Notes

How did geographic features encourage the growth of settlements in the Fertile Crescent ?
We will LEARN about the geography of the crescent.
We will IDENTIFY the major physical features of the Fertile Crescent.
We will DESCIBE the physical geography and climate of the Fertile Crescent.
We will EXPLAIN the role of physical geography in the rise of civilization.
The Fertile Crescent is:
* located next to three large bodies of water.
* crossed by the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
* bordered by the Zagros Mountains and deserts.
The Fertile Crescent was home early civilizations.
* sumer
* Akkad
* Babylonia

Water was an important resources that helped settlements grow.
* Water was used for drinking, bathing, growing plants, and raising animals.
* Rivers and seas were used for moving people and trading goods.

Political Geography:
Where ancient civilizations once succeeded, modern, countries, and cities now exist.

Climate of the Fertile Crescent
* Climates relates to average weather of an area over many years.
* The area receives 10 inches of rain per year.
* The Fertile Crescent is hot and dry.
* The area experiences floods and droughts.

Floods
Spring rain and melting snow from the Zagros mountains caused rivers to flood.
* Floods provided more water.
* Floods carried fertile soil to the land.

Droughts
Droughts occur when there are long periods without much rainfall.
* Droughts led ancient people to create ways to control the water they had.
* Canals
* Dams
* Reservoirs

Resources of the Fertile Crescent
The Fertile Crescent had important natural resources that encouraged settlement.
* Water
* Fertile soil
* Floodplains
* Mud, clay, and reeds

Climate of the Fertile Crescent Today
* The climate of the Fertile Crescent is hotter and drier than its ancient time.
* The average temperatures are above 104 degrees.
* The average rainfall is 3.9-7.5 inches per year.
* The area experiences longer periods of droughts.
* Large dams help to mange water supplies.

Adapting to climate
Early settlements grew near freshwater sources in the Fertile Crescent.
To control their water supply, early farmers developed:
* Dams and canals to control floods.
* irrigation systems to water crops.
* Reservoirs to store water.

Adapting to the Environment
Early people adapted to the environment of the Fertile Crescent
* Mud bricks and bundles or reeds were used to build homes.
* Mud brick walls surrounded cites for protection and flood control.

Trade in the Fertile Crescent
As settlements in the Fertile Crescent grew, they began to trade with other people in southwest Asia.
* They relied on the seas and rivers for trade routes.
* They produced grain, dates, wool, cloth, and pottery to trade.
* They traded for wood, metals, and stones, that were not available in their area.
* They traded for luxury items and such as gold, silver, and ivory.