Name____________________________________________Date__________________Core______
HEI: Climate Reading
Why do people live where they do?
Introduction
The physical features of the area people live in have a major effect on the lives of those
people. People need to live where they can either find food, where they can farm to grow food or
where they can transport food easily. Landforms, climate, and natural resources in an area are all
things that affect the daily life of people. Daily life is very different from place to place because of the
differences in natural areas around the world. Some places in the world have very few people
because the area is difficult to live in. Some places are very crowded because the area is good to
live in.
Landforms
Landforms such as mountains, plains, oceans, and rivers can make life in the area easier or
more difficult. Usually living in an area with mountains makes life more difficult than living on a flat
plain so fewer people live in mountains than live on plains. Mountains with volcanoes have good rich
soil for farming so many people live in volcanic mountains because they can farm there. Living near
an ocean would allow people to fish for food or transport food easily so this might be a good place to
live.
Along rivers is usually one of the best places to live for many reasons.
River valleys are usually great farmland so people can farm along the river. Rivers
also are an important source of water for people and their crops. Many river
valleys in the world are very crowded because people can grow food here. Some
rivers also making shipping food, resources, and goods easy which also allows
people to live near these rivers.
Natural Resources
Natural resources are things in nature that are useful to people. Trees,
wild animals, and good soil are all natural resources that can make an area
easier to live in. Trees in an area are a great material for building homes,
cooking food, building boats, and many other things. Wild animals to hunt or fish
can also make an area easier to live in. People need to live where they find or grow enough food to
eat. Areas with good soil for farming are usually more crowded because most of our food comes
from farming. Areas rich in energy resources such as fossil fuels are also usually crowded.
Climate
The climate of an area is one of the most important things that effects how many people can
live in an area. Some areas are too cold for people to easily live there so warmer areas are usually
more crowded. The amount of rainfall also can affect if people live in an area. Very dry places are
difficult to live in so deserts usually have very few people. An area with a good amount of rain will
usually be more crowded. Sometimes, like a rainforest, too much rain actually washes away the
nutrients in the soil and these areas have few people since people cannot farm here.
The seasons and the length of the growing season also affect if an area is good to live in.
Areas with very long winters and a short time to grow crops have few people. Areas with a longer
warm season when people can grow crops have more people.
How does climate affect where people live?
1. Desert Climates
Desert areas in both tropical and temperate zones are too dry to
farm. There are few trees to use to build homes with. Few animals live
in deserts so hunting is also difficult. Desert areas in the world usually
have very few people because life in the desert is too difficult.
2. Tropical Climates
Tropical climates are warm year-round which makes these areas easier to live in than colder
areas. The amount of rainfall and the timing of the rainfall is usually what we talk about when we
discuss seasons in tropical zones.
Tropical rainforests receive heavy rainfall all year long. This
heavy rainfall actually makes the soil in rainforests poor for farming
because all the nutrients are quickly washed out of the soil from by
the rain. Some people in rainforests farm using slash-and-burn
farming. This is where people cut down the trees and burn them to
release nutrients into the soil so they can farm the area for a few years. This must be done in a new
area every few years which makes this way of farming very difficult. Because of the poor farmland,
rainforests have few people. Rainforests also flood for part of the year so people have to build their
homes high up off the ground so their home is out of the yearly floodwater. The many trees in a
rainforest are an important resource for people to cut down and sell, gather food from, and to use to
build their homes.
Tropical grasslands are called savannas. Savannas have few trees but many grasses.
Savannas are hot year-round but have seasonal rains where it only rains for part of the year. During
the dry season the savanna is too dry to farm. The long dry season in the savanna makes the soil
poor for farming so people burn the grass to release the
nutrients into the soil. People can farm during the rainy
season when the savanna receives much rain. Savanna
areas have many more people than either rainforest or desert
areas because people can farm during the rainy season.
There are few trees to build homes with in savannas so
people live in mud brick homes. There are large herds of
animals which allow savanna people to hunt for food.
3. Temperate Climates
Temperate areas have four seasons. Most temperate areas have a warm season that lasts
several months. This warm season allows many people to live in temperate areas.
Temperate areas have two different types of forests. Deciduous
forests (like where we live) have great farmland. Once people clear
the trees from an area, large amounts of food can be grown in
deciduous forest soil. The trees are also a source of wood to sell and
to build homes with. Deciduous forest areas are usually very
crowded because they are easier to live in.
Coniferous forests (needle leaf trees) are usually located in
temperate areas where the climate is a little colder. These areas have
soil that cannot be farmed because the trees release acid into the soil.
Trees in this area can be sold and hunting is possible. Coniferous forest
areas usually have fewer people because it is harder to live here.
Temperate grasslands have four seasons but are drier than forest areas. The longer warm
season here allows farming. These areas receive enough rain
for many crops to grow. Temperate grassland areas actually
have the best soil in the world for farming. These areas are
heavily farmed around the world and people grow a large
percent of the world’s food here. Temperate grasslands are
usually crowded because life here is easier.
4. Polar Climates
Polar climate are cold year-round. Very few people live in
polar areas because the extremely cold climate makes living here
too difficult. Farming is not possible here which makes finding
food difficult. There are animals in the ocean and some land
animals which people can hunt for food. Trees are not available
to build homes or cook food.
Temperate
Tropical
Polar
Temperate
Coniferous
Deciduous