Los factores del medio físico en el desarrollo de los territorios

Abstract

For some time it was though that the elements of Physical Geography were fundamental in the formation of a people's "character" and specifications, which was designated as Geographical Determinism. In the end of the 19^^ century, people started to understand that environment did not have an obvious and fatalist relation with development: it was only a contingency. Therefore, Geographical Possibilism emerged as a number of possibilities which allowed people not to react exactly in the same way in similar natural environments, thanks to his culture and techniques. Although, recent studies by authors, such as Jeffrey Sachs, J. Gallup or A.D. Mellinger confirmed that climate and distribution of natural resources are very important in countries economic growth and development. "Paradigm" based explanations of the relationships between environment and man (determinism, possibilism...) must be, once and for all, overcome by geographical speech. They are useful explanations from the instructive point of view, but they overly schematize geographical thought. Geographical reflexion must leave behind these paradigm schematics and focus the main point: the interpretation through history of the relationship between environment and man, which is always a non-breaching interpretation.