They export from the United States.
The high buildings in NYC are highly vulnerable to hurricanes. High winds can arrive before the hurricane actually hits, and the higher you go, the earlier you feel those winds. Since the city is so big, it is also harder for so many people to evacuate from the hurricanes. NYC had 578 miles of coastline which is a lot of water around for the hurricanes to travel through.
To fulfill plantation labor demands to supply explorers with food, textiles, trading, ect
Underneath lakes and rivers pacfic ocean
The Zagros are a mountain range in Iran. Basically on the windward side of the range it'll be really wet and on the lee ward side it'll be dry probably even a desert. The warm moist air is forced up the mountain where the cooler temperatures at the top cause condensation so it rains. Dry on the other side. The main range in Turkey are called the Taurus mountains.