How did geography affect where people settled in the southern colonies

They settled southern colonies over northern colonies because the southern colonies were the only ones with enough fertile soil to develop a successful agricultural economy, centered on cotton, tobacco, and indigo. They settled all across the area, with port cities and trade depots (such as Savannah and Atlanta, respectively) becoming population centers for traders and entrepreneurs. The major cities often were found on rivers, which were the great highways of the times.