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Climate and civilization Ellsworth Huntlngton -v THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES *'N -soa | nqpunpo/auofl iNnowoHin Climate and Civilization BY ELLSWORTH HUNTINGTON Department of Geography,Yale University HE ideal climate is said -show that the physical activity of the to be found in many racesofwesternEuropeisgreatestwhen parts ofthe world, but the average temperature is about 60 wnohatoneitkniso.wsWeexactalrey dmeogmreetesertghoaetsisd,oownndatyoswpherehnaptshe5taheorr- frequently told that 55 degrees at night and rises to about southernCaliforniaand 65 or70degrees byday. Mental activ- the Riviera possess it at all times ofthe ity, on the otherhand, is greatest when year, and that Florida has it in winter theaverageisalittle belowj-Odegrees and theAlpsinsummer. Sometimeswe that is,on dayswhich mayhave a frost are also told that the cold, clear air of at night. Since life consists of both theAlpsinwinterisideal. Wearenever mental and physical activity, and each told, however,that an ideal climate pre- isessentialtosuccess,themostfavorable vailsin NewEngland, with its chill east conditionswouldseemtobethosewhere winds, or in old England, with its fog the temperature never falls far below and rain. Yet there is as much reason the optimum, or most propitious point for thinking that it prevails in these for mental work, or rises above the places asintheothers. Thewholemat- optimum for physical work. In other terdependsonourdefinitionof"ideal." words,ifthemeantemperaturewerethe If we are looking simply for rest and only thing to be considered, the best pleasure, awarm, sunnyclimateisprob-'. climatewould be onewherethe averageL ablythe best. Ifwewanttogo fishing, in winter is about 40 and the average something different is preferable. The in summer about 60 degrees. , Only a most essential fact in the lives of the few parts ofthe world are blessed with majority of mankind is work. There- such conditions. The most important foretheclimatewhichis bestforworkis ofthese, both inareaand in population, ideal from that point ofview. That is is England. Next comes the northern the kind which we shall here consider. Pacific coast ofthe United States, from Ifwetake efficiencyinthedailywork Oregon to the southern part of British of life as our standard, it is possible to Columbia. Here, unfortunately, the measure what people actually do under mountains rise close to the sea, and so differentclimaticconditions, andthusto prevent the favorable conditions from form an estimate of the best kind of penetrating far inland. A third highly climate. From the work of about five favored area is found in New Zealand, hundred factory operatives in southern especially the southern island. This, Connecticut and ofabout eighteen hun- likeitstwopredecessors,isrecognized as dred students at West Point and An- one ofthe highly advanced parts ofthe napolis, as has been explained in a pre- earth. Thefourth andlastoftheplaces ceding article, I have prepared curves where the mean temperature is particu- showingtherelativeefficiencyunderdif- larly favorableisnotgenerallyso recog- ferentconditionsoftemperature,humid- nized. It lies in Patagonia and the ity, and storminess. These curves, corresponding part of Chili, between based on investigations among a large latitudes 45 and 50 S. Few people numberofindividuals,agreewithsimilar live here, and we are apt to think ofit curvesprepared onthebasisofasmaller as of relatively slight value. It differs number of people by two Danish psy- fromtheotherthree regions in having a chologists, Lehmann and Pedersen, in deficient rainfall except in the western Copenhagen. The two sets of data part, which is extremely mountainous. VOL. CXXX. No. 777. 46 UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES LIBRARY Fromwhat hasjust been said it must this process he gets good speed from his not beinferredthattheclimatesofEng- animal, and yet prevents him from be- land, the northern Pacific coast of the coming exhausted. This is what con- United States, NewZealand, and Pata- stant-changesoftemperatureseemtodo gpoenriatauarreeinsecbeyssanroilymeiadenasl.thMeeoannlyteirmn--\ vtoalumeano.f anTyhecrleifmoartee, firnomretchkeonpionigntthoef portant condition. In the first place, viewofefficiency, storms must be rated not only a deficiency ofmoisture, as in asofhighvalue. Iftheyalonewerethe a large part ofPatagonia,butanexcess, .controlling element, southern Canada, asinthemountains ofsouthern Chili or from Alberta eastward, would possess in Ireland,which otherwise is almost as the best climate in the world, while the favoredasEngland,mayhamperacoun- northern United States, from the Dako- try. Such conditions produce not only tas and Nebraska eastward, the north- an adverse economic effect by making ^western part ofEurope, northern Italy, agriculture difficult, but also a direct andJapanwould come next. England, effect upon people's capacity for work. it will be noticed, is the only country A moderate degree of dampness that included both in the regions just men- is, a relative humidity of from 65 per tioned andinthosewherethemeantem- cent, in summerto'90 per cent,inwin- perature ofthe seasons approaches the ter isfavorable,butwhenthesummers ideal. arewet or thewintersvery dry, people In order to determine the climates in do not work sowell. which people are most efficient, it is In its direct physiological and mental clearly necessary to take account ofall effect, athird climatic element seemsto the factors that have just been men- bemuchmoreimportantthanhumidity. tioned, and also of others of less im- This is the change in mean tempera- portance which have not yet been ture from one day to another. The worked out. When this is done for only tests of this that have yet been many countries and races we shall be made are those which I have described able to construct a map showing the in a previous article, but inasmuch as approximate efficiency which people of both men and girls in factories and stu- any particular race would have in all dents at our military and naval acade- parts of the world, provided climate mies appear to be similarly influenced, werethe determining factor. it seems safe to infer thatthe same is Such a map in final form is not yet trueofEuropeans in general. In Con- possible, but we can make a first ap- necticut theeffectofchangesoftemper- proximation. Of the three main cli- ature from day to day is about halfas matic factors mentioned in the preced- great as the effect of the changes ing paragraphs, only one, the mean from season to season. If the tem- temperature of the seasons, has been perature remains unchanged, people summed up by meteorologists in such a wstoirmkulastloewdlya. lIitftliet. riIsfesi,ttfhalelys,moanythbee Awagyretahtatdetahleidsaktnaoawrne eaabsoiulty atvhaeiloatbhleer. other hand, provided the fall is not ex- two that is,aboutchanges oftempera- cessive,thereisadecided stimulus. The ture from day to day, and relative hu- effect of constant changes of weather midity buttogetthefiguresforathou- maybecomparedtothatproducedupon sand or more stations, as is done in the ahorse by agood driver. Ifthe animal case of mean temperature, would take is allowed to go his own gait, with no years ofwork orelsethe expenditure of stimulus whatever, he will travel fast thousandsofdollars. Accordingly,ithas at first and then settle down to a slow been necessary to omit humidity en- pace which will protract a journey in- tirely. Fortunately, the general effects definitely. Ifhe is constantly urged to of this can readily be determined. In his topmost speed, he may make the the places where most of the world's first journey quickly, but he will soon inhabitants are gathered, differences of breakdown. Thewisedriverurges him humidity are relatively unimportant for a short time, and then lets him go compared with differences in tempera- more slowly. By constantly repeating ture. The chief effect ofthis factor is CLIMATE AND CIVILIZATION 369 seen in deserts and inthe moist partsof areas represent placeswhere the condi- thetorridzone. In bothoftheseplaces, tionsare stillworsethan intheverylow but especially in the torrid zone, peo- areas. ple's efficiency, so far as it is influenced Letusexaminethe map closely. The by climate, is relatively lower than ap- most noticeable feature is the group of pears on the maps which are presented two large black areas in the United withthis article. States and part ofsouthern Canada, on Thefiguresforchangesoftemperature theonehand, and inwestern Europeon from day to day are also not yet avail- the other. Each ofthese is surrounded able for a great number of stations. by high areas oflarge extent. The re- Such changes, however, depend chiefly maininghigh areas,threeinnumber, are uponthenumberofstormsanduponthe surprisingly limited. The one in Japan range of temperature from the coldest is shown as extending over into Korea, tothewarmest periods. Thesetwocon- but this is doubtful, for the climatic ditions arewell known formost partsof recordsofstorms in this region arevery the world. By using them we obtain imperfect. The New Zealand area ex- an approximation to our desired end. tends over into the southeastern corner It must be clearly understood, however, ofAustralia, and is probably essentially that this is only an approximation, and correct. Finally, although the South is liable to error in certain respects. Americanareacertainlyshouldbeplaced Forexample,the coastofCaliforniahas onthemap, its exactextentisdoubtful, few storms and only a slight range of and we are notyet certain whether any temperature from season to season. Its portion ofit should be put in the very mean temperature, however, is highly high division, or whether the southern favorable, and in the portions close to part should be represented by fine lines the sea there are frequent stimulating because it falls in the medium division. changes from day to day. Some allow- In far northern regions people's energy ance has been made for this, but its falls off more than would be expected. amount maynot be correct. Elsewhere We know that population is scanty in almost opposite conditions may prevail. the mostnortherly parts ofCanada and Forinstance, thesouthernpartofSouth Siberia, and that civilization there is at America has many storms, but they do a low ebb. We commonly think, how- not bringgreat changes oftemperature. ever, that this is due to the difficulties Hence, in constructing our map that ofagricultureandtothefactthatnature regionreceivesavaluehigherthanprop- willnotpermitmanypeopletogetaliv- eilybelongstoit. Theseexamplesindi- ing. Fromthemap,however,itappears cate that in examining the maps rela- that in addition to this there is a great tively little attention must be given to fallingofFinenergy,sothatevenifother details. The main outstanding features circumstances were favorable we should areapproximatelycorrect, however, and not look for any great achievements. they alone should be considered until Within thirty degrees of the equator furtherdata are available. conditions are just about as we should The map of human energy on the expect. So far as mere energy is con- basis of the climatic conditions which cerned,thedry areas are actually some- havejustbeensetforthisgiveninFig. i. what better than appears on the map, In constructing this the world has been while wet regions, such as the Amazon divided into six kindsofregions,accord- Basin and centralAfrica,areworse. On ing to a rigid mathematical scale. The the great highlands of South America places shaded black have a climate and Africa conditions are much better favorable to a very high degree of en- than in the lowlands, and the same is ergy in people ofEuropean races. The true of some of the higher parts of next darker degree ofshading indicates India, which are too small for insertion places where high energy would be in our map. The striking fact about looked for, although not the highest. the equatorial highlands, however, is The light lines indicate medium energy, that none ofthem has a climate where the heavy dots low, and the scattered a high degree of energy would be ex- dots very low energy. The unshaded pected. We are often told that the 160 160 HO KO 20O 80 60 40 ZO O &O 4O 6O SO 7OO FIG.1 DISTRIBUTION OF HUMAN ENERGYON THE BASIS OFCLIMATE climate of tropical highlands is as fine temptto construct a map ofcivilization as any in the world. Not infrequently inorderthatthetwomightbecompared. areurgedtocolonizesuchregions, The wisest plan seemed to be to secure fenopbloeok after book we read that so far theco-operationofwidelyinformed men astheclimateofsuchplacesisconcerned in all partsoftheworld. Accordingly,I thereisnotthe slightestreason whythe wrote to about two hundred persons, white man should not live there as well chiefly professional geographers, but as at home. Ourmap seemsto pointto including statesmen, travelers, anthro- a different conclusion. Though white pologists, missionaries, andothers. Slips men may retain their health in tropical weresent bearing thenamesofonehun- highlands,weshouldnot expectthem to dred and eighty-five countries or parts have the vigor and energy which they ofcountries, and the request was made have in Europe and America, or in that the slips be sorted into ten groups Japan, southernAustralia, and southern according to the status of each region South America. in the scale ofcivilization. Civilization By far the most unexpected feature was defined as being dependent upon ofthe map is the diminution ofenergy "those characteristics which are gener- as one proceeds eastward from western ally recognized as ofthe highest value. Europe to central Asia. This is even I mean by this the power ofinitiative, greaterthan appears in the map, for in the capacity for formulating new ideas these latitudes the extreme dryness of and for carrying them into effect, the deserts apparently tends to diminish power ofself-control, high standards of man's energy, and the center ofAsia is honestyand morality, the powertolead one ofthedriest places in the world. and controlotherraces, thecapacityfor Longbeforethisthereaderhasdoubt- disseminating ideas, and other similar lesstakennoteoftherathercloseresem- qualities which will readily suggest blance between the distribution of en- themselves. Thesequalitiesfindexpres- ergy on a climatic basis and the actual sion in high-ideals, respect for law, in- dniesstsriobfuttihoen roefsceimvbilliaznacteionl.ed Tmheetcolosaet-- vseonphtiicvaelnesssy,steambsi,litsytabtiolitdyevaenldophopnheisltoy- ISO MO 1ZO 700 SO 60 4 60 SO WO IZO 140 16O ISO FIG.2 THE DISTRIBUTION OFCIVILIZATION ofgovernment, a highly developed s the Asiatics were averaged separately. tem ofeducation, the capacity Then these averages were again aver- nate the less civilized parts o aged to give the final result. Thus the world, and the ability to carry out far- opinion ofthe Asiatics has preciselythe reaching enterprises covering long peri- same weight as that of the Americans. odsoftimeandgreatareasoftheearth's In almost all cases one candetectaten- surface." dencytoplaceone'sowncountryorrace Theclassificationofthevariouscoun- rather higher than other people think tries is by no means a light task. In right. This is especially marked where manycasespeoplesp^tffromhalfaday the more backward outposts of a given to two entire days M^^ it. In spite of raceareconcerned. Otherwisetheclassi- this over fifty people.made the classifi- fications made by the various races cation. About half[wejfe Americans, agree to a surprising extent. England including one Canadian^ others were comes put highest. It is the only place English, German, French,Italian,Span- which isinvariablyplacedinthehighest ish, Portuguese, Danish,. Norwegian, ortenthclass. Otherplaces, such asthe Russian, Chinese, and Japanese. It more advanced parts of Germany, wasparticularlygratifyingthatfiveJap- France, and theUnitedStates, aregiven anese and Chinese co-operated. It was a slightly lower position in at least one also highly fortunate thatthe classifica- classification. tions were made before the outbreak The final results ofthis classification of the great war had destroyed peo- areshowninFig. 2. Alltheregionshav- ple's fairness of judgment. In obtain- ing a rank of8.5 or higher are rated as ing the average opinion it seemed very high, and are shaded black. Those wiser not to give each individual the from 7to 8.5 arehigh,and areshaded in same weight, but to let each race or heavy lines; 5 to 7, medium, in light group of races have the same impor- lines; 3 to 5, low, in heavy dots; and tance. ThustheAmericans,theBritish, under 3, very low, in scattered dots. the Teutonic Europeans, the Latin The first thing that attracts attention Europeans, including one Russian, and isthegeneral resemblancetothe map of 372 HARPER'S MONTHLY MAGAZINE energy. In both maps, for example, importance in relation to Siam, but be- there is a high area in the middle of cause they illustrate some of the great westernEurope. Atongueextendsdown number ofinfluences which play a part into Italy, another projects toward in causing a country to stand high or Rumania, and a third to the Baltic. low in the scale ofcivilization. In view Lapland is the seat of a low area. A ofall these factors and the strong influ- relatively high projection runs out into ence which any one ofthem may exert, Siberia. Here the high areaofthe map it is by no means surprising that the of civilization extends about as far as maps of civilization and energy show the medium area of the energy map. disagreements. The truly astonishing This is not surprising, for even if the thingisthat inspite ofeverythingthey people of Siberia have as much energy should present so pronounced an agree- as is indicated bythe energy map, they ment. are hampered by their remoteness and One of the features that stands out by the newness oftheir country, not to most prominently when the two maps mention other conditions. It may be, arecomparedistheeffectwhichastrong too, that the question of racial ability race with good government and high enters into the matter, and causes Si- ideals produces upon regions to which beriato beloweron the map ofciviliza- Europeans have gone during recent tion than upon the other. The signifi- times. Againandagainonenotesplaces cant thing is that in both maps there is where thepresenceofsuch a racecauses the same falling-offtoward centralAsia. a regionto behigherinjcivilization than Still farther east, China and Japan are would beexpectedonthebasisofenergy essentially alike upon both maps, China as determined by climate. In the East beingmediumandJapanhigh. InIndo- Indies, for example, Java and the Phil- China, and muchmorein India,thetwo ippinesarehigherthantheotherislands. mapsdiffer. Apparentlythisarisesfrom In Australia the general decrease from the fact that these regions are under southeast to northwest is the same in European domination. This does not both maps, butthe factthat this conti- apply to Siam, however, which has nentisEnglishraisestheverylowplaces worked out its own salvation. It ranks to low, the low to medium, and so on asverylowontheenergymap, andonly until there is a large high area in the as lowon theother. This mayhave no southeast. In South Africa and Egypt significance. Ontheotherhand, itmay the same is true. mean various things. Possibly the cli- In the United States the energy map matic records of Siam are so imperfect showsastripofmediumalongthesouth- that we have not been able to give it ern frontier, but this is all rated as high quite the right grade on the energy on the other map. This seems to illus- map. It is equally probable that the trate the way in which a strong race races of Indo-China and India may by with high institutions can overcome the long residence have become differen- handicap of a climate which is only tiated from Europeans, sothatthey are moderate. In the central states and in not so susceptible to the influence of the Canadian northwest, on the other steady heat. Again, we knowthat race hand, civilization is not so high as one differs from race in its inheritance, and would expect. Perhaps this is because the Siamese may inherit stronger traits the country is new. Being new, it is than those which are possessed bytheir onlyjust coming into its own, and Chi- npleei,ghfboorrsininmotshetEoafstthIonsdeieiss,lfaonrdsexbaomth- neevseen, tRhuosusgiahnst,heayndhavotehetrravfeorleeidgnearnsd, maps are'Very low. Finally,other pos- studied extensively, do not realize how sibilities arethatthe Siamese have been great is the progress of recent times. trhaieseaddobptyiocnonotfacpatrtwiictuhlarotihnesrtitruacteiso,nsboyf Creallaitfiovrenliya,hilgihkeertohnetshoeutmhaeprnofstcaitveisl,izai-s gzubiaonltuviitseoiurneasn,,lmoengrnoifttbt,sy.bretechlIaieugmisewoenont,rtikhaoennoydfaalsalroectfiheaoewlfseomsrpepgeonacsnisiaoi-l-f eirtamxitppoenolsatmsihinabeapidnl,ioottfnhyietsonhfemartamgyaoyfkabiesennegyirentga.pya.wrhtIotAdlsmuleyaalytraoecatcalhudse-oy CLIMATE AND CIVILIZATION 373 arise from the location of California on quite independently. Neither repre- the Pacific seaboard. sents the ideas of any one individual. Turning to Latin America, we find The map of civilization represents the aboutwhatwouldbeexpectedinMexico independentopinionoffiftypersonsofa and Central America. The highlands dozen differentnations. Theothersim- are medium and the lowlands low. In plyshowshowmuchenergypeoplewould South America, on the contrary, there have if their energy depended mainly acroeuntsrioemse ofunetxhpeecAtneddeafneathuiregsh.landTshe , woonrltdempweerraeturien,haabintdedif ablyl ppaerotpsleofltihkee namely, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, those of the eastern United States. It Peru,and Bolivia are all rankedaslow ishardtothinkofanyotherkindofmJap incivilization, whereastheclimaticmap that would so closely reproduce the would indicate a medium degree of en- features of the map of civilization. If ergy. In Africa the same phenomenon racewere madethe criterion, we should isobservable alongthe beltofhighlands find places of high civilization where on the east side ofthe continent. Per- Teutons, Latins, and Japanese prevail. haps this means that an equatorial cli- We should also find low places where mate is even more debilitating than Teutonspredominate inAlaska,forex- would be expected on the basis of the ample and where Latins predominate, work of factory operatives in summer. as in parts of South America, but we Argentina goes to the other extreme, should not find any low place for the which is a hopeful sign for the races of Japanese. If religion is the criterion, LatinAmerica. The central part ofthe we should find that, although Protes- country is higher than would be ex- tant Christianityprevails onlyin places pected, which suggests thatwith even a which are high or very high, Roman moderate opportunity the Latin Amer- Catholic Christianity prevails in places icanraceisabletorisetoahighposition. that range from very high to very low, Let us turn back now to the more andGreekChristianityfromhightolow. general aspects of the two maps. In Buddhism likewise ranges from high to spite of minor disagreements the main low, and Mohammedanism from medi- features are essentially the same. Both umtoverylow. Ifform ofgovernment show two great high areas in the isourcriterion,wefindrepublicsranging United States and western Europe, a from very high in Switzerland and pronounced decline from the western France to loworverylowin Venezuela. border of Russia eastward, and a rise Limited but autocratic monarchies ex- to high conditions on the far eastern ist in high countries like Germany, and edge of Asia in Japan. Likewise, the inlowcountrieslikeTurkeyand Persia,^/ shape of the very low areas in Africa Thuswemightgoontopointouthow and South America is alike in both surprising it is that the maps ofenergy cases. Southoflatitude 30 eachofthe and civilization should agree so closely. southern continents rises, and the rise Theiragreementseemstopointto afar- is more pronounced on the eastern side reaching conclusion. It suggests not than on the western. Even where the only that civilization can rise to a high two maps disagree, the explanation of level only where man's physical and thedisagreementisusuallyobviousfrom mental energy is high, but also that aconsiderationoftherecentmovements energyis high onlywhere certain favor- of European peoples. The few remain- able conditions ofclimate prevail. /This ing discrepancies are almost all explica- does not mean that the climate is the ble on well-known grounds, such as the cause of civilization, for the cause lies impossibility of agriculture, which pre- vastly deeper in the unknown force vents civilization from rising as high as whichgives risetoevolution. Itmerely would beexpected in the northern parts rreans that one ofthe many conditions ofAmerica and Asia. necessary for the rise and preservation When allowance is made for obvious ofcivilization seems to be the existence facts such as these, the resemblance be- ofafavorablecombinationofmeantern- // tween the two maps becomes increas- perature from season to season and of TTl~ ingly striking. They were constructed changesoftemperaturefromdaytoday. // 127685 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY LosAngeles liisbookUDUEonthelastdatestampedbelow. |ncared-for figure Hie zealous, self- ihad guided the |ffairsoftheWal- lormorethantwo Ibeingamisnomer Ithadneitherwal- ttwas the name- Ipot inthatindefi- For [BackEast.") [the shepherd of a to worship in the >l-housebarelyvis- "om where he now -househadheldno ;becausetheflock, season advanced, ands whence they forth nohand Euatd been a day lied with scorn at e had babbledfool- ishioners about the and had exhorted ttheirhandstothe 315 not now look back. the summer when antly, asthough ithad been/achallenge, the grasshopp^ers had riddled the prom- and felt, though he did nov'deigntosee, ising fields,or before the sand-storms of the blight that marked tfte path ofthe earlyspringhad blownoutthewheat,or wind. the hotwinds had blasted the earth. TherehadbeennorainsinceJune,and Threetimes had the discouraged peo- thiswasAugust. Buttheprairiecropis pletakenhearta^ain,encouragedbythe used to drought andtherehadbeenhope fair promises of a crop, and each time for the corn until the hot winds came their faith had been mocked and their three days before: Since that time efforts returned to them fruitless. At Enoch Cornwall had neither eaten nor first Enoch had preached with great fer- sdloeoprts.tepAtunntiiglhtdahwens.at Wbrhoeondintghebyhehaits vaorf,iearyssturriialngoftthheemirtfhaaitthG;oadndonaltytdheesicrreud- was most intense he walked bareheaded cial moment hewould staythe forceso through the fields, lifting his head sud- destruction as God had stayed the hand denly whenever the wind smote his of Abraham and restored Isaac. He cheek. His great frame had become charged their early failures to a lack of gaunt, andhischeeksdrawn,butafierce faith, and urged them with passionate light burned in his eyes, bloodshot from zeal to greater exhibitions oftrust. sleeplessness andtheglarefromthe sun. Hewas gifted with the eloquence and The dust and burning heat had dulled dominatingzealoftheborn leader. His the blackness of his matted hair. The superabundance ofphysical vitality and perspiration had caked the dust on his confidence carried his flock through one

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