Impact Of Geography On Ancient Egypt

The Impact of Geography on Ancient Civilizations
In ancient times, geography made a large impact on how society functioned and developed in civilizations. Anything from religion, trade, architecture, economy , etc. fluctuated based on location and what surrounded the societies of ancient times. Geography changed society in Egypt in many ways such as the isolation of Egypt from the Middle East. This isolation gave Egypt a strong identity, while the Nile River gave Egypt a great place for the people to grow food. The Nile has a predictable flood, believed to have been a blessing from their merciful gods in ancient times. Ancient Mesopotamia was impacted by geography because the civilizations lived in areas of great exposure with unpredictable …show more content…
This is exactly how Egypt was in ancient times. Egypt is located in the northeast corner of Africa. Egypt’s isolation from the Middle East caused Egypt to have a unique religion and culture unlike any other in the world. Egyptian culture was almost purely from their people, with very little mix of other cultures from the Middle East because the Red and Mediterranean Seas had a relatively small amount of land between them connecting Egypt to the Middle East. Egypt was hot and dry being close to the Equator. The Nile River provided consistent floods that were a representation of good and loving gods that wanted to help the people of Egypt. These floods brought fertile soil and moisture to grow crops bringing the people of Egypt a good harvest. Had the Nile not gone through Egypt or the land mass between the Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea been larger, the culture of Egypt would have differed. The Egyptians would have had difficulty sustaining themselves without a river, possibly moving locations. The culture of the Egyptians also would have been different with a larger exposure to civilizations. Had the geography been different during ancient times, Egypt would surely not be how we know it today. This shows that geography had a play in the development of Ancient Egyptian …show more content…
This is exactly how the cultures of Ancient Mesopotamia spread. Some things that were shared were writing, languages, and beliefs. With the exposure of living in the Middle East, Ancient Mesopotamian cultures spread and dispersed. With this geographical exposure also came no physical protection from conquerors. Ancient Mesopotamia encountered many rulers, also bringing other cultures and beliefs with them. The unpredictable flooding of the the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers (the main source of water for crops) in Mesopotamia among other things lead the people to develop beliefs that wrathful gods ruled over them, leading them to worship them strictly. This devotion lead to the building of large temples known as Ziggurats used to worship their gods daily. Without this exposure to other civilizations Ancient Mesopotamia would have been more unique without outside contributions. Without the help from other civilizations, Ancient Mesopotamia may not have been as advanced as a society. Were the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers not placed where they were, life would have been different in Mesopotamia. Food sources would have changed, leading to other changes. This clearly shows that geography played a big role in the development and growth of Ancient