Homework G-2 due tomorrow River Valley Civilizations Essay due Wednesday.

Aim #1: How did geography contribute to the civilization and culture of Ancient Greece? November 18, 2015

I. Geographical Features A. Greece is composed of a Peninsula (size of Louisiana) and a series of 1,400 small islands in the Aegean and Ionian seas. B. Most of the population lives along the long, irregular coastline → many harbors

Geographical Features C. Greece’s interior contains small plains and river valleys surrounded by mountain ranges. Mountains make up ¾ of the total land area. Impact on Greek culture : Mount Olympus

Natural Resources A. Greece lacks crucial resources like timber and precious metals B. Only 20 % of the land is arable (suitable for farming), and irrigation is difficult. Impact on Greek Culture:

Climate A. Moderate Mediterranean climate → made it possible to grow olives, grapes and grains (staple crops of the civilization). Impact on Greek Culture:

I. Early Greek Civilizations A. Minoan Civilization (1750 B.C B.C.): Located on Crete → named after King Minos. Prosperous trading civilization that eventually vanished. B. Mycenaean Civilization (1600 B.C. – 1100 B.C.) Loose alliance of independent city-states, with Mycenae as the strongest. Powerful warrior-kings built walls around the cities, established strong navies, transformed the people into great warriors

I. Early Greek Civilizations C. The Greek “Dark Ages” (1100 B.C.-750 B.C.) Downfall of the Mycenaeans, Dorians take over. Decline in food production until the 800s B.C. Loss of writing skills until the 700s B.C.

Concluding Question Of the geographic features of Greece we discussed, which one do you predict will be most important in shaping the history and culture of ancient Greece?