D. Urban populations exercise a powerful influence in shaping the world

1. Nation-building (monuments, symbols)

2. Transportation/communication hubs

3. Magnets for migration

4. Seed beds of new ideas and technologies

5. Diversity, leading to creativity in the arts

6. Universities, educational opportunities

7. Corporate headquarters/regional offices

8. Media centers (news, entertainment)

III. RURAL GEOGRAPHY

A. Rural landscapes are found outside of cities

B. Agriculture is key economic activity in these areas

C. Subsistence agriculture

1. Most widely practiced form in world

2. Found in many parts of Africa, Asia, Central America and South America

3. Food is produced by a family for own needs

4. Anything extra, usually very little, may be sold for supplies

5. Uses little if any machinery

6. Different forms

a. Slash-and-burn: farmers clear trees, burn them and then farms the fields for several years before moving on as fields

lose fertility

b. Pastoralism: herding animals by following migration routes

D. Market-oriented agriculture (a.k.a. commercial)

1. Farmers grow products to sell to customers

2. Raise what they can sell for a profit

3. Scientific advances have made it very productive

a. Fertilizers

b. Mechanization has meant larger farms with fewer workers

4. Some commercial farms are part of large corporations

a. Advanced commercial farming is called agribusiness

b. More efficient and profitable

c. Characterized by huge farms with close links to other parts of the food industry