Chapter 7

1. Aspects of cultural geography: This is a field which focuses on spatial aspects of human cultures, which is spilt between cultural hearths and cultural landscapes. Cultural hearths are the crucibles of civilization that changed regions, mainly due to cultural diffusion. Understanding the cultural diffusions allows geographers to study the migration patterns of civilizations. Cultural landscape is the landforms that a culture creates. Physical and cultural geography interact in unity.

2. World’s culture hearths (Map Fig 7A-4): These hearths are crucible of civilizations; they are the source of innovations, ideas, and ideologies which contributed to changes in the region. Some of the main hearths in the world are West Africa, Nile Valley, Fertile Crescent, Mesopotamia, Indus Valley, Ganges Delta, Wei/Huang Rivers, Mesoamerica, and Andean America. Culture hearths are part of the cultural geography, and has cultural diffusion occurs the hearths expand or contract and spread throughout. The first two hearths were Mesopotamia and Nile Valley.

3. Mesopotamia and the Fertile Crescent: Mesopotamia had some of the most innovated individuals who developed domestication of wheat and livestock, started sowing and harvesting, watering fields, and understanding to store surpluses. This knowledge led to the Fertile Crescent which was a combination of villages near and far which agricultural expanding, evolving, and producing. Irrigation was a major factor in the power and prosperity of the Mesopotamia and development of the Fertile Crescent.

4. Hydraulic civilization theory and Babylon: The ability to control irrigation in large hinterlands created power over surrounding regions. They used food as a weapon, which allowed the Fertile ...

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...he Taliban: Afghanistan is the southernmost countries of Turkestan, it is called a buffer state, because British and Russians competed for the area in the 19th century. The conflicts with the Taliban began after the Soviet Union and Cold War. Following the Cold War the government in Kabol which led to the rise of the Taliban which were individuals focused on strict Islamic law, and the Pushtuns supported the Taliban. Their restrictions led to women going to transitional roles, no education, employment, or freedom of movement. Public amputation and stonings occurred to enforce the the Taliban codes. Children suffered from the transition, and the goals of the Taliban were farther than any of the public or Pushtuns desired. However, following the Cold War the region had arms and ammunition which led to invasion from the United States along with the terroristic threats.