Never really took this into account as a possible factor in the relative success of the European and North American Continents. Of course it doesn't take into account oil. But you can't eat oil. To what extent is the ability to grow food part of America and Europe's success?
Interesting Map On Soil Quality & Resilience
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Never really took this into account as a possible factor in the relative success of the European and North American Continents. Of course it doesn't take into account oil. But you can't eat oil. To what extent is the ability to grow food part of America and Europe's success?
I always thought that book was about Guns, Germs and Steel.
It's a huge factor. If you don't have to worry about famine, you can shift more labor toward specialized production and industrialization.
One of the few things that is worth remembering from GWTW: "Do you mean to tell me, Katie Scarlett O’Hara, that Tara, that land, doesn’t mean anything to you? Why, land is the only thing in the world worth workin’ for, worth fightin’ for, worth dyin’ for, because it’s the only thing that lasts."
let me dork out. it's huge. being able to grow enough food and then cheaply move it around on navigable rivers gave the West a huge leg up. being able to grow enough food but then not being able to move it (or anything else) around cheaply means you can sustain a big population but will be poor (see Russia) or crushingly poor (see much of Africa, S. Asia). not a coincidence the US has a lot of good farm land and the best rivers for transport in the world plus the inter-coastal waterway from the New Orleans to Boston.
Not any better than Ukraine which is in part why Vlad wants it so badly, along with access to the Black Sea.
Cue the Sam Kinison bit on famine in Africa.
Although, I'm interested in the methodology here especially southern africa. I know for a fact Zimbabwe used to be the "breadbasket of Africa" and their wheat yields are pretty solid. Not the american midwest, but i'm assuming lack of reporting influences this.
Of course, a functioning government and proper land use is probably a large contributor as well.
Although, I'm interested in the methodology here especially southern africa. I know for a fact Zimbabwe used to be the "breadbasket of Africa" and their wheat yields are pretty solid. Not the american midwest, but i'm assuming lack of reporting influences this.
Of course, a functioning government and proper land use is probably a large contributor as well.
"better" only in the sense that the Mississippi River has large network of navigable tributaries like the Missouri, Ohio (and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway), Illinois Rivers. the Great Lakes and connecting canals (for which Canada built most of the infrastructure) also act like a river reaching right into the American core. plus a huge benefit of the inter-coastal waterway is that it's protected enough from ocean surges that not all cargo has to be moved to larger ships before heading up the east coast. a huge cost benefit.
another big advantage is that US ag goods coming from the middle of the country don't have to pass through any maritime chokepoints controlled by other powerful countries (and their treaties or conventions) before hitting international waters. From New Orleans you head east into the Atlantic or south to the Panama Canal. we've recently seen the perils of shipping through these chokepoints while hostile and capable groups control beachfront property.
okay, you didn't ask for any to this. i...cannot...stop. lol.
My Dad told me a a very long time ago: "Buy land they aren't making any more of it."
In fairness, I think everyone’s dad told them that cliche at some point in time.
Rhodesian agriculture fed a lot of Africans. 30 years of Robert Mugabe, ZANU, and Marxism destroyed agriculture and the rest of the economy.
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