# How would society be if the Earth formed with less land mass? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 26, 2002, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-society-be-if-the-earth-formed-with-less-land-mass/120896 "2002-07-26T07:48:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lodrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@Lodrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lodrain)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-society-be-if-the-earth-formed-with-less-land-mass/120896/1 "2002-07-26T07:48:18Z")
Say plate tectonics and other whims of the underworld caused the Earth to have less landmass - say, about half to a quarter of the current surface on the planet. Climate and every other factor are basically unaffected - with exceptions, obviously; more ocean means different rainfall patterns, for example. Everything but the landmass and the associated climatic factors is the same. How would the world and society be? Would we live in a foggy, rainy swamp with sea-moderated temperatures? How would the amount of arable land be affected? Would we have wiped ourselves out fighting over land, or would we just have either a smaller or denser population? I figure these societies will be more isolated - perhaps cultural differences will lead to wars? ---
**Author:** ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-society-be-if-the-earth-formed-with-less-land-mass/120896/2 "2002-07-26T09:54:08Z")
We may not have ever left the oceans if there was too little land. ---
**Author:** ![muttrox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a8b319/32.png) [@muttrox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muttrox)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-society-be-if-the-earth-formed-with-less-land-mass/120896/3 "2002-07-26T13:35:43Z")
Read Guns, Germs and Steel, you might get some interesting inferences about the truly massive effect on society such a change could have. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-society-be-if-the-earth-formed-with-less-land-mass/120896/4 "2002-07-26T13:53:32Z")
Seems to me that there areso many factors to consider that pretty much any scenario is as plausible as another, so I’ll just suggest that there would be a higher proportion of really good seafood restaurants. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-society-be-if-the-earth-formed-with-less-land-mass/120896/5 "2002-07-26T16:41:28Z")
You also need more information than the OP provides to give even an extrapolated answer. It matters very much whether the land mass is on the equator or at one of the poles, for example. You should do a search on pangaea or gonwandaland, names that scientists have given to the land masses that the earth’s continents formed before they broke up in their current configuration. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-society-be-if-the-earth-formed-with-less-land-mass/120896/6 "2002-07-26T17:26:47Z")
IANAMeteorologist but I have a feeling with only 1/4 of the landmass weather would be affected a lot more than a change in rain patterns. Usually the most violent weather builds up over open water while humanity would neccassarily be closer to the shoreline. I think quite a few more civilizations would have to deal with monsoon seasons. Also the plant life on earth greatly effected the evolution of our atmosphere. I’m sure there would have been direct effect on what kind of and when animal life developed. And I don’t know, more fishing villages? ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-society-be-if-the-earth-formed-with-less-land-mass/120896/7 "2002-07-26T19:29:26Z")
Actually, the Earth did originally have less (continental) land mass, so the answer to the OP would be: exactly as it is now. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2002, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-society-be-if-the-earth-formed-with-less-land-mass/120896/8 "2002-07-26T23:51:59Z")
Galoshes manufacturers would be hailed as gods. ---
**Author:** ![g8rguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@g8rguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/g8rguy)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-society-be-if-the-earth-formed-with-less-land-mass/120896/9 "2002-07-27T00:19:13Z")
Wouldn’t part of this question be answered simply by looking at the societies of various islanders? ---
**Author:** ![Victory\_Candescence](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Victory\_Candescence](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Victory_Candescence)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-society-be-if-the-earth-formed-with-less-land-mass/120896/10 "2002-07-27T02:35:15Z")
Simple: with less mass the Earth wouldn’t be able to hold onto its atmosphere. Look at how thin Mars’ atmosphere is, and there is not a huge reduction in mass between Mars to Earth. It goes without saying that an incredibly thin atmosphere makes the chances very slim that _any_ life could live here, let alone human life. ---
**Author:** ![Victory\_Candescence](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Victory\_Candescence](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Victory_Candescence)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-society-be-if-the-earth-formed-with-less-land-mass/120896/11 "2002-07-27T02:36:46Z")
Oh, wait, you said less _land_ mass, not total mass. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![hazel-rah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/73ab20/32.png) [@hazel-rah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hazel-rah)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2002, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-society-be-if-the-earth-formed-with-less-land-mass/120896/12 "2002-07-27T05:42:58Z")
Weatherwise, expect ocean currents to be very different. This would have had a big effect in the history of exploration and migration. -fh