Water is just about everywhere on Earth. Between ocean water, freshwater sources, groundwater, water vapor, precipitation, ice, etc., water is the most abundant resource in the world. Water is what distinguishes Earth from the rest of the planets and is what makes human life possible to sustain. Ocean water takes up just over 70% of Earth's surface and comprises upwards of 95% of all of the planets water. Water makes major changes to the Earth as well. Water in the atmosphere is what comprises/influences weather patterns, hurricanes, climate shifts/changes, tsunamis, and the overall temperature of the planet. It changes the landscape and alters the environment through erosion (the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon
), runoff from precipitation and agriculture, creating water-heavy/absent environments (deserts/rainforests), and pretty much impacting every living habitat on the face of the Earth. Water is everywhere.Freshwater is exactly that; water that is free of salt. A lot of people get freshwater mixed up with drinking water. All freshwater is not drinking water, but all drinking water is freshwater. Fresh water comes from underground aquifers, glaciers and ice caps, freshwater rivers/lakes/ponds/streams, atmospheric water vapor, precipitation, and snow. It is well broken down in this link: http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/earthwherewater.html
The biggest problem with water in the world today is not the lack of water, nor is it the cleanliness of water; it is the lack of adequate access to water. Accessible water is a problem right now for those that have suffered the effects of tsunamis in east and southeast Asia. Millions upon millions of people are now deprived access to clean drinking water. The increase in urbanization and rapid population of these urban areas contribute to the problem of limited access and it has become a very real problem for many people today.
Potable water is the same as drinking water. In the US, water has to be of a specific quality and must meet certain governmental standards to be considered good enough to drink. Water is tested for amounts of certain contaminants through means of Nitrogen, coliform, E. coli, total dissolved solids, hardness, pH, and iron content testing. The way that the water is purified is by physical (sedimentation/filtration), biological (activated sludge), and chemical means (chlorination/flocculation),As previously stated, the biggest concern with water is the access to potable water but there are still places on the Earth where good drinking water is available.
Contaminated water is water that has been polluted by human sewage, agricultural/urban runoff, and other pollution generated by power plants and factories. This is water that, if imbibed, would cause sickness, disease, and even death. One water contaminant that has been a huge problem recently in our region of the nation has been the oil pipe burst in the Gulf. This has become a problem because of the biological repercussion of death to droves of fish, completely decimating ecosystems, and impacting the regional fishing economy. Water contamination effects everybody.
2) Where in the world are the good and accessible soils for agriculture, silviculture, and farming?
As we know in the US, the most used area for farming is the midwest because there is more land and less people. A very good percentage of people in this country live within 100 miles of the coast, so there is much more land per person in the middle of the country. It is very tough to gauge which areas are the best for overall farming because different crops require certain soil compositions for optimal growth. Tobacco is mostly grown in the south and southeast, grains and vegetables are mainly grown in the midwest, and fruits are principally grown near the coast or in areas with vast amounts of precipitation. Cattle and livestock are raised in just about all regions of the country but the numbers are much higher in the midwest due to more land to graze on. Since there are no real rainforests (but many small forests) in the US and the presence of the ever growing timber business, silviculture is principally left to places with lush rainforests and legitimate sources of sustainable forest management. The last important and size-able places left in the country that would be using silviculture would be in the northwest and Alaska. Outside of the country, there are millions of places that are sustaining the forest. these include the Amazon
(even though they are cutting it down at a very fast rate as well), the Nile river surroundings, and other lush areas teaming with forest and adequate precipitation.4) Identify the ten most populated cities in the world. Identify the ten most populated cities in the United States. Identify tribal groups in the world that have little or no contact with "modern society". Where is the greatest ethnic diversity? Where is the least ethnic diversity?
World (http://topoflists.com/2011/04/12/top-10-most-populated-cities-of-the-world-in-2011/) - 10) Jakarta, Indonesia; 9) Seoul, South Korea; 8) Sao Paulo, Brazil; 7) Moscow, Russia; 6) Mumbai, India; 5) Delhi, India; 4) Karachi, Pakistan; 3) Istanbul, Turkey; 2) Beijing, China; 1) Shanghai, China
USA (http://www.tiptoptens.com/2011/05/08/10-most-populated-cities-in-america-us/) - 10) San Jose; 9) Dallas; 8) San Diego; 7) San Antonio; 6) Phoenix; 5) Philadelphia; 4) Houston; 3) Chicago; 2) Los Angeles; 1) New York, NY
The "most isolated tribes" in the world are the Sentilese and Jarawa tribes of the Andaman Islands located in the Bay of Bengal. A link: http://www.survivalinternational.org/news/1367. Other tribal areas/tribes that have had little or no contact with the outside world include any Indian Ocean Islander tribes, Pacific Isander tribes like those in the Pitcairn Island (a community made of 50 people that were the descendants of the HMS Bounty mutiny), the Tibetan tribes only found in certain areas on the way up/down Mt. Everest, tribes throughout the Amazon, and the peoples that live in or close proximity to Siberia.
The greatest cultural/ethnic diversity can be found right here in America, in New York City. People from all over the world come to NYC daily to go siteseeing and spend their money. The most culturally diverse city in the world, NYC has everything from Jewish delis, to Dutch bakeries, to Italian bistros, and that's just the eateries. There are mosques, temples, churches, and other places of worship. There are millions of people that have different sexual preferences, cultural backgrounds, and ethnicities. All of these are rolled up into one crazy, beautiful, unforgiving city.
The least culturally/ethnically diverse place in the world would have to be the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal. This is because there are no outsiders, no outside influences, no changes in culture in the last couple thousand years, and no diversity whatsoever. As alluring as it sounds to have never been touched by society, these cultures have not changed from spears, arrowheads, and fire. These people also threaten and kill any outsider that comes near their island and turn away any societal influences that may be placed on them.
5) Where in the world are the people? What are some interesting statistics about the quality of life for the people of the world? (For example, how many large populations live great distances from clean water?)
People have inhabited almost every place on Earth so the question of where they are is better stated as to where people are not. The only thing I am able to show is
. That is as close as it gets to trying to show where people live and work.Some interesting population statistics on quality of life:
-Bhutan has a GNH, or Gross National Happiness, that puts a numerical value on it's country's citizen's quality of life. On their website it states, "...ultimately without peace, security and happiness we have nothing. That is the essence of the philosophy of Gross National Happiness. Our most important goal is the peace and happiness of our people and the security and sovereignty of the nation." The link is: http://www.grossnationalhappiness.com/.
-The world population is 6.9 billion.
-About a quarter of the population live in the developed nations (meaning they have average food consumption well above their needs, a low infant mortality rate, high life expectancy, and literacy approaching 100%)
-1/4 of the population uses 4/5 of the world's commercial energy
-35 thousand children die each day from starvation
-In International Living's 2011 Quality of Life Index, the top 5 places to live regarding quality of life are, from 5-1, were Monaco, France, Malta, New Zealand, and #1=United States.
-The worst 5 places were, from 189-194, were Angola, Sudan, Yemen, Chad, and last/certainly least Somalia
-Health was found to be the worst in Sierra Leone and the best in Japan and France
-The best environment was found to be in Iceland and the worst in Sierra Leone
-The economy was found to be the best in the US and the worst in Zimbabwe
-There were many countries that tied for the best in risk and safety while Afghanistan and Iraq were the least safe places in the world
-Infrastructure was also taken into account and America took the top spot while Guinea, Central African Republic, Burma, Ethiopia, and Burundi all tied for the worst infrastructure
All of these statistics were taken from the 2011 Quality of Life Index here: http://www1.internationalliving.com/qofl2011/
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