Student Handout 1.2A Flashcards
What are 4 key environmental factors
Water Topography Minerals Vegetation
___ is the EvF that has the greatest influence on whether or not human settlement will thrive.
water
Most human settlements are build near ____
freshwater
Freshwater sources include
lakes and rivers
Water can act as a source of ___ and ___
food and transportation
Topography is the __________
natural shape of the land
Humans prefer to settle in __, ___ land such as ___ and ____
flat, fertile … plains or valleys
why don’t humans like to settle in deserts or mountainous regions
natural barriers that make travel difficult
____ are sometimes called the “hidden” EvF
minerals
where are minerals found
below the earth’s surface …in mountainous regions
5 well known minerals include?
gold, silver, iron, copper, and tin
In contrast to minerals, ____ is a visible EvF
vegetation
How are grasses, plants and trees used?
sources of food, tools, and building materials
What EvF is impacted by region and climate …and how?
vegetation: in harsh climates such as desert regions plant life is scarce
___ climate regions have ____ and a variety of plant life
moderate … predictable rainfall
Where is the best place to live in Mesopotamia?
Most (i.e. like the Sumerians who did first) settled in south between Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Rich water supply and a flat topography. Rivers supply food: fish and waterfowl.
What are some drawbacks to living in southern Mesopotamia
lack of natural barriers made it easy for nomadic groups from Syrian Desert & Zagros Mountains to move-in.
Limited mineral and vegetation led to war
Taurus mountains contained minerals like copper & tin
lots of fights to access trade routes
Where did most settle …why …and when?
starting in 5500 B.C.E
from Canaan, Arabian Desert, and Nubian Desert
came to Egypt: “the Gift of the Nile”
along banks of Nile
for it’s predicatable (July) cycle of flooding …leaving dry ground moist and rich for farming
also animals and vegation: fish, ducks, geese, and edible waterbirds in the delta
Papyrus (reeds) harvested and made into baskets, paper, and sandals
3 deserts protect from invasion, thus no big investment in military tech (like in Mesopotamia)
Where, When, Why settle in Canaan
around 8000 B.C.E.
settled near Jordan River for its abundance of animal, vegetation, & water
some farmed with simple tools and animal-drawn plows
the large village of Jericho was a weathly walled city
Cons: besides Jordan river valley an dcost near mediterranean sea, Canaan was small with varied landscape.
most were poor nomadic herders (not farmers) due to fertile plains, grassy slopes, rocky hills and arid deserts
folowing flocks (sheep, goat, cattle, donkey, camel) along edges of Syrian and Negev Deserts and into rolling hills
few minerals but numerious land and sea routes for traders: Gold & spices from Arabia across Negev and timber floated down from Lebanon mountains
