Human Geography final paper 184 base words
1. Find three specific human geography factors that you think are most important in accounting for the difference in the human condition between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and that are related to our course content. Clearly identify them in your opening paragraph, and also explain why each one is considered to be a human geography factor
A: The Country of Haiti and the Dominican Republic share the Caribbean Island of Hispaniola, divided down the middle by a large zigzagging border. But even though both countries are quite poor, Haiti is far worse off than its neighbor the Dominican Republic. I believe that the three most suitable human geography factors are Environmental degradation, development …show more content…
More so on the country of Haiti because when it was invaded by the French they began mass productions of sugar, in turn clearing much of the forests to make room for crops and plantations. This also happened on the Dominican side but the Spanish were not as wealthy as the French so deforestation was minimal in comparison. As stated in our book “Rainforest clearance often results in warmer temperatures and drier conditions because less water evaporates or cycles from the vegetation into the atmosphere.” (chapter 12, pages380-381) this is proven if you look at the difference in the landscapes of Haiti and the Dominican Republic; the Dominican Republic is lush and green while Haiti is dry and desolate. But natural environmental differences in the countries play a role as well. As Jared Diamond describes in Ch. 11 of his book, “Hispaniola’s rains come mainly from the east. Hence the Dominican (eastern) part of the island receives more rain and thus supports higher rates of plant growth. Hispaniola’s highest mountains mainly flow eastward into the Dominican side. The Dominican side has broad valleys, plains and plateaus and much thicker soil.” “In contrast the Haitian side is drier because of that barrier of high mountains blocking rains from the east. Compared to the Dominican side, a higher percentage of Haiti’s area is mountainous, the area of flat land good for intensive …show more content…
The Dominican Republic has very dense rich soil, whereas in Haiti, the soil is very thin, less fertile and has a lower recovery than that of the neighboring country. So, when deforestation happened and crop came in destroying what good soil Haiti had. Plus, the lack of rain because of the mountains, the country of Haiti could not heal itself. The soil was stripped beyond repair. But I do not think that this is the more important than the human geographical factors because. If given the proper resources, I believe that the Haitians themselves, could restore their country back to its natural green beauty. It would take a tremendous amount of time and effort. But if population could be controlled education and medical facilities applied and they were able to fertilize their own land and plant trees I believe that the island of Hispaniola would look the same no matter if it’s the east or west side of the
1. Find three specific human geography factors that you think are most important in accounting for the difference in the human condition between Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and that are related to our course content. Clearly identify them in your opening paragraph, and also explain why each one is considered to be a human geography factor
A: The Country of Haiti and the Dominican Republic share the Caribbean Island of Hispaniola, divided down the middle by a large zigzagging border. But even though both countries are quite poor, Haiti is far worse off than its neighbor the Dominican Republic. I believe that the three most suitable human geography factors are Environmental degradation, development …show more content…
More so on the country of Haiti because when it was invaded by the French they began mass productions of sugar, in turn clearing much of the forests to make room for crops and plantations. This also happened on the Dominican side but the Spanish were not as wealthy as the French so deforestation was minimal in comparison. As stated in our book “Rainforest clearance often results in warmer temperatures and drier conditions because less water evaporates or cycles from the vegetation into the atmosphere.” (chapter 12, pages380-381) this is proven if you look at the difference in the landscapes of Haiti and the Dominican Republic; the Dominican Republic is lush and green while Haiti is dry and desolate. But natural environmental differences in the countries play a role as well. As Jared Diamond describes in Ch. 11 of his book, “Hispaniola’s rains come mainly from the east. Hence the Dominican (eastern) part of the island receives more rain and thus supports higher rates of plant growth. Hispaniola’s highest mountains mainly flow eastward into the Dominican side. The Dominican side has broad valleys, plains and plateaus and much thicker soil.” “In contrast the Haitian side is drier because of that barrier of high mountains blocking rains from the east. Compared to the Dominican side, a higher percentage of Haiti’s area is mountainous, the area of flat land good for intensive …show more content…
The Dominican Republic has very dense rich soil, whereas in Haiti, the soil is very thin, less fertile and has a lower recovery than that of the neighboring country. So, when deforestation happened and crop came in destroying what good soil Haiti had. Plus, the lack of rain because of the mountains, the country of Haiti could not heal itself. The soil was stripped beyond repair. But I do not think that this is the more important than the human geographical factors because. If given the proper resources, I believe that the Haitians themselves, could restore their country back to its natural green beauty. It would take a tremendous amount of time and effort. But if population could be controlled education and medical facilities applied and they were able to fertilize their own land and plant trees I believe that the island of Hispaniola would look the same no matter if it’s the east or west side of the