Ancient civilizations began in areas that had arable land and other features such as rivers. Civilizations succeeded in these environments because they could settle down and not live a nomadic lifestyle. Because the land was arable, agriculture prospered and people relied on the geography to grant them the elements needed for survival. In China and Egypt, geography greatly influenced and affected the lives of the people living there because of the prosperous rivers and large natural barriers. In ancient China, the large mountains in the West and many seas surrounding China in the East, created natural barriers affecting the lives of the Chinese people. The Great Wall of China, built during the Qin Dynasty, plus all of the natural barriers, kept the …show more content…
The land along the Nile and delta was arable and very good for farming, while the rest of the land was dry like a desert. (Document 2-1) So, the land near the Nile became the perfect environment for a civilization to commence. Although the Nile floods provided silt, allowing crops to grow, the floods also destroyed villages and killed many people. Despite this, so much success was found in Egypt because of Nile River. Therefore, it became densely populated. Also, the Nile was used for trade and transportation, making it one of the most advanced civilizations of time. Egyptians and their way of life were greatly influenced by geography like the Nile River. The civilizations of ancient Egypt and China demonstrated that the influence of geography was pivotal to the rise of these great civilizations and the people who lived there. Ancient civilizations all developed near a source of water, where producing crops was not a concern. Since people did not need to move place to place for food, they could settle down and form civilizations. Geography was a major reason the ancient civilizations and the people living there