Let there be this quantitative question: how do the specifics of a natural environment influence the development of a newborn culture?
Following are the specifics of the question:
- Which environmental factors are to be considered relevant here? Is it the climate, temperature zone, humidity, weather characteristics, fertility of land, local ecosystems and animals, availability of resources, natural dangers and diseases, etc.? Where in the cultural mosaic do these specific factors manifest themselves (one by one)?
- Can the natural environment be a decisive factor in the development of a culture? Take the (un)availability of basic resources (foods) for example: can this be a determining factor in developing into, say, a liberal or restrictive/hostile society? Etc. What other decisive factors could be considered here (if any) - and to which societal characteristics should they lead?
- To flesh out the explanation in all angles, do you have any qualitative examples that may be shown here? (as in significant environmental factors on cultures in the classical mediterranean, in the viking society, etc. ...)
- A bonus question (to be able to apply all that theory onto something): what could an underground society (lots of rocks and caves) develop into, culture-wise? (assuming that some limited amounts of sunlight and food sources are available). Note: if this sub-question seems too vague (as in lacking some required data), feel free to use your imagination (to add that lacking data to the big picture by yourself).
