The impact of the weather and climate on a place has always been significant in history. In fact, hostile weather has been responsible for wiping out entire species and human civilizations. The last ice age made northern parts of the Northern Hemisphere inhospitable, and the flood mentioned in the Bible when Noah made his ark wiped out the entire population of the earth barring those in the ark. Even today, the overwhelming majority of the world's populace lives in temperate areas, away from the freezing poles and the scorching equator.
Impact on Human migrations and growth of civilizations
Since the dawn of history, human settlements, migrations, and growth have depended on weather conditions.
One of the earliest recorded large-scale impacts of weather on civilization was the melting of the Laurentide glacier beginning in 11,000 BC . This melting shut down oceanic currents and created a one-thousand-year cold spell in Europe and a simultaneous drought in southwest Asia.
[...] impacts of weather on civilization was the melting of the Laurentide glacier beginning in 11,000 BC[ii]. This melting shut down oceanic currents and created a one-thousand-year cold spell in Europe and a simultaneous drought in southwest Asia. These changes compelled sedentary foragers in these parts to make a transition to agriculture and animal husbandry, thereby heralding the growth of cities and urban life. Most of the great civilizations and empires that have developed since then have flourished near rivers and oceans, where the weather is moderate and suitable for the cultivation of crops and domestication of animals. [...]
[...] Impact on health The weather of a place has a profound effect on health and well-being of the people settled there. People generally perform at their best when they are not under stress from the surroundings, and that includes the weather. Seasonal variations in temperature and excessive humidity lead to medical disorders such as bronchitis, pneumonia, influenza, peptic ulcer, adrenal ulcer, glaucoma, goiter, eczema, and herpes zoster and several other viral infections. The Ozone layer in the earth's atmosphere protects the earth from the harmful ultraviolet rays of sun. [...]
[...] The Arabs landed in Spain initially on an exploratory expedition, and attracted by the pleasant weather decided to stay put and establish their rule there. This rule lasted for the next 800 years and was instrumental in the renaissance of Europe from the medieval ages[vii]. Many once thriving cities are now abandoned ghost towns primarily because the weather changed and people could no longer continue with their lives there. In the Sahara, caravan organizers simply adjusted their routes according to changing rainfall patterns leading to abandonment and desolation of once thriving cities. [...]
[...] Research conducted by Wolfe in 1981 notes that the sun's rays cause chemical changes in neurotransmitter or hormone synthesis in the brain, perhaps stimulating production of the hormone epinephrine, which stimulates the mind and body. Conversely, very low light intensities are often associated with states of relaxation, tiredness, and sleepiness. CONCLUSION Weather has always had a profound impact on populations, and with global warming all set to change the world's weather and climate patterns in a bigger way than before, weather would have a more pronounced impact on the population. REFERENCES What is Weather? http://www.rcn27.dial.pipex.com/cloudsrus/whatis.html. Retrieved on 2009-04-12. Dickmann, Donald. [...]
[...] Retrieved on 2009-04-12 Blair, P.H. & Keynes, Simons (2003). An introduction to Anglo-Saxon England. Cambridge University Press. Fagan, Brown (2000) The Great Warming: Climate change and the rise and fall of civilizations. Published by: Bloomsbury Diamond, J.M. (2005). Collapse: how societies choose to fail or succeed. Published by Viking Press [vii] Hitti, P.K . (19837). History of the Arabs, Revised: 10th Edition, Palgrave Macmillan [viii] Bristow, Robert (1939). Cochin Saga. Fagan, Brown. (2003) The Little Ice Age: How Climate Made History, 1300-1850, Published by Bloomsbury. [...]
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