Theme: Geography

Two ways How geography influences places and regions Deserts Rivers Mountains Islands/archipelagos How humans impact geography Irrigation systems Terrace farming Road systems Canals Burning fossil fuels

Deserts Arid climate with little precipitation and little vegetation Can be hot (Sahara) or cold (Siberia, Antarctica) Isolate and protect Sahara in North Africa protects Egypt from invasion People find ways to adapt to deserts Use of camels on Trans-Saharan trade routes Irrigation systems (Egypt) Bantu Migration

Rivers -Nile River- Egypt -Tigris and Euphrates Rivers- Mesopotamia Earliest civilizations develop around rivers fresh water fertile soil irrigation trade and transportation -Nile River- Egypt -Tigris and Euphrates Rivers- Mesopotamia -Indus River- India -Yellow River/Huang He- China

Mountains Provide isolation Himalayan Mountains separate China and India Mountain lead to Greek city-states (polis) But also provide protection Alps protect northern Italy from invasion Mountains can cause difficulties growing food, so terrace farming helps civilizations produce enough food for everyone Examples: China, Inca (South America)

Islands/Archipelagos Island nations benefit from natural protection and water access But these nations are also isolated and many times lack natural resources Example: Japan

Other Geography Terms Plains- large flat grassy areas Peninsula- land surrounded by water on three sides Italy, Korea, Arabian, India Strait- narrow strip of water between land Monsoon- seasonal winds that bring rain to India and allow crops to grow Ring of Fire- Pacific area with many volcanoes, earthquakes, and other disasters

Human Impacts Humans adapt their environment to their needs in various different ways Irrigation systems Terrace farming Road systems Canals Burning fossil fuels Nuclear power

Irrigation Systems Process of getting water to crops- usually involves digging ditches or building machines like water wheels Early civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and China built irrigation ditches to get water from rivers to fields Romans used aqueducts to carry water into fields

Terrace Farming Growing crops in mountainous terrain is difficult because excessive rain can lead to land slides. Terrace farming allowed civilizations that developed in mountains to grow ample food for people Chinese Japanese Inca

Road Systems Large empires created road systems to quickly move information, goods, and soldiers Romans (“all roads lead to Rome”) Inca

Canals Manmade waterways linking two bodies of water to speed up trade and use less fuel Suez Canal (Egypt) Panama Canal (Central America) Grand Canal (China)

Burning Fossil Fuels Burning natural fuels such as coal or gas releases carbon dioxide Creates acid rain and other pollution Contributes to global warming Kyoto Protocol – international agreement to limit emission of carbon dioxide Shows that international cooperation is needed

Trade and Geography Waterways like rivers and oceans promote trade Mountains, deserts, and jungles limit trade All trading causes cultural diffusion Benefits: new ways of doing things, goods, belief systems Negatives: dangerous, high prices, disease spread Major trade routes: Silk Road Saharan Trade Routes Mediterranean Sea Routes Triangle Trade/Columbian Exchange

Silk Road The Silk Road was a series of trade routes that connected China to the Mediterranean region. Chinese traded silk for food goods, etc Cultural diffusion- Buddhism goes from India into China, Daoism goes from China into Central Asia Silk Road trade increased during the Pax Mongolia, but also leads to the Black Death

Mediterranean Trade The Mediterranean Sea allowed both the Ancient Greeks and Ancient Romans to become dominant trading societies Mediterranean Sea connected Asia to Europe- after the Crusades coastal cities like Constantinople and Venice become very wealthy

Saharan Trade Routes Saharan trade routes connected West Africa to the Mediterranean Mansa Musa (of Mali) created a powerful trading empire around the city of Timbuktu, which became a center of learning and commerce To trade in the arid desert climate, traders relied on camels Major products traded: salt and gold Cultural diffusion: spread of Islam

Columbian Exchange After the Crusades, Europeans were searching for a way to access Indian markets Christopher Columbus, sponsored by the Spanish, tried to sail west around the world to India Instead, he discovered the American continents, bringing more food to Europe and increasing the population

Triangle Trade As more people settled in the Americas and the natives died (from overwork under the Encomienda system and disease), a new labor source was needed Soon African men, women, and children were being transported along the Middle Passage to America to be slaves

Review Which is an accurate statement about Japan’s natural resources? Japan has extensively used the seas for fishing Large reserves of petroleum are located in the northern part of Japan Japan has large fertile plains suitable for growing grain Large coal and iron-ore deposits are located in the mountain region

Review An effect of mountainous topography on Inca and Chinese civilizations was the development of Industrialization Single-crop economy Desalination projects Terrace farming

Review Which geographic factor has most strongly influenced Russia’s foreign policies and economic development? Lack of resources Vast desert regions Limited access to warm-water ports Extensive mountain ranges

Review A topographical map would most likely be used to Identify the major agricultural products of Egypt Determine the population of Beijing, China Estimate the elevation of Bangkok, Thailand Count the number of provinces in India

Review The Russian Steppe is most similar in topography to the Mountains in Switzerland Deserts in the Middle East Rainforests in South America Savannahs in Africa

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