At all times, man used the resources of nature as a source of his existence, since he had no other source and no. At the same time, he unconsciously proceeded from the fact that all living and inanimate nature exists solely for him, for his good, that it is inexhaustible and that it can be disposed of in own interests endlessly. However, in the XX century. scientists all over the world sounded the alarm, proving that with a barbaric attitude towards nature, humanity will soon be on the verge of an ecological catastrophe.

The history of human exploration of the planet is the history of the development of civilization and the settlement of people throughout the Earth, which became possible only as a person improved the technology of obtaining food, learned to use fire and protect himself from bad weather. At the same time, all this, already in the early stages of the development of civilization, led to the geographical disunity of people, and, consequently, to the formation different languages, cultures and religions. Separation determined and different paces technical and cultural progress, which was more active in the areas of the most ancient settlements, where different cultures interacted more closely.

The process of unification of cultures began on the basis of the development of new technologies, which gradually spread throughout the planet: first - agricultural, then - industrial, and now - information.

The use and improvement of tools, as well as the ability to pass on to descendants their experience and acquired skills, singled out man among mammals. The primitive hunter had no competitors, and he knew how to defend himself from predators. All this contributed to the growth of the population, which, in turn, forced a person to develop new territories and settle in relatively small groups. Modern genetics claims that all people descended from one ancestor, but even with such genetic connection as a result of the remoteness of one group of people from another, their language and culture began to develop in different ways. And if the items material culture Stone Age are very similar to each other, then in more late periods they differ in many ways.

In temperate latitudes, man improved tools and developed hunting tactics, including methods of corralling and traps, and also mastered different tricks catching fish. The skill of a man-hunter of the Stone Age is eloquently evidenced by the huge accumulations of bone remains of animals at his sites.

The largest herbivores - mammoth, hairy rhinoceros, wild horse, as well as large predators - cave bear, cave lion, saber-toothed wild cat - disappeared by the end of the last glaciation, i.e. 10 - 20 thousand years ago. The latest discovery of mammoth remains dates back to the 7th millennium BC. e., and the remains of a large-mouthed deer - to the XVIII - X millennium BC. e. Supporters of the hypothesis about the extermination of large animals of the so-called "mammoth fauna" by a human hunter consider this phenomenon to be the first | an ecological crisis on the planet, or a crisis of consumers (from Latin consumo - consumer). Even if we assume that primeval hunter and was the fighter of the "mammoth fauna", then all the same it could not lead to ecological crisis. Rather, it was a "food" crisis for those groups of hunters who specialized in large herbivores. It is now well known that the ancient hunters changed the “profile” of hunting: they switched from one species of animals to another. Consequently, after the natural extinction of the "mammoth fauna" there was no "food" crisis, just primitive people began to hunt medium-sized animals. The natural extinction of large animals of the "mammoth fauna" is evidenced by their disappearance on all continents, and largest number species in the most sparsely populated - in America, and the smallest - in the most populated - in

rudiments geographical knowledge scientists find among peoples ancient east- inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Persia, Egypt, Phoenicia. Farming and cattle breeding, trade, resettlement of peoples and wars led to the accumulation of knowledge about the world around. From the hieroglyphic inscriptions and drawings that have survived to this day, scientists have learned that as far back as 40 centuries BC, the Egyptians equipped expeditions to Central Africa, floated on mediterranean sea. The geographical knowledge accumulated by the peoples of the East was expanded by great thinkers Ancient Greece. They tried to explain the origin and structure of the world around them, to depict the countries known at that time in the form of drawings (maps).

During the period early medieval there is a decline in geographical knowledge. Wars, slave uprisings hindered the development of science. However, during this period, there were many geographical discoveries. The leading role in them passed to the Arabs. Their ships plied the waters indian ocean. Arabs established colonies east coast Africa, traveled to China and India.

The knowledge of Europeans about earthly space in the 13th century as a result of travels to Asian lands by Venetian merchants.

When capitalism replaced feudalism, again, as in ancient world increased interest in the sciences.

During the Age of Discovery, trade and navigation flourished. Portuguese and Spanish ships rush in search of ways to rich India. At the end of 1492 there was a discovery that became the greatest event in the history of mankind - H. Columbus discovered America. And in 1521 the first began circumnavigation under Magellan. The geographical horizon of Europeans expanded to unprecedented dimensions for that time. Thanks to these discoveries, people learned about true dimensions of their planet, about the ratio of land and water on Earth.

In the second half of the 17th and in the 18th century, travelers continued to search for new sea passages around the continents, new lands in the oceans, and explored the unknown sciences of the inner parts of the continents. During this period, for the first time organized scientific expeditions, the purpose of which, along with discoveries, is to study and explain the causes of geographical phenomena and processes, the nature of individual territories.

Numerous expeditions of the 18th - 19th centuries and the beginning of the 20th century. enriched geography with knowledge about the nature and population of the Earth. During this era, the polar regions of our planet were discovered and explored.

The latest discoveries (20th century) have made huge contribution in the development of knowledge about our planet. They are carried out using new methods of studying the Earth in specially created scientific organizations the purpose of which is to conduct scientific research. In many countries of the world, scientists organize large-scale expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic. An extensive study of the World Ocean is underway. The beginning of his research was laid by the British expedition on board the Challenger, continued on the Russian Vityaz and other ships. In the 1960s, 67 countries took part in the exploration of the planet under the program of the International Geophysical Year.

For the first time, our compatriot Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin was lucky to see the sphericity and relief of the Earth from space, when on April 21, 1961 he flew around the Earth in 108 minutes on the Vostok satellite ship.

Problems of development of the Earth

Today the Earth is studied from space, sent automatic stations to other planets, compare their nature with the nature of the Earth and know it more deeply as part of the Universe. International scientific expeditions are also created, meetings are held, exchanges scientific information, but for all this time, man has not managed to fully master the earth. Even in our age, age information technologies The Earth is full of Mysteries and mysteries for us.

Man managed to penetrate into the depths of the earth only 12 - 15 km. Tunnels are being built, mines for mining, excavations are underway. And so we managed to study only that part of the lithosphere into which we really managed to penetrate.

The mantle of the planet has been studied very modestly. Reach its depths naturally impossible and therefore scientists can explore it during volcanic eruptions.

The ocean is also poorly understood. It is not possible to penetrate to a depth of more than 200 km. Therefore, the bottom of the ocean is practically not explored.

Of course, using the most advanced equipment, people managed to get a rough idea of ​​​​our planet. But approximate is not exact.

So why does man still fail to fully master the Earth?

Exists whole line factors that prevent a person from penetrating into all spheres of the Earth and, above all, this physical conditions. So the deepest mines are very difficult to build because there are no such strong materials that would withstand the pressure of the Earth. Also, as you know, the closer to the center of the Earth, the higher the air temperature (the core temperature is 1000 ° C), a risk to human life is created.

Due to the enormous pressure under the water, the equipment on the submarines can't stand it. Man has not yet managed to create such an underwater vehicle that could lower a person to the bottom of the sea without risk to life.

In conditions permafrost it is very difficult to build roads, buildings, to mine minerals. But still the world has accumulated great experience construction and economic activity in permafrost conditions. Particularly in our country harsh conditions such cities as Norilsk, Mirny Shatkin G.A. were built. Our planet is the Earth // Science and Life.-1999.-№5, p.19-20..

human exploration of the Earth The process of human exploration of the Earth was very long and laborious. individual regions that require detailed study. The beginning of the development of the EarthAncient people settled in the valleys of large rivers - the Nile, Ganges, Tigris, Euphrates, Indus. It was in these territories that the first civilizations began to form, which received the names "river". The climate on these lands was favorable for life, fertile lands contributed to the Agriculture. Humanity began to develop new lands with the birth of trade. Looking for new trade routes new territories were opened, which soon after their discovery were settled by settlers. Land developmentBy the beginning of the Middle Ages, some continents, seas, islands and even oceans remained undiscovered. The peak of human development of the earth fell on the era of the Great Geographical Discoveries. It was then that such lands as North America, Australia, South America, as well as Pacific Ocean. New territories attracted the inhabitants of Europe with their natural resources- The continents were gradually settled by settlers. Most of the settlers settled in fertile lands: in the mountainous regions, the natives lived. The development of the mountains became necessary with the beginning of the flourishing of industrial production. By the end of the 19th century, people settled even in remote areas, which was due to the development of production and transport system. Countries of the world There are 193 countries in the world independent states, as well as several dozen dependent territories who were formed in different historical periods. Today, people live on all continents of our planet, with the exception of Antarctica. However, even there there are research stations where scientists are working hard to study the mainland. Studying geography, you can see that on some continents there are much more countries than on the rest. This is due to many factors, in particular, the climatic properties of the territories, the presence water resources, relief features. So on the territory of Eurasia there are more than 90 states, while on the mainland Australia there is only one country. All countries that exist on the planet were created during historical process. Their inhabitants are united by a common cultural and spiritual heritage. Geographic Locations countries that are induced on the same mainland can be radically different from each other: there are countries - peninsulas, island countries, countries that do not have access to the sea.

The development of the earth by man lasted for more than one millennium, but even now it is difficult to say that this process of studying our planet is over. Although, probably, there is not a single corner of our earth where a human foot has not set foot, there are still many secrets and discoveries ahead of mankind. This knowledge will help to better understand the processes taking place on the entire planet as a whole and further fate our civilization.

Scientists consider Africa to be the birthplace of life on the planet, with its warm and comfortable climate. About 2 million years ago, the gradual settlement of ancient people began in Eurasia and further north. As the early human tribes die out, this process ends. More than 100,000 years ago, since the emergence reasonable person the second stage of the development of earthly space by people begins.

The first communities of people, called river communities, arose in the places where the full-flowing rivers of the Nile, Tigris and Euphrates flowed. The choice of these sites for settlement was determined by natural features land around rivers. fertile soil, availability fresh water and game for hunting, made these places habitable. In the future, the number of people began to grow steadily, and the process of land development and the resettlement of peoples began to occur with constant regularity. Based on research and excavations, scientists have made amazing discoveries about the places of migration of ancient people. This way of land development in the distant past passed through the land, which is now under the water column of the Bering Strait.

Sometimes large groups people and even nationalities, left their native and habitable places and left in search of easier living conditions in uncharted lands. New lands made it possible to more effectively develop and develop lands for arable land and provided food and shelter for the growing ancient tribes. Having learned to make tools for obtaining food and protection from wild animals, people no longer needed the rocky shelters of caves so much. Therefore, they more and more willingly settled on flat lands, providing pastures for domesticated animals and fields for agriculture.

As it happened historically, there are places on the planet with greater density resettlement of people, but there are uninhabited, sparsely populated areas. The favorable, mild climate of these places, the presence of fertile lands, a sufficient amount of easily mined natural resources, make these places the most attractive when choosing a place of residence not only for the ancients, but also modern people. Such places include most of Europe, America and South Asia. Northern regions, with cold winters and short periods of heat, have not yet been sufficiently developed. Therefore, humanity still has a lot to do important discoveries in land development.

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More than a million years have passed since the human race was born and people began to master Earth. This process was very long and difficult: even now, when, it would seem, our planet has been studied up and down, there are still places on it where no human has set foot. Let's find out how the human exploration of the Earth took place.

First steps

During numerous archaeological sites scientists have found that East Africa is the cradle of all mankind.

Ancient people tried to build their settlements nearby major rivers who provided them with food and water. The first civilizations on Earth arose along the mouths of such large rivers as the Nile, Euphrates, Tigris, and they were called river. Gradually, small settlements expanded, strengthened and subsequently became the centers of the state.

Rice. 1. Ancient river states.

The settlement in the immediate vicinity of the rivers had great importance. By spring deep rivers came out of the coast. When the water evaporated, remained large territories moist soil, which is ideal for farming. Otherwise, in a hot climate, people could not sow cereals.

Settlement on the continents

Gradually mastering the continent, people began to move into different directions in search of new, more comfortable places of existence. Thus began the conquest of a new continent - Eurasia.

Over time, humanity has successfully mastered all the continents, with the exception of one - Antarctica.

• Thousands of years ago, there was land on the site of the Bering Strait, and moving from Eurasia to North America was no big deal.
• Having successfully mastered North America, the ancient people moved to its southern part.
• Australia was mastered by people who managed to get to the mainland from Southeast Asia.

Rice. 2. Residents of Australia.

The development of the earth by man in the countries of the world

People who live together in the same area are united common culture and language. This is how an ethnos is formed, which can consist of small tribe or numerous people, nations.

In the distant past, powerful ethnic groups gave rise to great civilizations. At present, the structure human society looks a little different.

There are more than 200 different states on Earth, big and small, strong and weak. There is a state that occupies an entire mainland - this is Australia. And there is a very tiny state, consisting of a single city - this is the Vatican.

Rice. 3. Vatican.

Population density in countries depends on several factors:

• geographical location;
• age of settlement;
• level of economic development.

Most densely populated countries Western Europe, East and South Asia, Eastern North America.

What have we learned?

When studying the topic “How did the development of the Earth by man take place” in the geography program for grade 7, we learned which continent scientists consider to be the place of origin human race. We found out how the ancient people mastered the continents and countries.

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