Patterns of human activity include the processes of migration and settlement, the distribution of cultures and their interrelationships, the structure of economic interdependence, and the ways political and cultural groups divide and distribute space. Humans tend to settle in fertile areas with accessible transportation routes, and their settlements become part of the physical environment. They modify the environment based on how their societies value and use the Earth's resources. They compete for control of physical and cultural spaces, and their patterns of cooperation and conflict influence the division of Earth's surface. Patterns of human activity leave marks on the landscape.
Some patterns reflect the boundaries between nations, counties, and private property owners.
Other patterns result from economic activity including trade, shipping, oil refining, or agriculture. Still others reflect urban growth and industrialization. Zoning ordinances adopted by local governments describe land use in areas as low-density residential or light industrial. In all areas, landforms influence land use to various degrees. Ski resorts develop in the mountains, farming in the valleys, and mining where there are ore deposits.