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Concept Connector Study Guide
Geography’s Impact
Essential Question: How have geographic factors affected the course of
history?
A.
Define geography.
B.
Record information about the topics listed in the Cumulative Review or your answers to
the questions in the Cumulative Review below. Use the Concept Connector Handbooks at the
end of your textbook, as well as chapter information, to complete this worksheet.
1. Rivers and the Rise of Civilization
The earliest civilizations to develop were situated on major rivers. Rivers provided important resources such as a regular water supply and a means of transportation. The animals that flocked to rivers were a source of food. Most
important, conditions in river valleys favored farming. Floodwaters spread silt
across the valleys, renewing the soil and keeping it fertile. Examples of civilizations that developed near a major river are Sumer, between the Tigris and
Euphrates; the Indus River valley civilization; and Egypt on the Nile.
2. The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
The Tigris and Euphrates rivers played an important role in the development of
the world’s first civilization around 3300 B.C. in a region called Sumer. Sumer was
located between these two rivers. The rivers lie within the Fertile Crescent, a
region in the Middle East. The rivers often flooded, destroying farmland, so early
villagers learned to work together to control flooding. In the dry season, people
worked together to channel water to the fields. Temple priests or officials provided leadership for these large projects. Within a few hundred years, 12 citystates were located in the region.
3. The Aegean and Mediterranean Seas
The civilizations of the Minoans, Mycenaeans, and ancient Greeks were greatly
influenced by the Aegean and Mediterranean seas. The Minoans (1600 B.C.–
1400 B.C.) and Mycenaeans (1400 B.C.–1200 B.C.) were sea traders. Through trade,
both groups came into contact with Egypt and Mesopotamia. From these contacts,
they acquired ideas about writing and architecture that they adapted to their own
cultures. Mountains divided Greek city-states from one another. For the Greeks,
the seas provided a vital link to the world outside. The Greeks became skilled
sailors and carried cargoes throughout the eastern Mediterranean and, through
trade, also acquired new ideas. By 750 B.C., population growth forced many
Greeks to expand overseas. Greek colonies developed around the Mediterranean.
Wherever they traveled, Greek settlers carried their ideas and culture.
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GEOGRAPHY’S IMPACT (continued)
4. Geographic Environments of Developing Civilizations
Rivers, seas, mountains, valleys, and rain forests have been very important to civilizations. Geographic features can encourage or discourage trade, lead to cultural
diffusion and cooperation, and provide protection from attack. In Mesoamerica, the
Aztec built their capital on a swampy island in Lake Texcoco. To increase farmland,
the Aztec built floating gardens of earth and reeds. They created canals for transportation and linked the city to the mainland with wide stone causeways. In South
Asia, the Himalayas and Hindu Kush mountains protected the developing civilizations of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro from invaders. Melting snow from the mountains flowed into the Indus and Brahmaputra rivers, making agriculture possible.
5. The Ocean’s Influence on the Vikings
The Vikings made their home in Scandinavia, in the region that now includes
Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. They were expert sailors. In the 700s, they sailed
down the coasts and rivers of Europe, looting and burning communities. They were
also traders and explorers, setting up trade routes as far as the Mediterranean.
Vikings settled across the ocean in England, Ireland, France, and parts of Russia.
6. The Importance of Rivers to Early Cultures
The rivers of Russia and Eastern Europe provided highways for migration, trade,
and ideas. Russia’s network of rivers, running north to south, linked early
Russians to the advanced Byzantine world in the south. Vikings used the rivers to
trade with Constantinople, the Byzantine capital. It was from a Viking tribe called
the Rus that Russia got its name. The rivers of Eastern Europe also flow north and
south. Consequently, the cultures of Eastern Europe felt the influence of Russia
and the Byzantine empire. When Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks in
1453, Eastern European cultures were influenced by the Muslims.
7. Geography and Cultural Development in Eastern Europe and Africa
In Eastern Europe, geographic features such as rivers allowed easy movement of
people, goods, and ideas. In Africa, geographic features were often barriers to
movement. The Sahara, a vast desert, hindered trade until the introduction of the
camel from Asia as a form of transportation. The interior of Africa is a high plateau.
Rivers with waterfalls were barriers to trade and movement. On the other hand, the
Great Rift Valley served as an interior passageway and the Mediterranean and Red
seas provided trade routes to regions in southeast Asia and present-day Europe.
Between 800 and 1600, valuable resources such as gold, salt, iron, and copper
brought great wealth to African kingdoms and trading states.
8. The Impact of Geography in Japan and Mesopotamia
Mesopotamian civilization developed in the Fertile Crescent between the Tigris
and Euphrates rivers. There were very few natural barriers. Nomadic peoples or
ambitious warriors descended on the rich cities of the Fertile Crescent. The region
was also a crossroads for the mingling of beliefs and ideas. On the other hand,
geography set Japan apart. Japan is made up of a series of islands. Most of the
land was too mountainous to farm. The seas protected and isolated Japan. They
also offered plentiful food resources, and the Japanese developed a thriving fishing industry. Japan’s isolation helped it develop and maintain a distinct culture.
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GEOGRAPHY’S IMPACT (continued)
9. Location and the Relationship Between Latin America and the United
States, 1800–1914 (Chapter 10, page 345)
10. The Effect of Oil on the History of Saudi Arabia and the United States
(Chapter 16, page 575)
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GEOGRAPHY’S IMPACT (continued)
C. Sample Topics for Thematic Essays
Below are examples of thematic essay topics that might appear on a test. Prepare for the test
by outlining an essay for each topic on a separate sheet of paper. Use the Concept Connector
Handbooks at the end of your textbook, as well as chapter information, to outline your essays.
1. Select two cities or countries whose locations have helped in their military
defense. Discuss each location and describe how geography made foreign invasions more difficult. You may consider Paris, England, Japan, or other locations.
2. How did Britain’s location and climate help it rise to global prominence from
1700 to 1800?
3. Explain how the availability of natural resources helped Great Britain and the
United States become leaders in the Industrial Revolution.
4. How has geography posed a challenge to unity in Indonesia?
5. Describe how the location of the United States and Latin America led to the development of the Monroe Doctrine and the Roosevelt Corollary and how these policies shaped the relationship between the United States and Latin America.
6. Explain why the location of the Ottoman empire made it a desirable ally during
World War I. How did its decision to join the Central Powers affect the war?
7. Why does the location of the Middle East make it the focus of many conflicts in
the modern world?
8. Describe how desertification affected early migrations in Africa and how it may
affect Africa’s future.
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