Geography Is the Mother of History

How could a dearth in wheat production cause the revolutionary “Arab Spring”? How could the most dominant human species of their time become modern day Africa? A society’s achievements can be attributed geography. Before a child can run, he must walk and before a society can prosper, it needs geography. Even with all odds on their side, no society has truly overcome the fate of their geography. Comparing and contrasting societies will draw conclusions about how geographical factors impact a society. By analyzing the similarities in natural resources between the Huang He river valley and the Roman Empire, it would be clear which factors benefited them. By observing differences in the location of Africa and India, spots on Earth can be determined strategic or not. Geography won’t make or break a civilization, but it is the primary reason a society is deemed developed or developing.
Natural resources seem like gifts to the land, either you have them or you don’t, and each one is a unique luxury that can prove useful in some way. The Huang He river valley and Roman Empire had resources to bring them wealth and stability, and some of these “gifts” are not luxuries but necessities to any successful civilizations. The Yellow river valley and Roman Empire share a common strength in agriculture. Silt, rich soil that results from flooding, produced an abundant rice crop in China. Rome had very fertile land with many vegetables and grains. The plethora included artichoke, beets, mint, cucumbers, celery, basil, and grains like barley and wheat. The Roman Empire acquired a vast area of land around the Mediterranean and beyond. This gave Romans a steady source of food year round, because if wheat was offseason out west, it may be in season in the east. Rome and China also had precious stones that were very valuable in trade. The Roman Empire had iron, gold, and marble; China had jade, gold, silver, and copper. Along with arable farmland, animals were and are an important part