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Essay about Climate and Society of China

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Climate and Society of China

Monsoons, Flooding & Droughts
Believe it or not, there is a direct correlation between weather, climate and society. Since the first civilizations of the world, these three themes have affected one another. Weather has influenced civilizations in terms of the clothing and shelter which are necessary to protect oneself from the elements. On the other extreme, climate and weather have also acted as positive factors in the case of areas such as Cancun, Mexico. Continuous exceptional weather conditions have molded this area into a vacation Eden to which millions flock throughout the year to escape their own respective meteorologically disadvantaged (e.g. cold, snowy, rainy) regions. Through an intense …show more content…

The most prominent examples of such seasonal winds occur in southern Asia and in Africa.

The monsoons that plague China are caused by a variety of factors, mainly because of contrasting temperatures between the Pacific Ocean and the Chinese continent. This temperature disparity is exaggerated with the changing of seasons as land temperatures fluctuate more rapidly than those of water.21 H.H. Lamb argues in Climate, History and the Modern World that the latitude of Southeast Asia also plays a factor in the prevalence of monsoons affecting China.22

Like many cultures throughout the world, China relies upon agriculture for much of its subsistence. This crop reliance presents a tedious situation because of the massive issues accompanying a crop failure. Prior to the sophisticated irrigation techniques available today, agriculture was very reliant on consistent rainfall for its survival. In China, droughts occurred from time to time depending on the climate in the time between monsoon seasons, and these rainless periods devastated crop yields. On the other hand, the monsoon period and flooding sometimes brought too much rain, destroying crops as well. Accompanying these droughts, floods and crop failures were the resulting famines which left many impoverished. In the mid-twentieth century the Chinese were finally able to deal better with the droughts and famine by importing vast quantities of grain and other

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