ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Possibilism (geography)

Okay kiddo, let's talk about something called "possibilism" in geography. Geography is the study of the Earth, its natural features, and how people interact with it. And possibilism is a way of looking at how people interact with the environment.

Basically, possibilism is the idea that people can overcome the limitations of their environment by using technology and innovation. It means that humans can adapt to their environment in any way they need to achieve their goals.

For example, let's say you live in a very dry area where it hardly ever rains. Normally, this would make it difficult to grow crops and get the water you need to survive. But if you use technology like irrigation systems, you can get the water you need and grow crops anyway. That's what possibilism is all about – finding ways to overcome environmental challenges.

However, some people argue that this is not always a good thing. They say that humans can sometimes harm the environment by using too much technology, and that we should focus on living in harmony with nature instead of trying to dominate it.

But no matter which side you're on, possibilism is an important concept in geography because it helps us understand how people have shaped the world around us.