Ancient Civilization Vs Aksum Empire

A nation’s capability to adapt to its terrain and to utilize its natural resources is often critical in determining the ability people to survive in its land. This was evident in numerous successful ancient civilizations like the Egyptian civilization, organized around the Nile River, which ruled from 3200-1640 BCE. To the south, and a few millennia later, the Aksum Empire adapted to its mountainous terrain and long seacoast to dominate trade and agriculture from 100-750 CE. Just before the Aksumites, the Greeks powerfully exerted force between 750-388 BCE, specializing their agriculture and relying on the seacoast to make up for poor soil and mountainous terrain. The ability to adapt their lives, especially their creation of new technologies, …show more content…
The ancient world was one of daring conquests, ingenious inventions, and destructive downfalls, as the people struggled to adapt to their geography..

The Nile river was the significant natural resource around which Egyptian life was organized. The Nile, one of the longest rivers in the world, starting near Kenya and flowing northeast into the Mediterranean Sea, provided life for the citizens, promoted innovation, and protected the people of Ancient Egypt. Every year this river would flood and recceed. In order to be able to maximize their harvest which grew best in the time after the flooding, the Egyptians, observing the pattern, created a calendar solely based on the river. The result was not only that they could plan for the flooding season, but that they were motivated to invent technologies for irrigation that would allow them to harness the power of the River. They dug trenches, water reserves, and canals, each sending water to specific areas around their territory. This limited the amount of damage that the river …show more content…
2000 islands were scattered around the main peninsula of Greece, located on the Aegean and Ionian seas. Three - fourths of these lands are covered in mountains, dividing it into multitudinous regions. This provided poleis to form, each polis maintained its own independent community, having a different culture which suited each region. Like the Egyptian Civilization, resting on the Nile, the Ancient Greeks had to adapt to this terrain. Farming was difficult due to rocky soil and only around one- fourth of the Greek peninsula and surrounding islands was arable. Unlike the Nile River, streams that watered these tiny slivers of fertile land were not capable of large scale projects and irrigation systems. This affected the culture and the social harmony of the Ancient Greeks. Because of uneven terrain and a disconnected system of travel, getting from one place to another took days. Because of this many migrations to societies with these fertile lands were difficult. Peace with other poleis was strenuous. The need for resources pushed ties to the breaking point. Following this tension was wars. Skirmishes and clashes continued all throughout the Ancient Greek history. The oceans and the seas around the Greek mainland was the key factor that let the Greeks last for over 400 years. What was lacking in agriculture and natural resources the Greeks made up for it in sea trade. Wine, olives, cheese,