Page 139 - ABCTE Study Guide_Neat

The environment affected the nature of ancient civilizations in other ways as well. Ancient Greece, for
example, was politically fragmented because of its mountainous terrain. Its extensive coastline
encouraged the Greeks to develop an interest in the sea and in trade, spurring their colonization of parts
of modern Italy and Asia Minor. Similarly, early Roman civilization was fostered by its mountains and the
sea, which helped to repel intruders while Rome established its strength internally.

Rivers, ports, and the availability of natural resources continue to play a major role in the development
and health of nations. The destruction of the port of New Orleans as a result of hurricane Katrina sent
economic ripples throughout the country, while fights within and between nations over increasingly scarce
water resources are an escalating problem.

Tools of the Trade: Maps

The surface area of the Earth is more than 195,000,000 square miles, and much of it has been mapped
by geographers over the last millennia. As you can see from Johannes Kepler's map below, thoughts
about the Earth as a whole and its attendant features is not a new matter.

Kepler's map

Indeed, maps probably pre-dated written language; one of the oldest is found on the wall in the Catal
Hyuk, an ancient site in modern-day Turkey from about 6000 BCE. Click on the links below to different
styles of maps and the information they convey.

Ice Age Coverage