Life In Mediterranean Lands - California (1949)

[Music] on every continent there are small areas that experience a climate known as the Mediterranean climate this name is used because the climate is best developed in lands bordering the Mediterranean Sea can you name the countries in this area that have this climate they include Spain and Southern France almost all of Italy and Greece and the coastal regions of Syria and Palestine there are beautiful places like this all along the Mediterranean coast of France and Italy and Spain but this one is on the southern coast of California on the North American continent only a narrow Coastal strip of Southern California has the true Mediterranean climate on the Pacific coast of South America there is a thin Mediterranean region in Chile and in Africa and Australia there are very small areas at the southern tips each of these cont has examples of this climate now just what is the Mediterranean climate how does it affect the lives and occupations of the people who live in it the rocky shorelines of Spain and Italy look just like this one in California and fishing is an important source of food because cattle are difficult to raise in the Mediterranean climates of the world can you think why cattle wouldn't thrive on land like this but sheep and goats need less Green Grass and are more Nimble than cows in hunting for food on the rocky hills in most of the lands with Mediterranean climate that dry dead looking grass is a big help in understanding this climate let's study it we've all seen dry brittle grass but usually we see it in the late fall or in the early spring before it turns green again well in this strange Mediterranean climate there's rarely any real cold winter at all nor any true spring there are only two seasons the rainy season which is a mild winter and the dry season which is a long hot summer during the dry season the streams and Brooks disappear into the deep gravel Channel under the surface many crops must be irrigated because no rain falls for months at a time all through this dry season the unirrigated hill slopes are burned Brown and Dusty by the Sun a few crops such as grapes thrive on dry rocky soil the long roots of the sturdy Vines reach deep down into the Earth finding enough water to produce fine harvests of grapes as a result lands with a Mediterranean climate in all parts of the world produce grapes and wines many of the early settlers of Southern California's coastal region migrated from France Italy Greece and Spain in this new land they used their knowledge of crops and climate to good Advantage they planted olive trees from Spain and Italy because olives thrive on Rocky ground and on dry hillsides that won't support other crops it's very fortunate that olives grow well in this Mediterranean climate where grazing land is so poor for olives are rich in valuable food oil although goat milk is good for drinking and making cheese it is not good for butter so a large source of fats for the human diet in these areas can come from olives in some Mediterranean climates olive oil is used in large quantities as a substitute for butter fat this whole gallon of olive oil perhaps more than we'd use in a year will last an average Italian family less than a month in the true Mediterranean climate oranges and lemons grow all year round and so do many other crops such as grains vegetables and fruits in January flowers bloom helped by the mild rains of the winter season the Earth loses the dry brown color of the summer season and becomes green and moist and see what happens to that summertime dry stream bed now there is plenty of water much of it will be stored for irrigation during the coming season in the Rainy winter season irrigation is not necessary the valleys are green and many plants refreshed by The Rains put out blossoms imagine fruit trees blooming in January let's see if we can find out what causes a climate like this in Southern California from Santa Barbara to San Diego the Mediterranean climate is created in part by the mountain range to the East and North during the Rainy winter season the westerlies moist winds from the ocean cool as they rise to the mountaintops producing rain or snow at the same time the high mountain wall stops the Cold Winter Winds from the East during the summer season the hot dry winds from the desert regions to the east become even hotter and absorb moisture as they blow down the mountains and cross the coastal lowlands because of these mountains then almost all of a Year's rain falls in the short rainy season this is stored for growing crops during the long dry season if you were building a house in this climate of two seasons what sort of house would you need thick walls and heavy tiled roofs keep it cool in the hot dry season and plenty of hearty trees pine Cyprus and Palms provide shade all the year round most of the homes even the less expensive have these outdoor living areas or patios since much of the land in Mediterranean climates is Rocky it must be cleared before it can be plowed and planted in Southern California and in many parts of Italy Spain and Greece you'll find walls like this made of stones cleared from the fields and houses made of field Stones stay cool in the hot dry season so the rocky land serves more than one good purpose IM M rants from Mediterranean climates of the old world brought to California their architecture and their Customs today in California some of these people live in the same leisurely way their friends and relatives do in oldw World Mediterranean climates some California families grow their own food just as so many families do in Italy and other Mediterranean lands some use hand methods so common in Spain and in Greece and some sell Goods in Wayside shops as in Syria or Palestine but look at this thriving City in the heart of a true Mediterranean climate Los Angeles because most of the people came to California from other parts of America from regions where a cooler and more rigorous climate gave them a lot of energy these new people came charged with ambition to really develop the warm sunbaked land here men built a great artificial Harbor and created a busy sea port these are a few of the millions of people who have made a business and Industrial Empire in this land of a gentle easygoing climate in less than 50 years this land has become like no other Mediterranean climate land on Earth of course there are other factors Rich oil fields are to be found right in the middle of this climate area there is plenty of hydroelectric energy even though the people had to go hundreds of miles to find Rivers big enough to supply water and energy for the growing farms and cities the clear sunny days all year round provide ideal conditions for the aircraft industry ideal too for picture taking so it is only natural that the motion picture industry developed here here is the Mediterranean region in southern California a one-time lazy land that has become aggressive and productive because energetic people developed its many advantages and there are other Mediterranean climate areas on each of these continents where many different kinds of people strive to make the best use of their unusual land of only two seasons [Music]