The cyclical migration of the postoral namads was beneficial in various forms. How?
Answers
#BAL
Pastoral Nomadism is a form of subsistence agriculture (farming to eat) based on the herding of domesticated animals. The word pastoral means sheep herding.
Characteristics of Pastoral Nomadism:
Unlike other subsistence farmers, pastoral nomads mainly depend on animals rather than crops for survival. The animals provide milk, and their skins and hair are used for clothing and tents. Their animals are usually not slaughtered, although some dead ones may be eaten. To nomads, the size of their herd an important measure of power and prestige and also their main security during adverse environmental conditions.
Pastoral nomads do not wander randomly across the landscape, but they have a very strong sense of territoriality. Every group controls a piece of territory and will invade another group's territory only in an emergency, or in a case of war. The goal of each group is to control a territory large enough to contain the food and water needed for survival. The actual amount of land a group controls depends on its wealth and power.
Some pastoral nomads practice transhumance, which is seasonal migration of livestock between mountains and lowland pasture areas. Pasture is land used for grazing animals, including grass and other plants.
Process of Choosing Animals:
Nomads select the type and number of animals for the herd according to local cultural and physical characteristics. The choice depends on the ability of the species to adapt to a particular climate and vegetation. The camel is the most highly desired animal in North Africa and Southwest Asia, along with sheep and goats. Horses are also important in Central Asia.
Camels are well suited to arid, dry climates because they can go long periods of time without water while carrying heavy baggage and move rapidly.
Goats need more water than camels do, but they are tough and can survive off of pretty much any food.
Sheep are more slow moving and are affected by the climate more, but they help provide clothing and tents with their skin and hair.
The typical nomadic family needs 25 to 60 goats or sheep or 10 to 25 camels.
Typical Weather Conditions?
Pastoral nomadism has adapted to dry climates, where planting crops is almost impossible. Pastoral nomads primarily live in the large belt of arid and semiarid land that includes Central and Southwest Asia, and North Africa.
Benefits and Drawbacks of Pastoral Nomadism?
Because they have domesticated animals, but not plants, pastoral nomads were considered more advanced than hunters and gatherers but less advanced that settle farmers. Pastoral Nomadism is simply a practical way of surviving on land that receives too little rain for cultivation of crops. Today, pastoral Nomadism is declining because of technology. Before recent transportation and communications inventions, pastoral nomads played and important role as carriers of good and information across the sparsely inhabited dry lands. But now, with modern weapons and tools, national governments can control the nomadic population more effectively. Governments are starting to force groups to give up pastoral nomadism because they want to use the land for other reasons.