A Fresh Start in Western Civilization

Today, it was admittedly a change from our normal Human Geography classes, where we had to read from a textbook and now we have to answer questions, which I answer below. We were instructed to answer question 1 as well as question 2 after reading about the City-States of Mesopotamia. 

First, we were instructed to define each of the following terms: 

Fertile Cresent: One of the best geographical regions in the world (especially in Southeast Asia) for farming because of its rich soil. Also known for being the origins of civilization. 

Mesopotamia: Mesopotamia is an area within the Fertile Cresent (defined above) which lies between two rivers: The Tigris and Euphrates. This term "Mesopotamia originates from the Greek meaning of "Between Two Rivers". These rivers would often flood and leave a thick and rich layer of mud which was coined silk, a perfect material for growing fine crops such as Wheat and Marley. 

City-State: A City-State is a region in which follows similar cultural values within the Fertile Cresent, but each possessing their own unique forms of government. 

Cultural Diffusion: Cultural Diffusion is the process in which ideas or products spread to another culture.

Polytheism: Polytheism. just as the prefix Poly implies, is the belief in multiple gods. With that said, each god usually specialized within a certain aspect of human necessity, such as crops and weather. 

Hammurabi: Hammurabi was a ruler and a lawmaker, who is most known for his assistance in helping the Babylonian Empire reach its peak. 

Secondly, we had to answer three challenges that the Sumerians faced.

Out of the many things imaginable, here are just three of the things the Sumerians had to come face to face with. For starters, there were no barriers for the land they inhabited, which proved to be a terrible thing when certain people(s) became hostile towards others and of course wanted more power. Secondly, the Sumerians faced very inconsistent weather and flooding from rivers which I could imagine, made farming any valuable crop very difficult. Lastly, and this in a way backs up our previous threat, natural resources were very difficult to come by. Now take into account, they weren't impossible to come into contact with, but this meant to gather raw resources, these people would have to begin trading their crops and other products to continue to thrive. 

With that said, I must get to bed real soon. Oh, and I almost forgot I have to open my TD Ameritrade account tonight!