GGR365

Term paper
- topic or book review
- when looking at reviews look at which edition was reviewed and mention in paper
- on library website link to geography subject
- term paper: choose a topic
- how does BERA define globalization, .
- from first class: define bilateral, multilateral,..
- questions for term test posted after lectures
Lecture 2-3
TRANSPORTATION
-

people on move
from subsistence to exchange/urbanization
transportation (land/water/air) and communication
information systems
plants/livestock/

1. People on the move

- humans ancestors originated in Africa moved out 60-70 thousand years ago,
stayed around equatorial belt
- Americas stayed more isolated than other parts
- transatlantic slave trade
REMEMBER:
3 main forms of migration
1. Elite migrations from core to periphery of empires in acts of conquest and
conversion followed by settlers
2. Elite and mass migrations to imperial cores and cities from hinterlands and
countryside in search of work
3. Expansion and contraction of nomadic socieites most of these have been
regional in scope, though early Islamic, later mongol empires had global
reach
Forced migrations following conflicts
- india-pakistan
- ww2
1950-70s
- new migratory waves to north America and western Europe
1970s
- Migrations to middle east
From subsistence to exchange/urbanization

- propensity to trade is universal

- trade and physical geography
Feeding cities
- fed locally and using long-distance trade
- Xenophon says people can separate and be more productive that way, single
man working at all crafts cannot do them all well
- specialize at different work and makes the city more productive
Why urbanization?
- insights nad adaptations can be injected into everyday economic life
REMEMBER:
- cities and economic development
- agglomeration economies/division of labour necessarily the man who
spends all his time and trouble in the smallest task will do that the best.
(XENOPHON)
- knowledge spillovers and trust -> knowledge used to deal with particular line
of work can be used for another line of work
- transportation hub customers might be from outside area
- concentrated markets finding customers close by is crucial for small
businesses
Elisee Reclus
- where there is city growth, humanity moves forward
- when people, and trade emerge people tend to move to different cities
Land, water and air transportation
REMEMBER:
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS
- means by which MATERIALS, PRODUCTS AND OTHER TANGIBLE ENTITIES (including
people) are transferred from place to place
- medium(s) land, water, air
Land transportation
- historical problem was bad roads
- pack and draft (animal pulling)
First draft animal was the dog
Land Transporation was very inefficient
- average overland horse speed would be 8-15 km/h
- camel could carry more than a pack horse
- england stage coach 5km/h
One exception
- moving over water when you have suitable rivers
Water Transportation

- hanseatic league
- silk road and arab sea routes
Oceanic travels
- oceanic gyres
- sea currents
- winds
BOTTOM LINE
- before 19th century
- long-distance trade is limited
- because of this cities are small - < 20 km^2
- trade is perishable commodities < 50 kms (less than 50km from cities)
- emphasis: high-value and non-perishable goods
REMEMBER SILK ROAD
-> spices, silk, perfume, precious metals, jewelry,
-> salt, grains, olive oil, wine (mediterranean)
-> grain, salt, wine wool, timber and stone (hanseatic league)
Motorization
- first were coal powered engines
- railroad takes off in 1850s
- then steamboats -> advantage is that they can go upstream (before had to follow
streams)
- then steamships
In time
- had railway and steamship (suez and panama)
- commercial jet aircraft
-containerization
-

dramatic decline
time and relative cost of moving
materials
products
people