The so-called geographical environment refers to the surface layer of the earth on which living things, especially human beings, depend for survival and development.

Geographical environment includes natural geographical environment and human geographical environment (divided into economic geographical environment and social and cultural environment).

Natural geographical environment refers to topography, landform, climate, hydrology, vegetation, land and sea distribution, etc. Generally speaking, the speed of development and change is relatively slow, which is often difficult for people to perceive.

However, in some stages and some local areas, its changes may occur very quickly and violently, which will have a huge impact.

Such as earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions.

Human geographical environment refers to territory, administrative region, nationality, population, city, transportation, agriculture, animal husbandry and other aspects, and the speed of development and change is much faster than that of natural geographical factors.

These two environments have their own specific contents, but they are interrelated and interact with each other and cannot be completely separated.

Geographical environment existed before human beings came into being, but there was only natural environment at that time.

After the appearance of human beings, the completely pure natural environment no longer exists, because human activities will always change the natural environment more or less.

But in the long human early days, people's influence on nature was extremely limited after all.

So the main geographical environment should still be the natural environment.

Especially when we study the influence of geographical environment on human culture, we mainly discuss the natural geographical environment.

With the development of human productivity, the human geographical environment has gradually formed and played an increasingly important role.

In modern times, it is more difficult to strictly distinguish between the two.

Second, the influence of geographical environment on human beings and human society

Geographical environment is the material basis of human survival and development, and of course it is also the basis of human consciousness or spirit.

It is of great significance to the emergence and trend of human culture.

The influence of geographical environment on human beings or human society is a complex problem, which cannot be simply attributed to decision or not, but to comprehensive understanding.

Generally speaking, geographical environment plays a decisive role in human beings and human society.

This is mainly manifested in the following aspects:

1 provides a material basis for human production, survival, development, extinction or leaving this environment.

Human beings are the product of nature, and their survival depends on the natural environment. All human activities are carried out in this specific natural environment, and any historical stage of human beings, especially in ancient times, can not be separated from this specific geographical environment.

2. It is determined that all living things and their activities (including human beings and their activities) in this natural environment must have a process of emergence, development and even extinction.

For example, the extinction of many biological species; Topics about the demise of mankind: the threat of nuclear weapons, the source of early human civilization such as pyramids, and Buddhist views on robbery.

3. All substances in this environment and the energy generated by substances.

It can neither increase nor decrease, but can only be transformed or transmitted in various forms, unless it is influenced by factors outside this environment (such as other planets) or left this environment.

All human activities must conform to the inherent laws of this environment.

Only under this premise can human beings make better use of and develop this environment and transform it into a direction conducive to human development.

From the specific geographical environment, in the specific time and space, in the specific people and things, the geographical environment generally only plays an accelerating or delaying role, not a decisive role.

As long as the development and utilization of geographical environment is far from reaching the limit, human development has relatively extensive freedom.

The natural ecological environment is the carrier of human cultural creation.

With the development of the times and the deepening of industrialization, people are more and more aware that there is a final limit to the availability of the natural environment, and now the development is close to this limit.

Although human beings transform themselves by adapting and transforming the environment, they will be bound to be restricted by the environment after becoming the master of the environment.

In other words, the relationship between man and nature is mutual, and man gets the opportunity to develop culture by transforming nature, but it is restricted by the natural environment after all.

According to the textbook, although the resources provided by the geographical environment to human beings are limited, as long as human beings do not exceed this limit, they can have relatively unlimited space for activities (page 25).

This is an ideal view.

Because:

1, which does not specify the specific process, method and time of human beings from emergence to extinction.

2. It does not determine the specific process, mode and time of material and energy transformation and transfer.

For example, now nuclear weapons have threatened the survival of mankind.

3. As long as human beings don't violate its inherent laws, they can use this environment according to their own needs and realize material transformation and energy transfer that is beneficial to them.

Such as controlling nuclear weapons, developing nuclear power plants, peaceful use and energy.

When the geographical environment has a concrete impact on human beings and human society, even the same and similar geographical environment has different degrees of influence due to the influence of many other factors.

Vertically, in the early days of human beings, that is, when human beings can only passively adapt to the ready-made environment, geographical environment plays a decisive role in almost all aspects of human activities. However, with the improvement of productivity and diversification of production methods, people began to actively use geographical environment, so the decisive role of geographical environment in human specific activities gradually weakened.

From a horizontal perspective, people in different regions have great differences in the use of the same and similar geographical environment, so the role of geographical environment on human beings or human society is also very different.

With low productivity and poor production conditions, people's utilization of geographical environment is low, so geographical environment plays a decisive role in human beings and human society.

On the contrary, with a high level of productivity and good production conditions, people will have a high degree of utilization of the geographical environment, and the role played by the geographical environment will be relatively low.

However, both vertical analysis and horizontal analysis are based on the conditions provided by the geographical environment, so as not to violate its internal laws. As the textbook says, it is said on the premise that the utilization of geographical environment by human beings is far from reaching the limit.

People in different times and regions have different degrees and ways of using geographical environment, which is also the reason why human history and culture are so colorful.