Ancient Greece

Geography
Reading Comprehension
 Ancient Greece: Geography
Ancient Greece’s civilization was located in southeastern Europe along the Mediterranean
Sea coast. The region’s geography helped shape the government and culture of the Ancient
Greeks. Geographical formations such as mountains, seas, and islands created natural
barriers between the Greek city-states and forced Greeks to settle along the coast.

Aegean Sea
The Greeks first settled an area of the Mediterranean, known as the
Aegean Sea. Greek city-states formed along the Aegean coastline and on
several islands in the sea. The Aegean was used to travel from city to
city and provided fish to eat.
Mountains
About 80% of the Greek mainland was mountainous, making it difficult to make long
journeys by land. Natural barriers between city-states were formed by the mountains.
Mount Olympus, where Ancient Greeks believed their gods lived, was the tallest mountain in
Greece. The Pindus Mountain Range ran north to south along much of mainland Greece,
and was often referred to as the “spine of Greece.”

Climate
Ancient Greece typically had hot summers and mild winters. Most people wore lightweight
clothing throughout the year since it was so hot. A cloak or wrap could be worn during
the colder days of the winter months.

Regions
The Peloponnese was a large peninsula located at the southern tip of
the Greek mainland. It was only connected to the mainland by a small
Peloponnese strip of land known as the Isthmus of Corinth. This region was home
to several major Greek city-states like Sparta, Corinth, and Argos.

Central North of the Peloponnese was considered Central Greece. It was

Greece home to the famous region of Attica and the city-state of Athens.

Northern This region is sometimes broken up into three major regions: Thessaly,
Greece Epirus, and Macedonia. Mount Olympus is located in Northern Greece.

The major groupings of the Greek islands were the Cyclades Islands,
Islands the Dodecanese, and the Northern Aegean Islands.

Major Cities
Ancient Greeks spoke the same language and had similar cultures.
However, they were not a large empire, but divided into a number of
powerful city-states like Athens, Sparta, and Thebes.

Major Settlements
Greek colonies were set up throughout the Mediterranean and the
Black Sea. This included: modern-day Italy, France, Spain, Turkey, and
parts of North Africa. These colonies spread Greek culture
throughout this region.
©Teaching to the Middle
Name______________________________________________

Ancient Greece: Geography

Matching: Match each term with its definition.
d A. Large peninsula located at the
1. _____ Athens
southern tip of the Greek mainland
g
2. _____ Mount Olympus B. Ancient Greece had this type of summer climate

e C. Mountain range often considered the

3. _____ Aegean
“spine of Greece”
f
4. _____ Mild D. Major city in Central Greece

5. _____
a Peloponnese E. City-states formed along this sea

c
6. _____ Pindus F. Ancient Greece had this type of winter climate

h
7. _____ Mountains G. Landform located in Northern Greece

H. 80% of Ancient Greece was made up of this

8. _____
b Hot
landform

True or False?: Place a check in the correct column.

Statement T F

9. Natural barriers between city-states were formed by rivers. X

10. Ancient Greece typically had mild winters and hot summers. X

11. The Greeks first settled around the Black Sea. X

12. Ancient Greece was a large empire with a centralized government. X

13. The Peloponnese region was completely surrounded by water. X

14. Northern Greece was often divided into three regions.

X

15. Mount Olympus was located in Central Greece. X

©Teaching to the Middle

Multiple Choice: Choose the best answer.

16. Which of the following would be the LEAST necessary to include in

a summary about the geography of Ancient Greece?
A. The region’s geography helped shape the government and culture
of the Ancient Greeks.
B. The major regions of Greece were the Peloponnese, Central
Greece, Northern Greece, and the islands.
C. A cloak or wrap would be worn during the colder days of the
winter months.
D. Most of Ancient Greece had a mountainous terrain that formed
natural borders between the city-states.

17. Which best completes the analogy?

Olympus : Mountain :: Crete : _______________
A. River
B. Island
C. Isthmus
D. Plain

18. Which of the following is NOT a way the Aegean Sea impacted the
Ancient Greeks, according to the article?
A. They used it for transportation.
B. They used it to fish for food.
C. They used its coastlines to form their city-states.
D. They used it to invade other nations with their navy.

19. What is the main reason it was difficult to travel by land

throughout Ancient Greece?
A. The land was very mountainous.
B. The winters were harsh and cold.
C. There were no wheels in Ancient Greece.
D. The Ancient Greeks did not have the means to travel.

20. In which region was Athens located?

A. Peloponnese
B. Central Greece
C. Northern Greece
D. Islands

©Teaching to the Middle

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