Major Agricultural Production Regions - AP Human Geography

Goats, sheep, and camels all originated in southwest Asia and are one part of the reason why many of the earliest agricultural societies and human civilizations arose in this part of the world. Throughout the history of civilization goats and sheep have been important for sustaining and clothing human populations, and camels have been vital to facilitating trade and long-distance travel.

Double cropping is not possible in places that have long winters because the growing season is shorter for the whole year.

Paddies are another name for rice fields. We can see these especially in various Asian countries, where rice is a staple food and agricultural feature.

Historically speaking the ties between Ukraine and Russia are complex and layered. The progenitor of the Russian Tsarist Empire began in Kiev (the modern-day capital of Ukraine) before moving further east to Moscow. During the twentieth century Ukraine came under the control of the Soviet Union and due to its fertile lands came to be known as “the breadbasket of the Soviet Union.” As you may be aware in more recent times relationships between Ukraine and Russia have reached a critical point and it now serves (unwillingly) as something of a “buffer state” between Russia and the west.

Approximately one third, or thirty-three percent, of the world’s labor force is engaged agricultural work. The number has been steadily declining throughout the history of human civilization.

America is a very large and significant producer of wheat and corn. American wheat exports, for example, account for a quarter of the world’s supply of wheat. Wheat is a vital crop to maintaining the human population in its current numbers. Most of these important crops are grown in the “Great Plains” states such as Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma, and parts of Texas.

Although now grown in tropical climates around the world, particularly in Central America, bananas originated in Southeast Asia. Bananas are one of the most widely consumed foods in the world and are a staple of diets in regions as diverse as the Andean mountains, the jungles of southeast Asia, and the urban areas of the developed world.

The “Pampas” is a region of South America encompassing most of Uruguay, the southernmost state of Brazil, and large swathes of Argentina. Its importance is derived from its great fertility. It is a lowland region that is highly suitable for large-scale agriculture.

Potatoes first originated in the Andean mountain region of South America (a region that includes the modern-day countries of Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Bolivia). They have long been a staple of the diet of people in this region, but in the 1500s they were brought back to Europe and became a staple of a diverse group of people’s diets around the world. Potatoes are uniquely malleable in terms of where and when they can be grown and have famously sustained whole nations in the past few hundred years.

A “sahwah” is the term used to describe a “paddy field,” or an irrigated field used to grow rice. It is extremely common throughout East, South, and Southeast Asia.

Pigs, chickens, and water buffalo all originated in Southeast Asia. Chickens and pigs have spread throughout the world and are today raised in a wide-variety of climates. Chicken is the most widely consumed meat in the world.

Florida is the only state in America that can be said to have a tropical climate. The climate and terrain of South Florida is so unique in the United States that it is traditionally classed as its own separate category of agriculture. Florida is best suited to the growing of tropical crops, such as oranges. Texas has a varied climate, split largely between subtropical and arid desert regions. California ranges all the way from hot desert to subarctic to Mediterranean, but never gets to tropical. New Mexico has a semi-arid to arid climate. Alabama has a humid subtropical climate.

Corn first originated in Central America, in modern-day Mexico, roughly seven thousand years ago. From there it diffused northwards into modern-day United States, and then eventually around the world. Corn is a crop that is highly dependent on human intervention in order to survive and flourish.

Slash and burn agriculture is an adaptation to the poor soil quality in rainforest climate regimes and is sustainable at small scales with long fallow times. Slashing and burning vegetation adds nutrients to the soil that can be used to grow food. Long fallow times are necessary to allow vegetation to grow so that it can once again be slashed and burned to recharge the nutrient levels in the soil.

While subsistence agriculture is a good answer, it is not the best answer because subsistence farming does not require long fallow times to be sustainable. Commercial farming is not viable at small scales or with long fallow times because both of these constraints reduce the profit that can be made from a tract of land. Organic agriculture is not a good choice because it does not require long fallow times or small scale to be sustainable. Nomadic herding is a type of agriculture related to keeping livestock. Nomadic herding is not a good answer choice here because it is not well adapted to the poor soil quality found in rainforest climate zones and does not require long fallow times.

All of these countries are predominantly “intensive farming” countries, with the exception of the United States of America which is more of an extensive farming country. This is because most agricultural produce in the United States is grown on large swathes of land in relatively depopulated areas of the country, it also involves a great deal of machinery and requires relatively little human labor.

Only about 15 million people are pastoral nomads, encompassing about 20% of the Earth's area.

Transhumance is defined as the seasonal movement of livestock (herding) between mountains and lowland pastures. Typically, livestock is moved to the lowlands in the winters and to the highlands in the summers.

Historically speaking the ties between Ukraine and Russia are complex and layered. The progenitor of the Russian Tsarist Empire began in Kiev (the modern-day capital of Ukraine) before moving further east to Moscow. During the twentieth century Ukraine came under the control of the Soviet Union and due to its fertile lands came to be known as “the breadbasket of the Soviet Union.” As you may be aware in more recent times relationships between Ukraine and Russia have reached a critical point and it now serves (unwillingly) as something of a “buffer state” between Russia and the west.

Approximately one third, or thirty-three percent, of the world’s labor force is engaged agricultural work. The number has been steadily declining throughout the history of human civilization.

America is a very large and significant producer of wheat and corn. American wheat exports, for example, account for a quarter of the world’s supply of wheat. Wheat is a vital crop to maintaining the human population in its current numbers. Most of these important crops are grown in the “Great Plains” states such as Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma, and parts of Texas.