[paudio]

Ecological deterministic refers to the idea that the culture, etc. of a society is determined by the ecological condition of the location.

[Bernard Marx]

That's an interesting notion that reminds me of the old nature vs. nurture argument. JMO but both play important roles, based on my observations for many years.

Certainly people who live near the water learn to make rafts and boats, and those in cold climates have to learn how to make warm clothes and shelters. But the kinds of boats, clothes and shelters seem to me to be the result of individual choice and ingenuity. The Lapp reindeer herders of northern Norway, for instance, share certain similarities with Siberian reindeer herders (sauna = sweat lodge) but their cultures are entirely different.