This chapter is a recitation of the genealogy of Shem, Ham and Japeth. One of Japeth's sons is Magog, which I know we'll be hearing about later when we get to the apocalyptic prophecies. Japeth's sons reside in what is now Asia Minor/Turkey. Ham's sons inhabit Canaan and Cush, or the Egyptian empire as it stood at the time of the writing of this chapter. Cush is the father of Nimrod, a hunter and the first of the "mighty men". Shem is the father of the Semetic people, including all "Hebrews" who would become Israel.
Asimov discusses Ararat and extensive flooding that would seem to cover the entire world to the ancient people along the Nile, Tigris and Euphrates. He thinks the reference to the "fountains of the deep" might indicate a tidal wave, which combined with heavy rains and flooding, would be catastrophic to ancients living in the flood plain .
Sumerian legend tells of the great hero Gilgamesh who also saved his family and samples of animals on a boat from a bad flood in Sumerian legend. Noah's story shares other plot points with the Gilgamesh legend, indicating it is a much older tale.
The ark settled in the "mountains of Ararat", not a specific mountain.
No laws or kills in this chapter, just an ancestry record and setting the stage of the world from which Abraham will soon emerge.
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