Agriculture

Background Info

• Agriculture is the domestication of plants and animals
• It first started around 10,000 BC
• The Fertile Crescent of Western Asia was where it was first started
• Agriculture has changed the landscape of entire nations
• It has greatly affected the economy

North America: Prehistoric Great Plains

• This involved the Indians in North America before colinization
• The main crops were maize, beans, and squash
• The Indians in the Great Plains were able to use these crops
• This allowed them to keep a village instead of being nomads
• It changed many tribes from nomadic to stationary, in one area

South America: the Incas

• The Incas were a civilization that lived 5000 years ago
• They used the land and environment to grow crops
• This allowed them to trade with other villages that were not able to get these crops
• These advancements lead to the formation of roads and trading routes

Australia: Indigenous Farming

• The indigenous people of Australia used fire-stick farming
• This is the facilitated burning of crops in a certain area
• This method is still used today
• It enhanced productivity and allowed the people to learn many new ways to grow crops
• The people started to grow new crops

Asia: Chinese Chain Pump

• During the Han Dynasty, there was a new way of irrigation: the chain pump
• An oxen pulled on a system of mechanical gears and wheels
• This allowed people in higher elevation to irrigate their crops
• Many farmers were then able to live higher in the mountains and still get water to their crops

Europe: Common Agricultural Policy

• The CAP forced common rules in all of Europe regarding Agriculture
• This ranges from improving security, productivity, economic support, and many other things
• It has greatly improved the way that people grow crops in Europe

Africa: Slave Trade

• The actual agriculture was in Europe and America
• The Africans wanted crops from those regions, so they traded slaves to get them
• Nearly 12 million Africans were shipped across the Atlantic
• The agriculture of America caused huge demographical changes in Africa