People around the world have thrived in every environment on Earth. Hot or cold, wet or dry, on the plains or in crowded cities, human beings have found ways to adapt. No matter the environment, humans have managed to obtain food and water, build homes, and protect themselves and their families from the elements. Let’s take a look at some of the ways people have adapted to their environments. MONGOLIA The plains of Mongolia are very cold and very dry, making it a challenging place to survive. Many people earn their living as pastoral nomads. This means that they travel from place to place to find food and water for their herds. Mongolians herd many Mongolian ger Photo by Adagio
Transcript
People around the world have thrived in every environment on Earth. Hot or cold, wet or dry, on the plains or in crowded cities, human beings have found ways to adapt. No matter the environment, humans have managed to obtain food and water, build homes, and protect themselves and their families from the elements. Let’s take a look at some of the ways people have adapted to their environments.MONGOLIAThe plains of Mongolia are very cold and very dry, making it a challenging place to survive. Many people earn their living as pastoral nomads. This means that they travel from place to place to find food and water for their herds. Mongolians herd many animals, including sheep, camels, and goats. Herders live in felt tents called ger or yurts. The felt, made from the fleeces of sheep, helps to keep out the extreme cold and heat.
Mongolian gerPhoto by Adagio
Camanchaca (mountain fog) in ChilePhoto by Mampato
CHILEThe Atacama Desert in western Chile is one of the driest places on Earth. Some locations have not had rain for more than 100 years! Some areas, like the village of Caleta Chungungo, get plenty of fog, but little rain. Villagers have developed an innovative way to collect water: they erect large nylon nets on the sides of mountains. As the fog rolls in, water condenses on the nets, and gravity pulls the water down into collection pipes. This helps the villagers to survive during long stretches without rain.
GREENLANDGreenland lies just north of the Arctic Circle, and about 80% of the large island is covered in ice. The Inuit peoples’ use of dog sleds here goes back more than a thousand years. Sleds were an important part of the exploration of Greenland, as well as that of northern Canada and Antarctica. Today, many Inuit who live in Greenland use snowmobiles for daily travel; however, some Inuit in Uummannaq still prefer the reliability of the dogsled. Many people in this small village still engage in traditional hunting and fishing practices to make a living, and a dogsled never runs out of gas!
Greenlandic HuskyPhoto by Christine Zenino
Japanese trainPhoto by Shacho0822
TOKYOIt's easy to see how people must adapt to extreme climates and harsh weather, but have you ever considered the unique adaptations needed for life in a big city? Tokyo is one of the most densely populated areas on Earth. About 30 million people call this huge urban area home – that's almost 38,000 people per square mile! The city grew very quickly after World War II, and as a result, streets are narrow, crowded, and jammed with traffic at all times of day. To adapt, the Japanese government has invested billions of dollars in rail transportation. The city has one of the most extensive rail networks in the world, and more than 10 million people take a train to work each day. Even delivery trucks bear little resemblance to their American versions – they are small and narrow, making them better able to navigate Tokyo’s cramped landscape.
Japanese delivery truckPhoto by Mj-bird
CONCLUSIONHuman beings are the only type of animal that lives in every climate around the world. Humankind has found ways to adapt to a wide variety of conditions: hot, cold, wet, and dry; mountains, plains, islands, and deserts. Humans find ways to survive by changing their diets, altering the type of homes they construct, or finding new ways to make a living.
WORKS CITED
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Allinson, Gary D. "Tokyo." World Book Advanced. World Book, 2011. Web. 11 May 2011. http://worldbookonline.com.education2020.us/advanced/article?id=ar560280.
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