Geography of Mesopotamia

Geography of Mesopotamia

Chapter 3, Lesson 1

The Land Between the Rivers

• Mesopotamia can be found between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

• Mesopotamia is now called, "Iraq". It is a country in Asia.

Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

The rivers provided water and a means of travel. In ancient times, it was easier to travel by boat than over land.

Where does the water come from? Where does it go?

• Snow melts high in the mountains, causing the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers to flood the land of Mesopotamia.

• The rivers continue to the Persian Gulf and out to sea.

Multiple Choice

What does MESOPOTAMIA mean?

• Land of the Desert

• Land Between the Rivers

• Land of Melting Snow

• Land Time Forgot

Multiple Select

Check the two rivers of Mesopotamia...

• Rio Grande

• Mississippi

• Tigris

• Euphrates

Flooding Left Fertile Soil

• After the flood waters were gone, the flood plains were left with SILT, fertile soil perfect for growing crops.

• The climate of Mesopotamia was semiarid, which means hot temps with little rainfall.

Irrigation

• The floods and semiarid climate (hot and mostly dry) in Mesopotamia meant farmers could have too much water and then not enough.

• In 6000 BC, farmers learned how to save and control the water. Farmers even figured out ways to get water to the fields more easily. Have you ever carried a bucket of water? It's heavy!

• IRRIGATION (the watering of crops) meant farmers could grow a surplus of food.

Multiple Choice

What does "semiarid" mean?

• snow and ice

• hurricane type storms

• Having little rainfall and warm temperatures

• moist and tropical

Irrigation (the watering of crops)

• Ditches and canals collected water.

• Canals led away from the rivers. The canals gently sloped downward to keep water flowing to the fields.

• Gates could stop the water flow and help save the water for another day.

Multiple Choice

Which word means, "fine fertile soil"?

• sift

• sink

• silt

• silk

Flooding Problems

• It was not easy to predict the exact time the floods would come. If farmers planted too early, crops would be washed away.

• Sometimes there was too much water.

• Sometimes there wasn't enough water.

Multiple Choice

A period when there is not enough snow or rainfall is a

• irrigation

• drought

• flood

• surplus