There are countless ways in which geography affects people. It is a key factor in influencing the way of life of people in a given region. Local resources determine the food people eat which in turn influences the overall health and nutrition of a population. Sure, food from other regions is often imported, but often a region's cuisine is determined by what is readily and affordably available and what has been traditionally consumed for generations.
Natural resources of a geographic area also play a role in the local economy. For instance, a region with ample petroleum reserves can grow wealthy off of this by exporting it to regions that lack such reserves. Take a look at the United Arab Emirates, for instance. A century ago, this country was little more than a backwater. Then, after the global need for petroleum surged, it has steadily grown into one of the wealthiest nations on the planet.
Strategic geographic locations also affect the people who live there. The tiny nation of Singapore is wealthy because it lies along an important shipping route. The Poles have endured repeated invasions and conquests because they inhabit a country with few natural defensive barriers in between other strong nations.
Geography plays a part in someone's relationship with the physical environment. Rising ocean levels are threatening to displace people who live in low lying coastal areas. People who live in temperate climates must adapt to changing seasons several times a year while those in the tropics do not.
Sometimes being situated near many other cultures affects the culture of the place itself. The island of Taiwan, for instance, has been influenced by the Chinese and Japanese as a result of various conquests and migrations which has given it a culture all its own. On the other hand, more isolated peoples in places like far-flung Polynesian islands or Madagascar have developed cultures more endemic to their location.
Many more examples could be given considering that geography is a vast field with a multitude of ramifications. Suffice it to say, that nobody on earth is immune from the influence of their geography.
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