Environment and Human Activities

Environment: Surroundings of a human is called the environment.

Important Feature of Environment: It varies from place to place and time to time due to:
1) Cultural DifferencesNon-Physical /Cultural Environment: Surroundings that is in control of human. It is the
non-material environment including:
Social, Cultural, political factors, race, religion, civilization etc
2) Physical Differences Physical or Natural Environment: Environment which has been produced by nature and
cannot be affected by human efforts including:
Mountains, Plateau, Plains, Deserts, Oceans, Seas, Rivers, Climate, Soils etc.
SO THERE ARE ENVIORNMENTAL DIFFERERENCES BETWEEN DIFFERENT HUMANS.WITH THE HELP OF THESE
CHANGES HUMAN PERFORMS:

DIFFERENT HUMAN ACTIVITIES

IN COMMERCIAL GEOGRPAHY, WE STUDY THOSE HUMAN ACTIVITIES ARE RELATED TO ECONOMICS AND
COMMERCE.
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

Factors of Physical Environment:

A-Physical Features:
1) Mountains:
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed
bedrock.
5 World Highest Mountains:
1. Mount Everest
 2. K2
3. Kangchenjunga
4. Lhotse
5. Makalu
Commercial Benefits of Mountains:
1. Growing trees with great heights-preventing soil erosion
2. Cultivation of tea, coffee, nuts, olives etc
3. Cattle and sheep bearing-Milk and wool production
4. Mineral deposits and Hydal Power-Mining and Manufacturing
5. Tourism
6. Not suitable for agriculture.
7. Very low availability of means of transport and communication

2) Plateau:
In geology and physical geography, a plateau, also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland
consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or
more sides have deep hills.
Commercial Benefits:
1) Mineral Deposit-Mining
2) Agriculture activities

3) Plain:
A plain is a broad area of relatively flat land. Plains are one of the major landforms, or types of land, on Earth.
They cover more than one-third of the world’s land area. Plains exist on every continent.
Commercial Benefits:
1) Agriculture-Due to fertile soil, rivers and easy means of communication and transportation and construction
of canals
2) Industries- Due to availability of food grains and raw material and easy means of communication and
transportation.

4) Deserts:
A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are
hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to the
processes of denudation.
Commercial Benefits:
1) Rearing sheeps and goats
2) No agriculture or industry-due to climate condition and scarcity of resources.

5) Oceans and Seas:

The ocean is the body of salt water which covers approximately 71% of the surface of the Earth and contains
97% of Earth's water. Another definition is "any of the large bodies of water into which the great ocean is
divided"
The sea is defined as a portion of the ocean that is partly surrounded by land
Commercial Benefits:
1) Regulating temperature, providing rain, food , minerals and raw materials.
2) Fishing
3) Harboring and construction of ships.

6) Rivers:
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another
river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching
another body of water.
Commercial Benefits:
1) Irrigation
2) Water transport
3) Generation of hydro-electricity

B-Climate:
Climate is the long-term pattern of weather in an area, typically averaged over a period of 30 years.
More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months
to millions of years.Some of the meteorological variables that are commonly measured are:

 temperature,
 humidity,
 atmospheric pressure,
 wind, and
 precipitation.
In a broader sense, climate is the state of the components of the climate system, which includes the ocean,
land, and ice on Earth. The climate of a location is affected by its latitude/longitude, terrain, and altitude, as
well as nearby water bodies and their currents.
Commercial Importance:
1) Diversity of food, clothing, shelter and color of man
2) Different climate play roles in trade , commerce, means or transport and communication.
Example:
Agriculture needs Industry needs
Adequate temperature No special temperature effects
Adequate Rainfall Snowfall and rains disturb.

C: Natural Vegetation:
Natural vegetation comprises forests, shrubs and grasses, and is determined by climatic conditions and soil
types. ... Soil formation on the hill slopes is a prerequisite for forest growth, but human practices in these
areas have contributed to erosion, rather than to soil formation.
Commercial Benefits:
1) Lumbering
2) Pastoral occupation
3) Agriculture occupation

D: Soil:
Soil is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Earth's
body of soil, called the pedosphere, has four important functions:
 1) as a medium for plant growth
2) as a means of water storage, supply and purification
3) as a modifier of Earth's atmosphere
4) as a habitat for organisms

Commercial Benefits:
1) Fertile soil-Agriculture( or unfertile soil is made fertile by artificial fertilizer or manure)
2) Selection of crops depends on soil type
E: Animal:
Commercial Benefits:
1) Reindeers and jackals-Transportation in cold areas
2) Camel, horses and donkeys-Transportation in dry areas
3) Animal bearing-Raw material for different industries
4) Agriculture uses.

NON-PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

Factors of Non-Physical Environment:

A-Race and Religion:
A race is a grouping of humans based on shared physical or social qualities into categories generally viewed
as distinct by society. The term was first used to refer to speakers of a common language and then to denote
national affiliations. By the 17th century the term began to refer to physical traits.
Religion is the belief in a God or in a group of gods and the relevant practices.
Commercial Importance:
1. Customs
2. Food
3. Clothing
4. Entertainment
5. Living

B-Traditions:
A tradition is a belief or behavior passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special
significance with origins in the past.
C-Culture and Civilization:
Combination of religion, traditions and other matters.

D-Political Factors:
Political factors relate to how the government
intervenes in the economy. Specifically, political factors
have areas including tax policy, labour law,
environmental law, trade restrictions, tariffs, and
political stability.