Weather and climate have an impact on the landscape of different countries. Each type of climate has its own associated vegetation which would cover the countryside if human activity did not have its own impact on nature. From the great grassy plains of the America, Northern Eurasia and Argentina, to the cold conifer forests of the taiga, each area also has a limit to what can be grown or raised on that land.

In temperate areas we often see the patterns and colours of agricultural crops and the pasture for raising animals. The yellow of oilseed rape or the gold of wheatfields are sights not seen in mountain, desert or rainforest landscapes. The lush tropical greens of rainforest are not found in Europe where the climate is temperate. The overall colours of landscape are thus affected by what climate it has.

Climate also causes other patterns on the land - when we fly over deserts we can see the traces of dry river valleys, or the crescents of sand dunes. Over Scandinavia and New Zealand we see glaciers and fiords typical of a climate which has experienced extremely cold periods of climate. In the mountains we see tree lines - the line of altitude above which trees will not grow, often clearly marked out. Repeated flooding causes changes in the soil and the river banks may alter over time too.