Most geographers assume that the world can be divided into six continents, corresponding to the six major landmasses of Africa, Antarctica, Eurasia, Australia/Oceania, North America, and South America. Diamond discusses five of these. The single exception is Antarctica, as it has no indigenous human life and is therefore not relevant to his work.
In terms of settlement patterns, Diamond emphasizes that the land mass of Eurasia is laid out to make east-west trade and travel relatively easy, so that civilizations could exchange resources and ideas, something that facilitated the development of advanced civilizations. Africa and the Americas, by contrast, are laid out primarily on north-south axes, with many barriers to trade. Australia and Oceania are surrounded by oceans, limiting cultural cross-fertilization.
Diamond also discusses how favorable conditions for agriculture led to early dense settlements in Eurasia, something that also fostered the development of advanced civilizations.
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