Geography of the Eastern Hemisphere
Early Civilizations
Government & Power
World Religions & Culture
Economics & Trade
100

This large body of water lies between Europe, Africa, and Asia, and was a key trade and travel route for ancient civilizations.

The Mediterranean Sea

100

This river flooded every year and left behind rich black soil, allowing ancient farmers in northeastern Africa to grow crops.

The Nile River

100

This form of government, developed in ancient Athens, gave citizens the power to vote and make decisions for their city-state.

Democracy

100

This religion began in ancient India and teaches that people go through many cycles of life, death, and rebirth based on their actions (karma).

Hinduism

100

This ancient trade network connected China to the Mediterranean, allowing goods like silk, spices, and ideas to travel thousands of miles.

The Silk Road

200

This continent contains the largest desert in the world, the Sahara, which was a natural protection from invasions for ancient Egypt.

Africa

200

DOUBLE JEOPARDY!! 

Ancient Mesopotamian civilizations developed this system of writing using wedge-shaped marks pressed into clay tablets.

Cuneiform

200

In ancient Egypt, the pharaoh held both political and religious power. What do we call a government ruled by religious leaders or principles?

Theocracy

200

Followers of this religion believe in the Five Pillars, including prayer five times a day and fasting during the month of Ramadan.

Islam

200

When one region specializes in producing something it can make well and trades with others, economists call this by this name.

Specialization (or division of labor)

300

The phrase "The Tigris River ran black with the ink of books" recalls one of the biggest intellectual tragedies during the Sack of Baghdad in 1258. This river flows through what modern-day country, in the land once called Mesopotamia.

Iraq

300

This ancient Egyptian ruler, Khufu, is famous for building one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. What is it?

The Great Pyramids of Giza

300

Julius Caesar was a powerful leader of this ancient civilization before it became an empire ruled by emperors.

Rome (The Roman Republic)

300

This religion was founded by Siddhartha Gautama, who taught that people could end suffering by following a path of moderation and mindfulness.

Buddhism

300

Ancient civilizations often traded along rivers and coastlines because moving goods by water was easier than by land. Name one major river that served as a trade route in the Eastern Hemisphere.

Any of: the Nile, the Tigris, the Euphrates, the Indus, or the Ganges

400

This chain of mountain ranges stretches across South Asia and acted as a natural barrier that shaped the development of civilizations like India and China.

The Himalayas

400

Hammurabi was a king of this ancient civilization, famous for creating one of the earliest written law codes. Be specific.

Babylon in Mesopotamia

400

DOUBLE JEOPARDY!!

This Greek city-state was famous for its powerful military, and boys began military training at age 7. It was the rival of Athens.

Sparta

400

The Hebrew Bible, also called the Torah, is the holy text of this religion, one of the world's first monotheistic faiths.

Judaism

400

This type of economic system, common in early civilizations and again later in the Dark Ages of Europe, involves trading goods and services without using money.

Barter (or the Barter System)

500

Historians call this region the "Fertile Crescent" because its rich soil between two rivers allowed early farming to thrive. Name the two rivers.

The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

500

This ancient civilization, located in the Indus River Valley in modern-day Pakistan and India, had advanced city planning with sewage systems and grid-like streets.

The Indus Valley Civilization (Harappan Civilization)

500

This type of leader held absolute power in ancient civilizations, often claiming their authority came from the gods. Egypt's pharaohs and Mesopotamia's kings are both examples.

Monarch or Monarchy

500

Christians believe Jesus of Nazareth was the son of God. This religion spread widely through the Eastern Hemisphere partly because of the growth of this ancient empire.

The Roman Empire

500

DOUBLE JEOPARDY!! When a society does not produce enough of something it needs and must get it from elsewhere, economists call this a shortage or scarcity. What do we call it when a society produces more of a good than it needs and trades the extra with other societies?

A surplus

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