Human Heritage: A World History

“Geographic Features of Greece”

Introduction
Greece consists of hundreds of islands that extend into Asia, along with the Greek mainland. The Greek mainland is a peninsula. A peninsula is a body of land with water on three sides. The physical geography of the region affected the development of the Minoan civilization and what the people did for a living. The Minoan civilization emerged on the island of Crete. The Minoan civilization became a great sea power as a result of the physical geography. To learn more about how geography influenced the development of the Minoan civilization, visit the National Geographic MapMachine Web site.

Destination Title: National Geographic MapMachine

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Directions
Start at the National Geographic MapMachine Web site.

• Under “Quick Map Search,” type Greece and click on “Find.” Then click on “Greece, country, Europe.”
• Browse the site, and review the different types of maps for Greece.
• Examine the satellite and elevation maps to answer the following questions.

1			What country is located east of Greece?
2			What major body of water surrounds the Greek peninsula?
3			What is the purpose of the different colors on the elevation map of Greece?
4			How would you generally describe Greece using the elevation map?
5			Using the satellite and elevation maps, why do you think the Minoans were a great sea power?
6			Do you think the physical geography of the land helped or prevented interaction among different Greek communities?Explain.
7			Imagine that you are a writer for a tourist magazine traveling through Greece. Write an article that describes the country as you travel from east to west. Include details about the land’s physical features and discuss the ease of traveling from island to island and throughout the mountains.