1. The Influence of Environment on
MEDITERRANEAN CIVILIZATION

2. Temperature, wind, precipitation was stable = comfortable living conditions
Hot summers, cool mild and wet winters
A surplus of food production
Support a growing population
CLIMATE

3. VEGETATION Evergreens, olive trees
Crops (watered by aqueducts and regions rainfall)
Majority grains (wheat, rye, barley) = population growth
Approx. 90% of Romans lived by farming
VEGETATION

4. SOILS Light and crumbly – good for absorbing/draining water
Support healthy crops
Terra rossa ‘red soil’ – a clay soil, good for draining – grapes = wine = trade
Rocky soil – support olive trees = trade
Today because of water and wind erosion, the top soil cannot support the populations it used to (do you think soil erosion started with the Romans?)

5. Rhine River and Danube River run across the Northern Roman Empire providing protection from invasions (map on pg. 10)
Waterways to travel, transport food, supplies, etc.
Richer soils in river valleys = population support
RIVER VALLEYS

6. A lot of mountains in Med. Region – Pyrenees, Alps = added protection
Compare to mountains on Vancouver North Shore
Westerly winds coming off the water, gets pushed up the mountain lowering the dew point. A lower dew point allows clouds to form = more precipitation = support fertile crops = cooler, milder temperatures
MOUNTAINS

7. SEAS Superhighway for expansion of cultures between 3 continents
Transportation routes – easier travel
Trade routes
Expansion of Roman ideas and religions
Borrowing of culture/ideas from other empires
Food source – fish
Escape route from invasions
Keeps the climate mild (not too hot or too cold)
SEAS