Ancient Greece

How has the geography of New York impacted your lives? Driving Vacation School Clothing Recreation Geography had the same impacts on Ancient Greeks

Geography of Greece located in southern eastern Europe

An area of land almost entirely surrounded by water Peninsula An area of land almost entirely surrounded by water

The Land Rugged mountains covered about 3/4 of Ancient Greece. Mountains divided the land into a number of different regions. Small valleys were used for farming but unfortunately, most of the land was too rocky to farm. Difficult to irrigate crops

Economy of Ancient Greece Barley & Wheat were grown to make bread Grapes and olives were easy to grow in rocky and hilly areas Sailing was popular way to trade

Olive Oil Most valuable Greek product was olive oil Greeks sold the Olive Oil to get other goods that they could not produce

Role of bodies of water Main source of food through fishing industry Most important routes for trade and travel will be the seas Military will depend on sailing the seas to expand the Greek empire Communication

Impact of Geography Advantages Disadvantages Protection Easy to trade Solid fishing industry Specialized crops- grapes, olives, etc. Excellent for sailing Difficult for agriculture Tough to travel across land Inconsistent climate Very spread out Few rivers

Government as a Result of Geography - Formal governments (City-States) were established in Greece Polis – A city and its surrounding countryside. Acropolis – Citizens gathered to discuss government

Government… ALL Greek city-states had different governments: Monarchy – King Aristocracy – Lead by small group of Nobles Oligarchy – Lead by small group of powerful people Democracy – Lead by the people

Oligarchy 2 or more MEN making decisions for the entire city-state Usually military leaders Citizens were not given a voice in government – opinions of others were not valid

DEMOCRACY! Democracy – Rule by the people Developed because poorer citizens began to demand a voice in their government. Held large meetings to discuss and vote on important issues

FAIR! Included rich and poor People could speak their minds All citizens could participate Peacefully settled disputes Age restrictions Paid for service

UNFAIR! Only some men could vote No women’s rights Limited citizenship Slavery Money and power still had advantages