Geography

1. Geography

3. Other Essay Topics • How has a region’s geography shaped its history? • How has man adapted his environment to shape his needs?

4. Types of Maps Physical/ Topographic Cartographic Political

5. Terms to Know Water: Oceans (Atlantic, Indian, Pacific), Seas (Mediterranean, Black, Red, Arabian), Rivers (Nile, Tigris/Euphrates, Indus, Yellow), Straits Land: Mountains (Himalayas, Alps) Plateaus (Deccan) Deserts (Sahara, Lybian, Nubian, Gobi, Arabian) Peninsulas (Italy, India, Saudi Arabia), Archipelago (Greece, Japan) Modifications – terraces (Yellow), roads (Silk, Roman legions, Persians), walls (Great Wall, Hadrian), irrigation (aqueducts), canals (Grand)

6. Which letter identifies the peninsula that is home to Mecca, the religious center of Islam? (1) A (3) C (2) B (4) D Where did Asoka erect the Sacred Pillars or his Edicts (1) A (3) C (2) B (4) D

7. A geographic similarity between Italy and India is that both of these countries are located (1) on peninsulas (2) on archipelagos (3) between two oceans (4) south of the equator

8. Egypt

9. Key Terms for Essay on Egypt • Deserts – “Red Lands” – Nubian, Libyan, and Sahara • Nile River – “Black Lands” surround w/silt; floods annually – need to build irrigation, has cataracts (waterfalls), delta (tributaries protect) • Impact – protects, stability of dynasties, need for strong central authority, culture based on Nile “Land of Living” vs. “Land of Dead”, architecture of sandstone, papyrus for books; build Aswan High Dam (no oil); Suez Canal built to capitalize on strategic location btw Mediterranean and Red seas.

10. Which geographic feature had the greatest influence on the development of ancient civilizations? • Dense forests • Mountain passes • Smooth coastlines • River valleys

11. Mesopotamia

12. Key Term for Mesopotamia • Fertile Crescent – two rivers: Tigris and Euphrates • Flood erratically – need to build dams and dykes • Easy to navigate rivers – lots of invasions (Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrian, Persians….), cultural diffusion, political instability

13. China

14. Key Terms for China • ETHNOCENTRISM – caused by geographic barriers – Gobi Desert, Tien Shen Mts., Himalayas, Pacific Ocean • Rivers – Yellow (Huange-He) “River of Sorrow” – heavy silt, cut deep into mts; Yangtze – both rivers flow west to east • Adaptations – Silk Road, Great Wall, Grand Canal, terrace farming along Yellow

15. India

16. Key Terms on India • Sub-continent of Asia • Peninsula • Monsoons • Indus River – navigable (similar to Tigris) • Hindu-Kush mts and Himalayas protect and isolate • Deccan plateau – center – inhospitable • Most live near Indus/Ganges (sacred to Hinduism) • Lots of trade in Indian Ocean • Railroad handy to unite large landmass

17. In India, Bangladesh and much of Southeast Asia, agricultural productivity is most affected by the • Seasonal monsoons • Unnavigable rivers • Numerous deserts • Cold climates

18. Greece

19. Key Terms on Greece • Archipelago • Polis/Poleis will be divided by mountains • Great natural harbors for fishing and trade; strength of military is triremes for Athens not hoplites • Few natural rivers/springs – need to import food – colonies • Volcanic area – angry gods (land and sea – Zeus/Poseidon) • Rich volcanic soil good for olives and grapes

20. Which was one cause of the development of many small independent city-states in ancient Greece? • Greece and Rome were often at War • The mountainous terrain of Greece resulted in widely scattered settlements • Military leaders found small Greek settlements easy to control • The Greek people had many different languages and religions

21. Roman Empire

22. Key Terms for Roman Empire • Italy is Peninsula • Expanded over three continents around Mediterranean Sea – several wars such as Punic (Carthage fighting over Sicily) • So large – Roman legions need to build roads, aqueducts, bridges, walls • Too large – Diocletian will divide, later easily invaded by Huns, etc.

23. Saudi Arabia Peninsula Arabian Desert – will need camels to cross to oases (fleet of the desert), leads to Bedouin (nomadic) life Access to Red Sea, Arabian Sea and Persian Gulf for trade – trade will be key (Mecca located centrally on Red) Intersection of 3 continents – Africa, Asia, and Europe

24. IMPACTS OF MOUNTAINS DIVIDE PEOPLE – creates cultural diversity (Andes Mts for Incas, Greece) even isolation (China) PROTECTS PEOPLE – Alps for Italy, Himalayas for China and India, Andes for Inca DIFFICULT TO FARM – have to introduce terrace farming – Japan, Incan, Yellow River (China)

25. IMPACTS OF RIVERS UNITES PEOPLE – unifies cultures, ease of communication, increases trade HELPS FARMING – creates fertile soils (early river civs – Nile (Egypt), Mesopotamia, Indus, and Yellow (China), may need to build dams/dykes/irrigation SACRED – Ganges (Hindus)

26. IMPACTS OF DESERTS DIVIDES PEOPLE – hard to cross, creates cultural diversity and isolation (Sahara in Africa) LACK OF RESOURCES – no food can cause famines, need for trade

27. IMPACTS OF CLIMATE MONSOONS – India, China, Indonesia need rains to make food grow – if drought – famine, if floods – famine (build houses on stilts to protect from floods) // monsoon winds also help sailboats to travel Indian Ocean COLD – Russian steppes frozen (permafrost) – can not farm, need special houses, need access to warm water ports