There are so many things. I am going to list them for you.
They are:
<span>Plot
</span>Rising Action
Climax/Turning point
Falling Action
Conclusion
Conflict
Suspense
Foreshadowing
Setting
<span>Characters
</span>Protagonist
Antagonist
<span>Static Character
</span>Dynamic Character
Foil
CharacterizationPoint of View<span>Irony
</span><span>Theme
</span><span>Figurative vs. Literal
</span><span>Figure of Speech
</span><span>Rhyme</span>
I would say it's mostly climate, as it determines two things: 1) what can grow/live in a given place and 2) how long can the products be kept
Additionally, it's the closeness to such things as water sources where you can fish and trade routes: a lot of European cuisines include cofee products, even if cofee is not grown in Europe!