How does climate shape human characteristics?

Although a person's appearance, body shape, personality and behavior are related to innate factors, they are not completely controlled by humans themselves. This "power" is sometimes held in the hands of nature and climate!

Climate has created different human races

Anthropologists use skin color to distinguish human races. Based on this, humans are divided into yellow races, black races, white races and brown races. . Various physical parameters in the atmosphere, such as temperature, air pressure, humidity, sunshine, precipitation, etc., are important factors in forming human race characteristics.

Climate has created different human races

In Eurasia, it can be clearly seen that the farther south you go, the darker the skin color of people. People who live near the equator have dark skin due to strong sunlight and high temperatures, and most of them are black. Black people have a "face" designed to withstand the hot weather: they have short necks, mostly forward-bent bodies, long heads from front to back, and broad noses that are "flat noses." This appearance is conducive to dissipating body heat. Interestingly, black Africans almost always have curly hair, with many gaps around each curl. When the hot sunlight radiates to the top of the head, the curly hair looks like a cool hat. In addition, the number of sweat glands on their palms and soles per unit area is greater than that of white and yellow people, and the sweat glands are much thicker, which is more conducive to sweating and heat dissipation.

In the high latitudes of the frigid and temperate zones, the sun cannot shine directly all year round, the light intensity is weak, the temperature is very low, and the severe cold period is long. Most of the people here are white. Caucasians have white skin, yellow hair, and blue eyes, which are suitable for environments with weak sunlight. In order to withstand the severe cold, Caucasian people often have a hookier nose than those who live in hot and humid areas. Their high nose bridges, long nasal passages, small nostrils, claw-like nose tips, and developed body hair are all related to the climate there. Because after the air passes through the long nasal passages, the dry and cold air can be buffered and become warmer and moister, preventing the cold and dry air from rushing in at once and damaging the respiratory tract. If the body hair is developed, it plays a role in keeping warm.

The appearance of the yellow race is somewhere between the two, and they are mainly distributed in Asia with a mild climate. The vast majority of ethnic groups in our country belong to the yellow race. However, our country has a vast territory and different climates, and people's body shapes are also very different.

Generally speaking, people’s height is higher in high latitudes than in low latitudes, in pastoral areas than in agricultural areas, and in cities than in rural areas. High latitudes are cold all year round, the human body metabolism is slow, the growth period is long, and more materials and energy are accumulated, so the body is tall. A tall body has a small surface area per unit volume and dissipates less heat, which is good for resisting wind and cold. People in low latitudes are short in stature, which is contrary to the above reasons. On the other hand, the height difference between northerners and southerners is also closely related to the number of hours of sunshine. For example, the annual sunshine hours in Beijing are 2778.7 hours, and the height development is normal; the annual sunshine hours in Wuhan are 2085.3 hours, and the height development is second; the annual sunshine hours in Guangzhou are 1945.3 hours, and the height development is second; and the annual sunshine hours in Chengdu are second. At least, it is only 1239.3 hours, so height development is even less important. The average height of men in Sichuan Province ranks second from the bottom in the country, and that of women ranks third from the bottom. This is directly related to the fact that the annual sunshine hours in Sichuan Province are only 826.6 hours.

Climate shapes "beautiful women"

In ancient and modern literary works, those naturally beautiful and charming women often appear in places with beautiful mountains and green waters, which is not entirely a random description by the author. The beautiful natural scenery, unique water and soil environment, and humid weather and climate can indeed make people beautiful.

Wang Zhaojun, one of the four beauties in ancient my country, grew up in a village near the cliff of Xiangxi River with beautiful mountains and green waters. Mei Fei, who competed with Concubine Yang for favor in the Tang Dynasty, grew up in Jiangdong Village, Putian, Fujian Province, which is near the river and the sea, with melodious sounds and clear blue water. There is an inscription on it that says: "Its land is green and green, surrounded by clear water. It is beautiful, and the river is beautiful." Fei Yuyan. "Hangzhou, known as paradise, is not only famous for its beautiful scenery, but also for its many beautiful women. Hangzhou is close to the lake and the sea, and has a hot and humid climate. People mostly eat fish, vegetables and rice, and rarely consume high-calorie high-protein and high-fat foods. Hangzhou is also the hometown of "Longjing" tea. Most people have the habit of drinking tea, and the hot summer makes them sweat profusely all day long. In this way, the entry of tea and the outflow of sweat consume the excess fat in their bodies, making most women have slim figures. The environment near the sea and the lake results in a lot of water vapor in the atmosphere. Therefore, Hangzhou is covered with rain and fog for half of the year. People have few opportunities to receive ultraviolet radiation, so the skin of women here is surprisingly white. The flowers and trees here are shady, the humidity is high, and there is no risk of wind and sand. Women's skin is surprisingly tender. Xi Shi, one of China's four beauties in history, was born in Zhuji City, not far south of Hangzhou, which has the same climate and environment as Hangzhou.

Interestingly, some scholars in the UK have drawn pictures of beauties and conducted research on the regions where beauties were born. The results of the study concluded that women in London are the most beautiful, Aberdeen is the least beautiful, and Scotland is somewhere in between. This difference has a lot to do with the climate, water and soil in the geographical environment.

Climate affects people's character

The natural climate has caused different human races to form in different regions on the earth, and also caused people in different regions to form different personalities.

People living in tropical areas spend more time outdoors in order to escape the heat. The high temperatures make people living there prone to irritability and anger.

People who live in cold areas do not have much outdoor activities and spend most of their time with others in a small space. They have developed the ability to control their emotions and have strong patience and patience. The character of endurance. For example, the Inuit people living in the Arctic Circle are known as the "people who never get angry" in the world.

People living in warm and pleasant water towns, because of the humid climate and beautiful scenery, are sensitive to the things around them, are sentimental, and are quick-witted.

Mountain residents, because of their vast mountains, sparsely populated areas, and straight-to-the-point approach. Living in this environment for a long time, they have developed the habit of speaking loudly and having an honest and straightforward character.

The herdsmen who live on the vast grasslands often ride horses and gallop to stretch themselves as much as possible because of the vastness of the grasslands, inconvenient transportation, harsh climate, and strong winds and sand. It’s sparsely populated, so the hospitality is warm.