Jared Diamond's Theory

For thousands of years, humans have thrived on this Earth. Some cultures became more advanced than others. They grew larger and larger as they conquered nation after nation, because they were more powerful and technologically advanced. But why were some peoples more advanced than others? Many argue that the Eurasian peoples were so technologically advanced because they were smarter and genetically superior to other cultures such as the Africans, the Native Americans and Aboriginal Australians. While one man, Prof. Jared Diamond argues that it was because of environmental conditions and geographical placement that some peoples were able to advance further and faster than another.

But how credible is his theory.

Two main weaknesses in Diamond 's theory are:-Farming-GoodsDiamond argues that it is through farming that so many cultures advanced quickly and efficiently. The cultures that farmed wheat and barley were the ones that advanced the most and the quickest, because the farmed products were so high in protein.

However, the Egyptians and the Aztecs were efficient wheat and barley farmers, yet they were conquered by the Persians and the Spaniards respectively.

For thousands of
Eurasia has accounted for the great majority of the human population for at least the last 3,000 years, and pure chance would make it extremely likely that at any particular time the world 's most powerful and advanced civilization would be somewhere in Eurasia."-"The spread of useful crops and animals was determined at least as much by human activities, notably trade and migration, as by purely geographical factors."-"For over 5,000 years Egypt maintained high populations and a complex society, yet its fortunes varied enormously from one period to another. Diamond 's analysis fails to explain this."-Political fragmentation in West Africa has been a disadvantage as often as it has been an