For example, in pre-Columbian America, it was the hot areas populated by Aztecs, Incas and Mayans that were richer than the temperate areas. In 1667, under the Treaty of Breda, the Dutch gave up their claims on Manhattan to the English in order to retain the island of Run (in what is now Indonesia).
The superior value they placed on Run was due to its being the world’s principal source of nutmeg. In the 18th century, France had only enough armed forces to protect one of its two main American possessions - Canada and Haiti. It chose the latter because it was more valuable, being a major producer of sugar.