One event made all these things possible: Roman civilization, Russian expansionism, Arab oil, European empires, the Industrial Revolution, and more. What was it?
This is fascinating. Maybe if the world was just all mountains everyone would have just lived in peace 😆 (Although trade would have been a real hindrance so maybe peace and poverty 😬)
Backup idea: A world of mountainous islands where maritime trade is easily facilitated through the ocean, but the mountains and sea keep people from attacking one another. (Oh wait, now I've created the setting of my utopian novel....😆)
Really cool post! Another interesting thing to add about the changing ocean sizes is the effects it had on the tides. When all the land was squished together, the tides weren't resonant with the size of the basin, so they were smaller. But nowadays, the Atlantic in particular has the correct spacing to naturally amplify the tides, meaning more intertidal area where plants and animals thrive, and where people can too.
That’s an interesting thought. If I’m not mistaken, deltas lend themselves better to farming because the soils deposited there are hydrated and nutrient-dense, which seems good for development. In your opinion, what makes estuaries more economical for development?
This was really an amazing read. I love exploring how geological processes have changed over time, but combining them this extensively and relating geologic changes to human behaviors was very well done.
I'd love to see you write something about the chain of development of organized religions, how they iterate off each other, since the time of Sumer/Babylon and up through modern religions
Hey Tomas, noticed another small typo in this post "Just look at Northern Africa the moment you move away from the Mediterranean and water doesn’t even temperature anymore ."
Aside from the extra space before the last period, this sounds a bit strange in English. Perhaps you meant something like "and water doesn't even out the temperature anymore"? or I would even put "and water doesn't regulate the temperature anymore" if that's the intended meaning
This is absolutely fascinating! In a related vein, I just pointed out to @ElleGriffin (who shared your post, which is how I came across it) that Kaplan's 'The Revenge of Geography' is a fascinating read into how geography has shaped us, and key driver of world conflicts.
Apparently my outlook on life and personality is *still* shaped by the fact of the existence of the Khyber Pass, even though I’m third generation Western. I can’t stop thinking about this … geography *is* destiny, in a sense.
Awesome! I wanted to subscribe for a while, but this is what finally made me do it. Thanks!
Ah I’m glad to hear!! Welcome!
As soon as my own substack takes off, I'm going to subscribe to this one too, along with @MERothwell's. I can't get enough of geography, it seems :D
This is fascinating. Maybe if the world was just all mountains everyone would have just lived in peace 😆 (Although trade would have been a real hindrance so maybe peace and poverty 😬)
Backup idea: A world of mountainous islands where maritime trade is easily facilitated through the ocean, but the mountains and sea keep people from attacking one another. (Oh wait, now I've created the setting of my utopian novel....😆)
Oh they will find ways to kill each other! This is the model of the Greeks and Vikings…
So true.
Ha - humans always find a way to traverse even the rockiest mountains. We're crazy that way :D
That sounds like the title of a book: Peace and Poverty
So interesting! Great work. But I'm curious, how come there weren't Roman coins found in Mesopotamia or Persia, according to that picture?
Hm
Well Persia was the enemy (Parthians) and I think at the time they controlled Mesopotamia?
Really cool post! Another interesting thing to add about the changing ocean sizes is the effects it had on the tides. When all the land was squished together, the tides weren't resonant with the size of the basin, so they were smaller. But nowadays, the Atlantic in particular has the correct spacing to naturally amplify the tides, meaning more intertidal area where plants and animals thrive, and where people can too.
I have this hypothesis that more resonant places developed their economies faster because estuaries have such a better economic geography than deltas!
That’s an interesting thought. If I’m not mistaken, deltas lend themselves better to farming because the soils deposited there are hydrated and nutrient-dense, which seems good for development. In your opinion, what makes estuaries more economical for development?
This was really an amazing read. I love exploring how geological processes have changed over time, but combining them this extensively and relating geologic changes to human behaviors was very well done.
It fascinates me too! I’m glad you share the passion!
You've got an amazing mind for *connections*
I'd love to see you write something about the chain of development of organized religions, how they iterate off each other, since the time of Sumer/Babylon and up through modern religions
How the geography influenced them and the memetic influences on each other
I have on one of my open tabs right now a draft: “How to Design a Religion”
It’s 82 pages, and it’s so long it scares me away from tackling it…
Somehow, the most shocking part of this post for me was the high concentration of Roman coins in South India.
Interesting that there was already so much trade between the two.
In Europe, at school we learn there was trade there, but not with whom and for what
Hey Tomas, noticed another small typo in this post "Just look at Northern Africa the moment you move away from the Mediterranean and water doesn’t even temperature anymore ."
Aside from the extra space before the last period, this sounds a bit strange in English. Perhaps you meant something like "and water doesn't even out the temperature anymore"? or I would even put "and water doesn't regulate the temperature anymore" if that's the intended meaning
And one more at the very end:
"As I get more information on the topic, I’ll update youl." extra "l" after "you"
I think "even" is a verb there, so it's right, but not clear. Just changed to your reco, and corrected the 2nd typo too. Thx!
Well done! I enjoyed it.
Great article, interesting perspective, allow me to suggest a reading:
https://www.amazon.com/VANISHED-OCEAN-Dorrik-Stow/dp/0199214298
I didn’t know this existed. Thanks!
It would be difficult to conceive how that part of the world would have been with a different geography.
Nice article!
This is absolutely fascinating! In a related vein, I just pointed out to @ElleGriffin (who shared your post, which is how I came across it) that Kaplan's 'The Revenge of Geography' is a fascinating read into how geography has shaped us, and key driver of world conflicts.
Apparently my outlook on life and personality is *still* shaped by the fact of the existence of the Khyber Pass, even though I’m third generation Western. I can’t stop thinking about this … geography *is* destiny, in a sense.
I haven't read the book. Thanks for mentioning it!
This was a really great read - it would be awesome to hear about your research process for topics like this. Keep it up!
I'll think about publishing on it!
👍🤯
Amazing stuff. Thanks for connecting all those dots. So where was Atlantis ... ?
I concur with the comments about your connection of seemingly unrelated facts.
Typo nitpicking:
> I’ll update youl
Thanks! Corrected
Amazing post my friend!