Africa still faces many formidable problems many of which, as Jeffrey Sachs of Harvard University argues in his article are the intractable bequest of geography and climate.

ECONOMIST: Emerging Africa

Of course, producers could switch to making dry white wine or even red, but by an accident of geography and climate, Sauternes is one of the few areas in which conditions are more or less perfect for the production of that distinctive rich, nutty sweetness.

WSJ: Will Lyons on Wine: The Bitter Economics of Sweet Wines

They also display elements that are specific to Cyprus and that were determined by its geography, history and climate.

UNESCO: Painted Churches in the Troodos Region

But geography, climate and long-fixed patterns of behavior pose challenging hurdles.

FORBES: The Worst Cities In America For Your Lungs

Like California's hardest-hit cities, the foreclosure mecca's climate and geography serve as incubators for airborne toxins.

FORBES: Life

At a simplistic level by nature of altitude, climate, geography and geology there are fundamental differences between nations.

FORBES: Labor Pains