Describe the distribution of human population in the Tibetan Plateau, other highland areas of Central Asia, Central Asia desert regions, and lowlands

Question

Discuss the ways humans settlement patterns illustrate adaption to often-harsh physical surroundings.

Answer 1

Overall, Central Asia is not densely populated. The Tibetan plateau provides a particularly harsh physical setting with scarce water resources and dramatic seasonal temperature variation due to the high elevation, latitude, and being landlocked. In this highland environment humans have adapted by carrying out nomadic pastoralism based on the yak. Only in the far south of the plateau is agriculture possible where protected valleys provide favorable conditions. Other highland areas also have very low population densities. Within protected valleys, however, there are agriculturally-based settlements. These areas are also characterized by a diverse cultural and linguistic landscape. The highlands are also the destination of groups who migrate seasonally–particularly the Kyrgyz. In the lowlands people cluster near alluvial fans at the foothills of the mountains and near loess deposits since alluvial fans and loess deposits produce fertile soils. The steppes of the lowlands are populated by those practicing nomadic pastoralism.