World History – Mr. Ali Due Dates Feb. 28/March 1 1
The Geography of Greece
Where on Earth is Greece?
Location: Southern Europe bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey
Greece is located on a peninsula (A piece of land that projects into a body of water and is connected with the mainland by an isthmus) that extends into the Mediterranean Sea. Greece is almost completely surrounded by water. Many islands can be found around the peninsula. The large island at the bottom of the map is Crete.
1. Where is Greece located?
2. What is a Peninsula? And Greece is completely surrounded by______
What does the land in Greece look like?
Much of Greece was rocky and barren and bad for agriculture. Most Greeks lived along the coast where the soil was good for farming. There were many mountains and valleys. The climate was hot and dry, and rainfall was limited to the winter months. With a shortage of land for farming, the Greeks came to rely upon trade with other countries for food, building supplies, and other goods.
3.Why was Greece “bad” for agriculture?
4.Why did the Greeks have shortage of land for farming, and what did they rely on instead?
How would I get from place to place in Greece?
Since there weren't many roads in ancient Greece, most people walked when they needed to go somewhere. However, some people had horses and carts, and the richest Greeks rode on horseback.
The Impact of Geography
Compared with Mesopotamia, and Egypt, Greece is small. It is a Peninsula about the size of Louisiana. It is made up of small plains and river valleys surrounded by high mountains. The mountains influenced Greek history, because they separated Greeks from each other. This caused different Greek communities to develop their own ways of life. The small size of these communities encouraged people to be involved in politics. But rivalry between the communities led to warfare. The sea also influenced Greek history. Greece has a long seacoast with many harbors, so the Greeks become seafarers. Greeks also lived on many islands off the Greek mainland. They sailed into the Aegean, The Mediterranean, and the Black Seas. They later established colonies that spread Greek civilization throughout the Mediterranean world.
5.What isolated Greece from others?
6.This caused Greeks to develop ______
Geography of Ancient Greece How Geography Affected Greek Civilization
Greece has numerous short mountain ranges and no major rivers.
This facilitated the development of numerous small city-states called Polis, but it also hampered the development of any sense of unity. The Greek mainland and islands were close to the sea, which made trade easier; consequently, the Greeks became fishermen, sailors, and traders. The terrain of Greece in most places made farming difficult. They could not grow enough food so they were forced to trade in items that they could produce, e.g. olives, wine, and wool.
7.What geographic feature(s) limited the development of unity among city-states?