Location, Location, Location

The importance of geography in history.

This photo was taken from the Columbia.

It shows Europe and Africa when the sun is setting. The bright dots are the cities' lights.

The top part of Africa is the Sahara Desert .

To the left, on top, is Greenland, totally frozen.   

The Continents

Benefits and Problems

The Americas were isolated from the mainstream of history

Most of Africa was isolated from the mainstream of civilization

The Sahara Desert

RainForests

Eurasia

NileRiver

Mesopotamia

IndusRiver

YellowRiver

EUROPE

ASIA

Spread of Civilization

Asia Minor

Syria Mesopotamia

Egypt

Palestine

Arabia

Persian Gulf

Iran

Nubia

NomadsGoats/ sheep

NomadsGoats/horses

Farming

Farming

The Eurasian Steppe

China

ARABIAIRAN

Mesopotamia

EUROPE

Egypt

Indus Valley

THE STEPPE

ASIATHE STEPPE

HimalayaMountains

THE STEPPE

AsiaMinor

Northern Forests

Siberia

Natural Resources

Oil wells timber

Iron ore

Carrying Capacity

• Carrying capacity is a term used by biologists and anthropologists to describe the limitations of the local environment to support a population of animals or people.

• Any territory can only support a certain number of people.

• Different environments can carry or support different numbers of people.

• Carrying capacity can be changed by how the land is used. Hunters and gatherers need more land than farmers. Old fashioned farmers could grow fewer crops on the same land than farmers using modern techniques.

Beliefs and Ideas

Extra Credit

For up to five points in extra credit write a paragraph on why geography is important

to how a civilization develops.

Explain the advantages and disadvantages of being isolated and how this effected the early development of the civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia.