Geography of Ancient Civilizations

Mesopotamia• “Land between two rivers”– What two rivers?– Tigris and Euphrates

• Fertile Crescent– Refers to the fertile region

surrounding a collection of rivers in the Middle East

• Sumer– First early civilization

Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia• Dealing with and

exploiting the Tigris and Euphrates rivers– Irrigation– Trade

• Early form of government– How/why does

government first form?

Mesopotamia

• Other Achievements– Ziggurats– Hammurabi’s Code

• How did geography impact the development of Mesopotamian civilizations?

Ancient Egypt• The Nile River– Irrigation

• Most of Egypt is desert so people settled along the banks of the Nile River

• The Nile provided drinking water and water for irrigation

– Why is Lower Egypt ‘higher’ than Upper Egypt?

Ancient Egypt• The Nile River– Agriculture• The Nile flooded

regularly• Flooding

deposited fertile silt along the banks of the Nile• The Three F’s!

Ancient Egypt• The Nile River– Trade• The Nile provided

a natural highway for trade• Entire cities were

created as a result of this trade network along the Nile River

Ancient Egypt

• How did geography impact the development of Ancient Egypt?

Indus River Valley

• Indus River• Ganges River• Subcontinent

Indus River Valley• The Indus River Valley is

located on the Indian Subcontinent

• Monsoon Season!– Indus Valley Civilizations

had to adapt to the torrential rains that ravaged the subcontinent every year

– What are some ways the population adapted?

Indus River Valley

• Two major cities of the Indus River Valley– Harappa– Mohenjo-Daro

• Large populations and areas with surpluses of food

• Large granaries stored food during monsoon seasons

Indus River Valley

• Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa– Grid-patterned cities– Indoor plumbing– Traders, farmers

Layout of Indus city of Mohenjo-Daro

Indus River Valley

• How are the Indus River Valley Civilizations impacted by their geography?

Yellow River and Yangzi River Valley• Geographic Isolation– Mountains– Deserts– Jungles– Oceans

• Middle Kingdom– Having little contact with

other cultures, the Chinese

Yellow River and Yangzi River Valley Civilizations

Yellow River and Yangzi River Valley Civilizations

• How are the Yellow River and Yangzi River Valley Civilizations impacted by their geography?

West African Kingdoms

The Sahara Desert

The Savannah

West African Kingdoms• West African

Natural Resources– Gold!– Salt!

• Why would these resources be important?

• What problem do traders in West Africa face?

West African Kingdoms

• How are the West African Kingdoms impacted by their geography?

Ancient Greece

Land

United parts of Greece; sea trade was important as Greece had few natural

resources.

Mountains made transportation, communication among cities difficult;

small, independent communities developed; poor resources spurred

growth of colonies; poor food production limited population growth.

Moderate climate allowed for an outdoor lifestyle, open-air discussions.

Sea

Climate

Geographic Feature Effects

The Holy Roman Empire

Composition of the Roman Republic

• Senate– 300 Patricians

• Consul– 2 Patricians elected by

Senate • Dictator– Limited Powers– Cincinnatus

• Census

• Plebians– Artists, merchants,

farmers, traders lack representation

Holy Roman Empire

• Positive Impact of Geography

• Negative Impact of Geography

Land

Peninsula provided natural boundaries.Aegean Sea and Mediterranean Sea

Much more easily unified than Greece; Apennine Mountains are much less rugged than mountains in Greece;

Broad fertile plains supported booming population growth

Alps in the North provided natural boundary

Moderate climate allowed for an outdoor lifestyle, open-air discussions.

Sea

Climate

Geographic Feature Effects