How Did Geography Affect The Mesopotamians

In the era of early civilizations, a nation’s safety and success was largely dependent on their location and nearby geographical features. Susceptibility to invasions by other empires and the welfare of agriculture were just some issues that posed a threat to those with unfortunate geographical locations. Some were lucky, with easy access to trade and the protection of natural barriers. Geography also played a large role in cultural diffusion and how different regions interacted with each other. For the Mesopotamians, whose agriculture, architecture and overall outlook on life was heavily impacted by the unpredictable flooding of the Tigris and Euphrates’s rivers, the impact of the two river’s was a negative one. One of the few benefits of the flooding was the water made their soil uniquely fertile, but before they built irrigation systems the flooding would wipe out any crops planted. The Mesopotamian region was relatively flat, with few forests or surrounding mountains, making them vulnerable to attacks from civilizations like Akkadians, who, under Sargon, overran the Sumerians and created the first empire in history. Their vulnerability did, however, give way to …show more content…
Empires who could communicate and trade with one another shared things like language and religion, as well as valuable resources. The Phoenicians, whose location on the Mediterranean made it easy for them to trade and communicate, developed the alphabet, which spread quickly to other Mediterranean areas like Greece. Phoenicians were also successful in the trade and importing of purple dye made by snails. More isolated areas were free to live how they wished, like the Egyptians, whose culture was preserved and untainted as they were mostly protected by natural barriers. Because of this, most religious monuments, art and other practices were well