geography of ancient civilizations
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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. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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