The different environments of colonial North America contributed to a wide variety of A. religious conversions. B. educational institutions. C. settlement patterns. D. self-government.

The different environments of colonial North America contributed to a wide variety of

C. settlement patterns.

During the colonial era, settlers often preferred to reside near water sources and low, flat, and fertile land for crop production. Areas with mountainous terrain or harsh soils were often unsuccessful in supporting nourishment of large population's daily life.

C. settlement patterns.

Explanation:

Settlement patterns refer to where people settle to live. The North American environment impacted where colonists settled and how they lived. In New England, the colonists relied on natural resources and settled close to where they could fish and trap for furs. In the Southern colonies, farming was key to their survival, and the colonists settled where they could grow crops.