Agricultural Regions & Types

Derwent Whittlesey In 1936, Whittlesey identified 11 main agricultural regions, plus an area where agriculture was non-existent. 5 in LDCs 6 in MDCs

Pastoral Nomadism LDC Primarily the drylands of Southwest Asia & North Africa, Central Asia, and East Asia- A form of subsistence agriculture based on the herding of domesticated animals

Shifting Cultivation LDCs Primarily the tropical regions of Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia- Clearing land for farming, by slashing vegetation and burning debris. Once farmers use up all of the nutrients, they abandon the land -Form of subsistence farming Slash & Burn

Intensive Subsistence Wet Rice Dominant LDCs Primarily the large population concentrations of East Asia and South Asia The term intensive implies that farmers must work intensively to subsist on a parcel of land Largest form of agriculture by workers

Intensive Subsistence – Non-Rice LDCs Primarily the large population concentrations of East Asia and South Asia, where rice growing is difficult- Involves the skilled use of crop rotation

Plantation LDCs Primarily the tropical and sub-tropical regions of Latin America, sub-capitalized Saharan Africa, South Asia, and South East Asia A large commercial farm in a developing country that specializes in one or two crops

Mixed Crop and Livestock MDCs Primarily the U.S. Midwest and Central Europe.- Most common form of commercial farming in the U.S. west of the Appalachians. Also prominent in Europe from France to Russia Largest Form in MDC

Dairying MDCs Primarily near population clusters in the northeastern U.S., southeastern Canada, and northwestern Europe. The raising of milk cows, milking, creamery

Grain MDCs Primarily the north-central United States, south-central Canada, and Eastern Europe

Livestock Ranching MDC Primarily the drylands of western North America, southeastern Latin America, Central Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and the South Pacific Commercial grazing of livestock over an extensive area

Mediterranean MDCs Primarily lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, the western United States, the southern tip of Africa, and Chile. Most crops in the Mediterranean lands are grown for human consumption rather than animal feed. Horticulture - which is the growing of fruit, vegetables, and flowers - and tree crops form the commercial base of Mediterranean farming

Commercial Gardening MDCs Primarily the southeastern United States and southeastern Australia Agriculture in this region is sometimes referred to as truck farming. These farms grow the fruits and vegetables that are in demand in that country

Köppen Climate System The Köppen System divides the Earth into 6 climate zones designated by letters A- Humid Low Latitude, B- Dry, C- Warm Mid-Latitude, D- Cold Mid-Latitude, E- Polar, and H- Undifferentiated Highlands Explanation- In order to easily classify various regions of the world, the Köppen System dictates each region into a category. These categories range from the extremes (dry and polar), to moderate climates in between, to varied high and humid climates.  Examples (Humid Low Latitude)- Regions classified in this climate zone include parts of Malaysia, Brazil, and Singapore. (Dry)- This climate zone includes parts of Chile, Spain, and Mexico. (Warm Mid-Latitudes)- Areas such as part of Greece, South Africa, and Portugal are classified into this area. (Cold Mid-Latitude)- Parts of Hungary, Romania, and Canada can be classified into this climate zone. (Polar)- Parts of Russia, Greenland, and Svalbard can be classified as polar climates. H. (Undifferentiated Highlands) - This climate zone includes areas such as the Alps, Himalayas, and Andes.

Köppen Climate Regions