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Unit 5

5.3 Agricultural Origins and Diffusions

7 min read•june 18, 2024

Pooja Kalyan

Riya Patel

AP Human Geography 🚜

320 resources

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How has agriculture changed over time?

As we become more technologically advanced and as our beliefs and cultures diffuse across the globe, we develop new agricultural practices.

Agriculture has undergone significant changes over time, especially with the advancement of technology and the development of new farming methods.

Some key ways in which agriculture has changed include:

Mechanization: Over the years, there has been an increase in the use of machines in agriculture, such as tractors, harvesters, and planters. This has led to increased efficiency and productivity in farming.
Irrigation: Advances in irrigation technology have allowed farmers to better control the amount of water that their crops receive, leading to more consistent crop yields.
Fertilizers and pesticides: The use of fertilizers and pesticides has also increased over time, allowing farmers to better control pests and diseases and increase crop yields.
Genetic modification: In recent years, there has been an increase in the use of genetic modification techniques in agriculture, which allow farmers to produce crops with desired traits, such as increased resistance to pests and diseases.
Sustainability: There has also been a focus on sustainable agriculture, which involves farming practices that are environmentally friendly and aim to conserve natural resources.

For this section, you should know the earliest and most significant places where plants and animals were first domesticated and understand how these domesticated crops and livestock came to other regions around the world.

Early Hearths

*Note: You don’t need to memorize everything that came out of these regions, but do remember Mesopotamia and choose a few bullets to memorize (so that you can use them as examples on the AP HUG FRQ section).

Fertile Crescent/Mesopotamia

The Fertile Crescent is a region in the Middle East that was home to some of the world's first great civilizations. It stretches from present-day Iraq to the eastern Mediterranean and includes the lands of Mesopotamia, where some of the earliest human settlements in the world were founded. This region is called the Fertile Crescent because it is shaped like a crescent moon, and because it has rich, fertile soil that is ideal for agriculture. The people of the Fertile Crescent developed some of the world's first systems of writing, government, and trade, and made important contributions to art, science, and literature. The civilizations of the Fertile Crescent played a major role in the development of human society and continue to influence the world today.

Summary

Located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
Crops: Bread grains, grapes, apples, olives, and a variety of others
Animals: Cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats
Hearth of the First (Neolithic) Agricultural Revolution

People transitioned from hunting and gathering to planting and harvesting food, allowing for the first civilizations

2. Nile River Valley

The Nile River is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa, and is the longest river in Africa and the Middle East. It is approximately 6,853 kilometers (4,258 miles) long and its drainage basin covers an area of approximately 3.4 million square kilometers (1.3 million square miles). The Nile is an important source of water for irrigation and other uses in Egypt and Sudan and has played a significant role in the development of these countries. It is also an important transportation route for both people and goods. The Nile River Valley is the region of land through which the Nile flows, and is home to a number of important ancient civilizations, including Ancient Egypt.

Summary

Second urban hearth
Lentils, beans, flax
Cattle, sheep, goats, pigs

3. Indus River Valley

The Indus River is a major river in South Asia that flows through Pakistan, India, and China. It is approximately 3,180 kilometers (1,980 miles) long and its drainage basin covers an area of approximately 1.1 million square kilometers (420,000 square miles). The Indus is an important source of water for irrigation and other uses in Pakistan and India and has played a significant role in the development of these countries. It is also an important transportation route for both people and goods. The Indus River Valley is the region of land through which the Indus flows, and is home to a number of important ancient civilizations, including the Indus Valley Civilization, which flourished from about 2500 BCE to 1900 BCE in what is now Pakistan and northwest India.

Summary

Third urban hearth
Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro

wheat, barely, peas, lentils, mustard, cotton
Sheep, goats, chickens, pigs, cattle, dogs

4. East Asia

There are several aspects of the East Asia early hearth, including the Yellow River Valley in China, the Yangtze River Valley in China, and the Korean Peninsula.

The Yellow River Valley, also known as the Huang He Valley, was home to the ancient Chinese civilization of the Xia Dynasty, which is thought to have emerged around the 21st century BCE. The Yellow River Valley is located in the northern part of China and is known for its fertile soil and abundant water resources, which made it an ideal location for early agriculture and the development of complex societies.

The Yangtze River Valley, located in the eastern part of China, was also an important center of early civilization in East Asia. The ancient Chinese civilization of the Shang Dynasty emerged in the Yangtze River Valley around the 16th century BCE, and the region was home to a number of important cultural and technological innovations, including the development of written language and the use of bronze metallurgy.

The Korean Peninsula was also an important center of early civilization in East Asia. The ancient Korean Kingdom of Gojoseon, which is thought to have been founded by the legendary figure Dangun in 2333 BCE, was located on the Korean Peninsula. The Korean Peninsula has a long and rich history and has been home to a number of important cultural and technological innovations, including the development of iron metallurgy and the creation of the Korean alphabet, Hangul.

Summary

China : rice and millet

5. Southwest Asia (mostly Iraq and Saudi Arabia)

The Southwest Asia early hearth refers to the region in Southwest Asia where the earliest known civilizations and cultures developed. Southwest Asia, also known as the Middle East, is a region that includes modern-day countries such as Iraq, Iran, and the countries of the Arabian Peninsula.

One of the most important early civilizations in Southwest Asia was the Sumerian civilization, which emerged in the Tigris-Euphrates River Valley (located in modern-day Iraq) around 4000 BCE. The Sumerians developed a number of important innovations, including the wheel, the plow, and the first known system of writing, called cuneiform.

Other early civilizations in Southwest Asia include the Akkadian Empire, the Babylonian Empire, and the Persian Empire. These civilizations made significant contributions to fields such as mathematics, astronomy, and literature, and many of the cultural and technological innovations developed by these civilizations continue to influence the world today.

Summary

Barley, wheat, lentil, olive
Largest number of animals domesticated : pigs, goats, cattle, sheep, dog

6. Central America

Central America is a region in the southern part of North America, located between Mexico and South America. It is comprised of the following countries: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and the Caribbean islands of the West Indies.

The early history of Central America is complex and varied, as the region has been inhabited by many different cultures over the centuries. The earliest known human settlements in Central America date back to the Pre-Columbian era, when various indigenous peoples lived in the region. Some of the most advanced and sophisticated indigenous civilizations in Central America included the Maya, who lived in what is now Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador; and the Aztecs, who lived in present-day Mexico.

The first European explorers to reach Central America were the Spanish, led by Christopher Columbus, who arrived in the region in 1502. The Spanish conquest of Central America began in the early 16th century and lasted until the early 19th century, when the region gained independence from Spain. During this time, the Spanish established colonies, brought Christianity to the region, and introduced new plants, animals, and technologies to the indigenous peoples.

Today, Central America is a diverse and vibrant region, with a rich history and culture that reflects its indigenous, European, and African influences.

Summary

Mexico and Peru were major hearths of crop domestication
Mexico : beans and cotton
Peru : potatoes
Maize was one of the most important crops that came from the Americas

7. Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa is the part of Africa that is located south of the Sahara Desert. It is a vast and diverse region with a long and rich history. The earliest known human ancestors, including Homo habilis and Homo erectus, lived in Sub-Saharan Africa over two million years ago.

Over time, various civilizations and cultures emerged in Sub-Saharan Africa, including the ancient Egyptian civilization, the Kingdom of Kush, the Kingdom of Aksum, and the empires of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai. These civilizations made significant contributions to art, science, mathematics, and other fields.

Sub-Saharan Africa has also played an important role in the development of human society and culture, with the region serving as a major hearth for the spread of agriculture, language, and religion. The Bantu expansion, which occurred between the 3rd and 1st centuries BCE, saw the spread of the Bantu language and culture throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, leading to the development of a number of distinct cultural groups in the region.

Summary

Sorghum, Yams

🎥 Watch: AP HUG - Agricultural Regions

The Diffusion of Plants and Animals

There were many ways that newly domesticated plants and animals reached other parts of the globe, but the best ones to know about are the Columbian Exchange and the agricultural revolutions*.

*I have only provided details of the First Agricultural Revolution in this section because the other two revolutions (the Second Agricultural Revolution and the Green Revolution) will be discussed in the following sections.

1. First (Neolithic) Agricultural Revolution

Transition from hunting and gathering to growing plants and raising livestock -> people began to understand seeds, watering, and plant/animal care
The practices developed overtime and diffused globally largely through contagious diffusion

First spread to Central Asia and eventually across Europe

2. Columbian Exchange

A variety of plants, animals, diseases, and technologies were exchanged between the Americas and the Eastern hemisphere
- People became familiar with new plants and animals as the exchange continued

🎥 Watch: AP HUG - Agriculture Types and Locations

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🗺Unit 1 – Thinking Geographically

👪Unit 2 – Population & Migration

🕌Unit 3 – Cultural Geography

🗳Unit 4 – Political Geography

👨‍🌾Unit 5 – Agriculture & Rural Land-Use

5.0Unit 5 Overview: Agriculture and Rural Land-Use Patterns and Processes

5.1Introduction to Agriculture

5.2Settlement Patterns and Survey Methods

5.3Agricultural Origins and Diffusions