This is Part 4 of an 8-Part series on Geography and Culture. See here for the complete series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7s6piXiFK-TaMDsKM4I7IS7iaNiyONEM

great research, great wisdom, great information...

Dr Sowell's calm speech pattern just brings his teaching videos to a whole new level. Great job Dr Sowell👍

Thomas Sowell is on such a much higher level of brilliance, worthy of honor with placement on the major players of the Parthenon

Graphically pleasant with amazing enlightenment of the “why” behind “what is observed “ when I travel. Thank you!

Dr Sowell is one of my favorite historians, philosophers and thinkers. Just because I view this lecture with a bit of scepticism does not in any way diminish my respect and admiration for dr Sowell 👍

I love your videos, you were accurate about my Sicily's shortcomings. Although we have environmental shortcomings there is more to our island, our agriculture is very strong. Btw Sicilian is not a dialect. We may have had many poor Sicilians, but we did have had many educated Sicilian. The Sicilian decline was actually caused by history not geography. In 1860 we were invaded by the bankrupt Savoy of the north, which caused our migration. Sicily has had many invasion, but it persevered, we have a rich culture. Please do some research on Sicily and you'll see what I'm talking about is right.

The Balkans were conquered at least twice since the Slavs became the main natives - by Byzantium and later by the Ottoman empire. The Balkans were also a constant battlefield for Westerners, Ottomans and later Russians. That put a strain on the local populations.

Meanwhile, Japan is so far off from danger it was NEVER conquered in its History before it capitulated in 1945. Surely, that must play a factor... in fact, it has to, since the Balkans connects Europe with the Middle East. I mean, even the name Balkan is of foreign origin - Turkic/Turkish. The original name of that land was the Thracian/Greek Haemus.

My son is a teacher in Toronto 🇨🇦. He is hooked on Dr. Sowells books and teaches them in his class.

Very informative. Thank you, sir

Although geography has a large influence on culture, it can't explain it all. What about the Netherlands? The people CHANGED the geography: dikes, polders, canals, and windmill-powered pumps reclaimed flood-prone land from the sea! Other people may have simply relocated in similar circumstances, but these people built their geography slowly over centuries.

I wish I had had Sowell when I was trying to debate with my hs teachers because I saw history in this manner because I view many things in the times in which it happens and always ask why.

Thomas Sowell takes in account everything! It's wonderful to see how complex people are.

Thank you Dr. Thomas Sowell for my Daly dose of Sowell. Always appreciate your Real History Lesson. God’s speed Dr. Thomas Sowell you are a Gem 💎 that needs to be Treasured. All day long Yahoo

This is so incredibly fascinating. Lots of puzzle pieces slotting together in my mind at the moment.

Thank you for all the time you put into this video, I enjoyed it, thumbs up.

He always makes history, geography, economics, etc., so interesting!

It should also be noted that even the environment itself shapes the development of language by influencing ones ability to perceive different sounds. Since language is a key part of a culture, this affects things in rather subtle and interesting ways over time.

Methinks I've been listening to someone who not only paid attention in his geography and history classes - and read his textbooks as well as paying attention in his classes - but whose curiosity about the world prompted him to continue to research far beyond what he was taught in school and read in the assigned textbooks.

May his tribe increase.

Dr.Thomas Sowell is an American treasure.

I think that I have purchased and read all of Dr Sowell's books but these short videos are always a good use of my time. It is a privilege to have lived in his time.

Learning from Thomas Sowell is lifelong.

Love hearing complex issues treated with the nuanced approach they deserve. This video is in such sharp contrast with our political discourse and very welcomed. Thank you…Top Marks!

If you like this sort of subject matter, its worth a read of a book called "Prisoners of Geography...." by Tim Marshall. It covers the sort of influence geography had on human development and prosperity. One I can remember is that North-South valleys between mountain ranges made it easier to follow the annual weather cycle by moving to stay in the temperate zone as the seasons changed, but East-West valleys blocked this.