jp said:Geography, natural resources, a legacy of stability and trading arrangements seem more important factors than heat.
jp said:Milan is a global business and financial center, and Italy's northern border spans France, Switzerland, Austria & Slovenia. The south of Italy lacks the cities and borders, although the southern most point is on the same latitude as Athens. How do you explain the productivity of the atheneans vs the relative rural poverty of southern Italy?
jp said:Travel a little further east and you reach Turkey, and head even further south and you reach the even hotter Arab states - cradles of civilisation and amongst the wealthiest societies in the world.
jp said:Go further east again and you'll find the major cities of India, China and Japan all at or below the same latitude as southern Italy and Spain. How does your heat theory apply to Asian nations?
jp said:I just don't see it, far too many other factors at work, and heat doesn't really play a consistent role. Cities are generally located due to strategic importance - near key borders rivers, oceans, natural resources etc and countries develop in relation to their cities.
But you can't say that climate does not have a major impact. Otherwise there wouldn't be such a discrepancy between north and south of Europe, IMO
Diskosis said:The prosperous Australia we see today was built largely on the hard work of immigrants after WWII, mainly from countries like Greece and Italy. Nothing to do with English culture.
jp said:I don't know what your question is...
jp said:Its irrelevant that greece isn't as long as Italy. If the conditions in southern Italy were so harsh that they stifled development, how did the same conditions a few hundred miles away spawn one the greatest civilisations of all time?
jp said:Turkey has historically had one of the most advanced civilisations in the world, and the ottoman empire was one of the greatest in history. A few centuries ago Turkey was more powerful than most northern european nations. Why is your heat theory only relevant in the last century?
jp said:Some Arab states may be rich due to oil wealth, but so what? Plenty of nations are wealthy due to their ability to trade a valuable natural resource. Norway is built on oil wealth. Aside from this, Iraq and Iran are two of the oldest civilisations on the planet, and have been significant throughout history. The main problem with these examples is that they don't follow your "heat" theory.
jp said:Yes I can, because I can point out countries around the world, and civilisations throughout history which contradict your theory. Besides, which northern european countries and which southern european countries are you using to illustrate your theory? Poland vs. Portugal? Lithuania vs. Greece? Why is there such a discrepancy between east and west? Why not suggest that longitude and latitude have a major impact?