Geographic Features

A. Geographic Features Description of Geographic Countries/areas affected by How has this feature affected the society? Feature this feature A river is a moving body of Egypt (The Nile) Civilizations begin in river valleys due to the

s water that usually has its Mesopotamia (Tigris and reliable source of water for agriculture and human y e

l source in an area of high Euphrates) needs. Plentiful water, and the enrichment of the l

a ground. Over time, many China (Yellow/Huang) soil due to annual floods, made it possible to grow V

r rivers have carved out river excess crops. This allowed for some members of e v

i valleys as they flow. the community to engage in non-agricultural

R activities such as construction of buildings and cities. Led to the end of nomadic life. l

a Materials or substances such Africa (Diamonds) Countries that have natural resources are usually r u

t as minerals, forests, water, South America (fertile land) conquered by countries that lack natural resources. a

N and fertile land that occur in India (spices) (Imperialism) Japan attacked Pearl Harbor s

e nature and can be used for because it needed oil (a natural resource) and the c r

u economic gain. U.S. stopped trading. o s e R Oceans and seas are large The four oceans are the Act as a barrier to both cultural diffusion and bodies of salt water. The Atlantic, the Pacific, the invasion. However, many civilizations developed difference between the two is Indian, and the Arctic. An good sea travel and could overcome this effect. s

a that a sea is smaller than an example of a sea would be Great Britain, Portugal, Spain, Greece, the Roman e the Red Sea which lies S

ocean, and is generally Empire, the Netherlands, Early China, and Japan

d between Africa and Asia in

n surrounded by land. all were major naval powers at one time or

a the Middle East.

s another. Oceans and seas acted as highways of n

a trade, cultural diffusion, and invasion. Oceans e

c and seas also provide a rich source of food and O other resources, such as minerals and oil. Monsoons are seasonal wind from Africa to India which allowed fertile soil and trade. A natural fuel such as coal or Fossil fuels are not Most countries rely on fossil fuels are willing to gas, formed in the geological distributed evenly across the do a lot to get them. The U.S. and Britain s l

e past from the remains of Earth. The United States, overthrew an elected leader in Iran and put in the u

F living organisms. Russia, and China have the Shah to have better access to oil. The people of

l i

s largest coal deposits in the Iran were unhappy and this led to the Iranian s

o world. The Middle East has Revolution and the poor relationship with Iran F some of the largest oil today. deposits. s

e Mountains are areas of land India, protected by the Mountains often act as barriers to invasion, but g

n with steep sides that rise Himalaya Mountains also prevent cultural diffusion. Mountains also a usually lack useable farm land. In both China and R sharply from surrounding China

n Mesoamerica (Inca), terraces or steps, were cut i land. Mesopotamia a

t into the mountain providing an area of flat land n

u suitable for crops. This is known as terrace o farming. M Deserts are areas of land with The Sahara Desert in North Deserts often act as barriers to civilizations, as s t

r very little plant life, no Africa crossing a desert is often very difficult, if not e

s farmland, and a hot and dry The Gobi Desert in China impossible. This means the area is protected but e

D climate. also no cultural diffusion. s

o An Island is an area of land Iceland, Great Britain, and Islands often lack many natural resources and are g a l completely surrounded by Madagascar are islands. forced to trade with other nations. Most island e p i water. Japan is an archipelagos. nations develop good forms of sea travel, such as h c r Archipelagos, which are Great Britain and Japan. A /

s chains of islands. d n a l s I

B. Multiple Choice

1. Which is an accurate statement about Japan’s natural resources? 1. Japan has extensively used the seas for fishing 2. large reserves of petroleum are located in the northern part of Japan 3. Japan has large fertile plains suitable for growing grain 4. large coal and iron-ore deposits are located in the mountain region

2. An effect of a mountainous topography on Inca and Chinese civilizations was the development of 1. industrialization 2. single-crop economy 3. desalinization projects 4. terrace farming 3. Which generalization about geography of Latin America is accurate? 1. geographic features prevented foreign imperialism 2. harsh climatic conditions have prevented the development of large-scale agriculture 3. the lack of geographic barriers facilitated the development of transportation and communication systems 4. great variations in latitude and landforms resulted in a diversity of climates

4. Which geographic factor has had the most influence on Poland's historical and cultural development? 1. a severe climate 2. vast deposits of oil 3. location on the great European Plain 4. a rugged coastline

5. Which of these nations is located closet to the Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia? 1. Korea 2. Vietnam 3. Somalia 4. Pakistan

C. Thematic Essay

Write the first body paragraph: