Learning target Geography 7.9: Explain how the geography of

ancient Greece affected settlement

25.1 IntroductionGeography of Greece

1. The mainland is a peninsula but there are many islands throughout the Aegean and Mediterranean seas.

2. Steep, rocky mountains3. Turquoise-blue seas

Geography influenced the waythey lived:

4.Cities and villages were isolated5. Trading was necessary due to little farmland.

25.2: Isolation and Travel Difficulties

• The high mountains made travel difficult1. People walked, or rode in carts pulled by oxen2. Sharp rocks shattered wooden wheels3. People travelled in groups moving slowly and at risk

of being attacked.

• Traveling by boat was easier…4. Dangerous-- travelers could be attacked by pirates. 5. The greatest danger was the sea!

(A wise captain always made a sacrifice to the sea god Poseidon before sailing.)

25.3 Farming in Ancient Greece• Farming wasn’t easy in Greece

1. Land was rocky 2. Water in the mountains was scarce. 3. Rains only during winter months. 4. No major rivers flow through Greece.5. Farms had to build steps into the mountains to create flat

land to grow crops.

• The crops grown:6. Wheat7. Barley 8. Grapes 9. Olives (Olive Oil is their most famous crop)

25.3 Farming, continued• Greek farmers also raised animals

1. Sheep and goatsa. Sheep supplied wool for clothingb. Goats provided milk and cheese

2. Oxen, mules, and donkeys for plowing and transportation

The shortage of good farmland sometimes led to wars between Greek settlements, some settlements were also forced to look beyond themainland for new sources of food and other goods.

25.4 Starting Colonies1. Colonies were settlements in distant places.

2. People were called colonists. These people

were sent to distant places to grow food and sent it back to the mainland.

Many preparations had to be made:3. Ask gods for the trip to be successful4. Meet with a holy person, called an oracle,

who could communicate with the gods.5. Gather food and supplies

They also took a flame from their town’s sacred fire to start a fire in their new home.

25.4 Starting Colonies

• It wasn’t easy..,1. Long sea voyage2. Had to find good farmland with natural

harbors (water access)3. Avoid places that had local people who did

not want to share their land.

• Establishment was over 300 years.4. Ionia in Asia Minor (Today modern Turkey)5. Spain, France, Italy and Africa.

25.5 Trading for Needed Goods

• Greek settlements traded for goods they needed:1. Grain2. Timber3. Metal

• Ships were owned by Merchants4. A person who makes money selling

goods.

25.5 Trading for Needed Goods

• Navigating ships was difficult1. No compasses2. Only stars3. No light houses. This made it difficult to see the

hazards in the water.

• Despite the danger…4. Trade flourished along the Mediterranean coast.

Learning Target Summary

You learned how the Greeks settled in isolated communities because of their country’s mountainous geography. Most Greeks survived by farming, but good farmland was scarce. So the Greeks took to the seas, creating new colonies and trading with other peoples.