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title, type, tags, last_updated
title type tags last_updated
Geographic Coherence concept
geography
worldbuilding
validation
2026-04-20

Definition

地理连贯性Geographic Coherence是指虚构世界中的地理特征气候、地形、水文、生物群系、资源分布符合物理规律彼此一致无矛盾。

Core Principles

1. Rivers Don't Split

  • Tributaries merge into rivers支流汇入主流
  • Rivers don't fork into two separate rivers flowing to different oceans
  • Exception: deltas, bifurcations — but these are special cases, not the norm

2. Climate is a System

  • Rain shadows exist雨影效应存在
  • Coastal currents affect temperature海岸洋流影响温度
  • Latitude determines seasons纬度决定季节
  • Don't place a tropical forest at 60°N latitude without extraordinary justification

3. Geography is Not Decoration

  • Every mountain, river, and desert has consequences for the people who live near it
  • If you put a desert there, explain how people get water

4. Avoid Geographic Determinism

  • Geography constrains but doesn't dictate
  • Similar environments produce different cultures
  • Acknowledge agency

5. Scale Matters

  • A "small kingdom" and a "vast empire" have fundamentally different geographic requirements
  • Communication, supply lines, and governance scale differently

6. Maps are Arguments

  • Every map makes choices about what to include and exclude
  • Be aware of the politics of cartography

Validation Framework

Geographic Coherence Report

Region: [Area being analyzed]

Physical Geography:
- Terrain: [Landforms and their tectonic/erosional origin]
- Climate Zone: [Koppen classification, latitude, elevation effects]
- Hydrology: [River systems, watersheds, water sources]
- Biome: [Vegetation type consistent with climate and soil]
- Natural Hazards: [Earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, droughts]

Resource Distribution:
- Agricultural potential: [Soil quality, growing season, rainfall]
- Minerals/Metals: [Geologically plausible deposits]
- Timber/Fuel: [Forest coverage consistent with biome]
- Water access: [Rivers, aquifers, rainfall patterns]

Human Geography:
- Settlement logic: [Why people would live here — water, defense, trade]
- Trade routes: [Following geographic paths of least resistance]
- Strategic value: [Chokepoints, defensible positions, resource control]
- Carrying capacity: [How many people this geography can support]

Implementation

  • Used by Geographer Agent in worldbuilding
  • Validates physical consistency in虚构世界构建