Geography of Mesopotamia
What does the word Mesopotamia mean?
Land between the rivers.
What natural problem did farmers in Sumer face?
Uncontrolled water supply—floods and droughts.
What system did the Sumerians build to control the water supply?
Irrigation systems with canals, levees, and dams.
What allowed Sumerian villages to grow into cities?
Successful farming and cooperation with irrigation.
Why did Sumerians build walls around their cities?
To protect against attacks.
Which two rivers flow through Mesopotamia?
The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
Why was farming difficult in Sumer compared to the Zagros foothills?
Less rainfall and unpredictable flooding.
What are levees and why were they important?
Raised banks of earth built to prevent floods.
What is a city-state?
An independent city with its own ruler and farmland.
What were Sumerian walls made of?
Sun-dried mud bricks.
Why did people leave the foothills of the Zagros Mountains?
There wasn’t enough farmland.
What happened if irrigation systems weren’t maintained?
Canals got clogged with silt and crops failed.
Why did irrigation systems require cooperation?
Villages had to work together to build and maintain them.
What new problem arose as cities grew?
Cities fought each other over resources like water and farmland.
Why did city-states fight with each other?
To gain control of land and water.
What was one benefit of living in the Zagros Mountains before moving to Sumer?
Plenty of rain, wood, and stone for building.
How did droughts affect farmers in Sumer?
There wasn’t enough water to grow crops.
What happened when villages didn’t cooperate?
The systems broke down, and crops were ruined.
Why were canals important for city growth?
They moved water to where it was needed for crops.
What made it difficult for Sumerian city-states to unite?
They were separated by walls and rivalries.
Why was Mesopotamia called the Fertile Crescent?
Because the land was fertile and shaped like a crescent.
What did the Sumerians do to solve food shortages?
They moved to the plains where farming was possible.
How did irrigation lead to the growth of larger communities?
Cooperation connected villages, creating larger settlements.
What was one sign that Sumer had developed into true cities?
They built walls, government buildings, and temples.
How did city-states mark the beginning of civilization?
They had organized governments, social classes, and religion.