Political detachability of islands—­Insular weakness based upon small area—­Island fragments of broken empires—­Area and location as factors in political autonomy of islands—­Historical effects of island isolation in primitive retardation—­Later stimulation of development—­Excessive isolation—­Protection

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Influences of Geographic Environment from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.