The National Geography Standards
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"You can't understand history without understanding geography." The geographic features of the environment, both physical and human, strongly influence the events of history. By the same token, "you can't understand geography without understanding history." The geographic characteristics of Earth, its lands and peoples, can only be understood if we trace their evolution over time. |
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Golan Plateau, Syria - Snow melt in the mountains of Lebanon sends rills and rivulets of water into nearby streams which gather together and bring water to a flat area on the fringe of the desert where Damascus is located. Over the Golan in this picture towers snow-capped Mount Hermon. |
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Damascus, Syria - Damascus bills itself as the oldest continuously inhabited place on earth, an exaggeration perhaps, but a believable exaggeration when you see it as part of the surrounding region. When the Barada River reaches the lowlands, it spreads out, creating an oasis on the fringe of the desert. Here arose Damascus, at the place where the water "puddles." It is an ideal physical environment for human habitation. |
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The Imperial Cities of Morocco - Fez, Meknes, Rabat, and Marrakesh have all served as capital cities of the Kingdom of Morocco since the Arab conquest. Note the strategic location of Fez and Meknes just west of the Taza Pass, which appears as a "pinch" in the mountains shown on this map. The city of Fez commanded the pass to the east and the fertile land to the west. From this core grew the modern state of Morocco. Source: D.J. Zeigler, "Morocco and California," Journal of Geography, 96(4), 1997, p.195. |
A Sample Question from the National Geography Challenge 1996 (Grades 3-4) which illustrates . . .
STANDARD 17 -- UNDERSTANDING THE PAST
Which fabric gave its name to an ancient trade route across Asia?