Ancient Greece`s Geography By: Ryan Tanner What is Greece`s geography and how did it affect its early settlers?

Mainland Greece Mainland Greece has many mountains, some coastal plains, and valleys. The mountain ranges include the Olympic Mountains, Pindus Mountains, and the Pelion Mountains. Mainland Greece is also home to Greece`s tallest mountain, Mount Olympus, which stands at 7,979 feet above sea level. Most of Greece`s regions made it difficult for growing crops because of the lack of water and poor soil.

The Peloponnese Peninsula The Peloponnese Peninsula is connected to Mainland Greece by a small sliver of land on the Northeast side of the Peninsula near the settlement called Corinth. The Peloponnesus consists of the Taygetos Mountain Range. It also has settlements that were important in Ancient Greek history, such as Sparta.

Islands The Islands are mainly located In the Aegean Sea and the Sea of Crete. The islands number at more than 2,000, but most were not suitable for settlers to develop communities. Crete, the largest island in Greece, was very suitable for communities to be developed and contained the White Mountains. Many of the islands were very small and grouped together. Also, many of the islands’ geography included a flat land mass, with unusual instances where mountains have formed on them.

Mountains The mountains separated many of the Greek communities and influenced them to interact and communicate with outsiders from other countries. Many of the settlements were developed in valleys or flat areas and avoided the mountains. Mount Olympus is said to have spiritual and religious power and attracted monks and hermits. They lived in caves in the mountains and in the nearby forests.

The 3 Seas The 3 main seas that surround Greece are the Mediterranean, Ionic and the Aegean. Because of the dangers that they cause, the Greeks sailed along the coast. Others that are around Greece are the Adriatic Sea, Sea of Crete and the Sea of Marma. Due to the amount of coastline, bays and water, shipbuilding, fishing and seafaring were important to the Greeks.

Farming In Greece, farming was very difficult because the soil was poor and leveled land was scarce. Very few farmers grew wheat and barley because those crops took too much land. Farmers mostly grew olives, grapes and fruit if they were even able to do so. This provided olive oil for cooking, making soap and fuel for lamps. Farmers grew their crops along the coast because of the coastal plains and more flat land. Cattle were unable to graze along the hillsides, so the Greeks raised sheep and goats. These animals provided milk, yogurt, cheese and wool for clothing. They also kept oxen, donkeys and mules for plowing the farmland, as well as pigs and chickens. Food shortages caused wars between Greek communities for their good farmland. Due to the scarcity of good farmland, many Greek settlements sent people across the seas to colonize new areas, which provided new farmland.

Trading and Colony Creation As the population of Ancient Greece increased, the Greeks began trading among different countries. These countries included: France, Italy, Spain, Africa, and Asia Minor (present-day Turkey). When trading, the Greeks traveled by ship for quicker transportation as compared to land travel. After trading for many years, Greeks began colonizing Asia Minor, Spain, France, Italy, Africa and along the coast of the Black Sea. Colonizing began from 1,000 BCE to 650 BCE. Colonizing helped spread the Greek culture and new ideas between countries. Olive oil and pottery from the mainland were traded for goods such as grain, timber and metal.

Conclusion I believe that the geography of Ancient Greece influenced the early settlers to communicate with nearby countries. This helped the Greeks thrive and spread their knowledge throughout the ancient world.

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