Download The Geography of Mesopotamia

The Geography of Mesopotamia
7,000 years ago, people were more and more often becoming farmers instead of hunters
and gatherers. It was a reliable way to live, and allowed people to remain in one place and
settle down. Some of these wandering tribes settled in the Tigris and Euphrates River Valley.
The land was called Mesopotamia, which means “land between two rivers.” The Sumerians
were the first civilization of people to live in Mesopotamia. Because they now had the
technology to settle in one place, the Sumerians built cities that held beautiful palaces and
temples. They were masterful craftsmen and created goods that were sold in neighboring
lands.
There is no country called Mesopotamia today. Seven thousand years ago it included the
area that is now eastern Syria, southeastern Turkey, and most of Iraq. It ranged from the
Tarsus Mountains in the north to the Persian Gulf in the south and from the Zagros Mountains
in the east to the Syrian Desert in the west.
The main section of this region was called the Fertile Crescent. If you looked at a map and
drew an upside-down horseshoe starting at Israel, up through Syria, and down through Iraq,
you would form the crescent. The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers run through the area and
come together at the Persian Gulf. This area was called “fertile” because ancient farmers
used the waters of the Tigris and Euphrates to irrigate their crops, thus making the land
fertile.
The geography and climate varied in the region. Northern Mesopotamia was a plateau with
a mild climate. Summers were long and hot in Southern Mesopotamia. Its alluvial plains
(where the rivers meet the Persian Gulf) were flooded each year by the Tigris and Euphrates
rivers. This flooded new rich nutrients into the soil and re-fertilized the land. It was the most
valuable farmland in the Arabian area and many tribes fought over it.
Now that you have read a little about ancient Mesopotamia, use the map on the
next page to help you color your map. Listed beneath the map are a list of
features you need to include in your map. Follow the instructions carefully!
Syrian Desert
1. Take a brown colored pencil and LIGHTLY color the parts on your map that are
land. Then, LIGHTLY color the water blue. Be very careful to note what is land and
what is water.
2. Using a light green colored pencil, gently shade the Fertile Crescent (it’s the
dotted portion on your map).
3. Use a blue colored pencil to trace the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. With a pencil,
carefully label each river with its name.
4. Use a red colored pencil to make a small circle on your map for each of the
following cities: Sumer, Ur, Babylon. Label the name of each city next to the dot.
5. Put a small orange star where Catal Huyuk was located. Label the name next to
the star. (Remember – Catal Huyuk was gone nearly 2000 years before
Mesopotamia was settled!)
6. Label the following water features: Red Sea, Persian Gulf, Mediterranean Sea,
Caspian Sea, Black Sea
7. Use small upside-down V-shapes to label these mountain ranges: Zagros Mts.,
Taurus Mts. Label the name next to your V-shapes.
8. Label the Syrian Desert.
9. Once you have glued your map into your notebook, answer the following
questions beneath your map:
a. Why was this area known as the “Fertile Crescent?”
b. Why was Mesopotamia known as the land between two rivers?
c. Place a Red “X” somewhere on the map that you think would be
the best place to settle. Write 3-4 sentences explaining why you
think that area would be the best.