Ancient Greece Geography

Greece is a Peninsula
◦ A Peninsula is an area
of land almost
completely surrounded
by water and connected
to the mainland by a
narrow strip of land.
◦ Greece has a lot of
smaller peninsulas
sticking out from it,
which means Greece
enjoys many natural
harbors.
 Greece
is very mountainous
◦ Mountains are the major landform of
Greece
 75% of Greece is covered by
mountains
◦ Only about 1/5 of Greece is good for
growing crops
Greece has a Mediterranean climate
• Winters are mild and wet
– allows for limited farming
• Summers are warm and dry
– leads to drought


Grapes were well
suited to grow in
rocky soil because
of their woody
vines
◦ Used for Food and to
make Wine

Olives grew well
along the hillsides
◦ Used to make olive
oil

Wheat and Barley
could be grown
along the coast
◦ This typically wasn’t
enough to feed the
people.

Sheep and Goats
were herded on the
rocky hills


Easy access to sea
Greeks were great
sailors and
fisherman

Sea became a part of life
◦ Hundreds of bays to provide safe harbor
for ships
◦ Skilled sailors
 Traded olive oil, wine, and marble
 Returned with grains, metals, and ideas
 Adapted the Phoenician alphabet
 Became basis for all Western alphabets
Cut off by mountains and the seas
 Isolated
◦ Led to the formation of city-states
◦ Limited interaction and unity of
Ancient Greece
◦ Created fierce rivalries
 Common heritage, language and religion

Map of Greece
◦ Label the Major Cities of Ancient Greece

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Athens
Sparta
Marathon
Delphi
Troy
◦ Label the Major bodies of Water of Ancient Greece
 Mediterranean Sea
 Aegean Sea

Quiz on Friday…Good study guide