Civilization & Geographic Condition - PDF

Civilization comes from Latin word civitas, which means cities. In practice, it is characterized by the presence of a well-organized religion, a structured society, government, economy, knowledge of science and the arts, and the presence of a system of writing. Civilization is the...

Civilization comes from Latin word civitas, which means cities. In practice, it is characterized by the presence of a well-organized religion, a structured society, government, economy, knowledge of science and the arts, and the presence of a system of writing. Civilization is the limitless multiplication of unnecessary necessities." — Mark Twain  Mesopotamia: “Land Between Two Rivers” The area between the twin rivers of Western Asia, the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers where present- day Iraq lies, was once blessed with a fertile land known as Mesopotamia or “Land Between Two Rivers”.  Mesopotamia: “Land Between Two Rivers” The birthplace of many civilizations. This was believed as the site of the Plain of Shinar or the Garden of Eden in the Old Testament.  Flooding was a problem for people of this region. Floods became unpredictable. Forces the people in Southern Mesopotamia to modify their life.  People made use of their river water efficiently. Irrigation channels to dry lands and to save water.  Agriculture became successful in Mesopotamia. Rich in clay that they use to made houses and writing tablets.  Easy target for invasion. Its lack of natural protection like mountains. geographic setting The Nile River Longest river in the world. Herodotus referred to Egyptians land as the Gift of the Nile because the river is considered as the sole source of irrigation in the vast Egyptian desert. Nile River is considered a key factor that shapes ancient Egypt’s history. The Egyptians used to call their land Kemet which means “Black Land” and divided them into Lower and Upper Egypt.  Lower Egypt is located on the northern direction while Upper Egypt is found on the southern section. Egypt is surrounded by four major deserts like Nubian Desert in the south, Syrian Desert in the north, Arabian Desert in the east, and the Libyan Desert to the west. The deserts serve as protective barriers against invaders.  Egyptians were also able to maximize the natural resources located along the river banks of the Nile. The fiber and stem of the papyrus plant were used for shipbuilding and for paper- making. https://youtu.be/6nhIR- MK08E?feature=shared  Farming became productive The Nile River because of the annual overflowing of the Nile. Used for transportation and communication during ancient times. Served as highway connecting the Lower and Upper Egypt. The Nile River Nature playes an importnat role in the religious life of Egypt. It is their belief that god controlled the forces of nature.  India is bordered with natural barriers on the north by the Himalayas and the Hindu Kush Mountains.  India is divided into three diverse region: 1. Northern plain 2.Deccan Plateau 3.Coastal Plain  The melted snow from the Himalayas along the East and Western Ghats carried silt deposits along the riverbanks of the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra in the north that made the land fertile and suitable for farming.  The Deccan Plateau which has a triangular shape and is located in the south of the subcontinent is surrounded in the west and east by long mountain ranges: 1. Western Ghats 2.Eastern Ghats  The Chinese consider themselves unique and believed that their land was at the center of the world. Chung Kuo “Middle Kingdom”  Oracle Bone- considered as “dragon bones”, sold by a group of Chinese pharmacists in 1899. Anyang- capital of Shang Zengzhou- earlier Shang capital Shang - was considered as China’s oldest dynasty with existing written records probably recorded by Zhou (Chou) Dynasty.  Loess- yellowish silt deposits along the Huang Ho River (Yellow River) that made the land suitable for farming. Rice and Millet - staple crops that they produced Building an irrigation system was optional Yellow River - called“the river of sorrows“ because its floods destroyed farmlands and cost many lives.