AP Notes, Outlines, Study Guides, Vocabulary, Practice Exams and more!

APWorld Unit 1: "Places" Flashcards

Terms : Hide Images
49123850Mesopotamiathe land between the Tigris and Euphrates; world's earliest civilization; used bronze and copper around 4000 BCE; invented wheel, developed irrigation; vulnerable to invasion0
49123851Sumeran area in the southern region of Babylonia in present-day Iraq1
49123852BabylonThe largest and most important city in Mesopotamia. It achieved particular eminence as the capital of the Amorite king Hammurabi in the eighteenth century B.C.E. and the Neo-Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar in the sixth century B.C.E. (p. 29)2
49123853Persiaa theocratic islamic republic in the Middle East in western Asia; established by Cyrus the Great; noted for tolerance toward customs of conquered peoples; introduced zoroastrianism; spread knowledge of iron metallurgy throughout empire and engaged in an active long-distance trade that linked India, SW Asia, and Egypt; Persian Royal Road linked remote portions of empire; trade contacts w/Greece encouraged artistic and philosophical exchange3
49123854Tigris Rivera river running through Sumer, Mespotamia, provided resources for the Mespotamians., the river to the north east of mesopotamia4
49123855Euphrates RiverA river in southwestern Asia that flows through the southern part of the Fertile Crescent5
49123856AkkadAround 2375 BC, King Sargon of this country conquered the Sumerians and formed the world's first empire (although it was a very small one); this place is located centrally in the Fertile Crescent between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers6
49123857Ninevehan ancient Assyrian city (capital of Assyria) on the Tigris across from the modern city of Mosul in the northern part of what is now known as Iraq7
49123858Great Royal Roadthe longest road built by the Persian Empire; 1600 miles from the Persian Gulf to the Aegean Sea8
49123859EgyptFormed along the banks of the Nile river. It was a united single kingdom that was unified, stable, and had cultural continuity over 3,000 years; irrigation projects led to organization of community and dev't of political structures; led by a pharoah; tombs of pharoas colorfully decorated; composed of defined social classes; commoners could enter gov't service and rise in status; patriarchal families; didn't ahve bronze for a while; engaged in some trade with Mesopotamia and Kush; bc surrounded by deserts, harder for others to conquer9
49123860Nile Riverthe world's longest river (4180 miles)10
49123861Indus ValleyHarappan civilization, no social classes, written language not yet deciphered, remarkable planned cities, Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa; streets were laid out in a grid, houses had running water and sewage systems; overtaken around 1500 BCE by Aryans11
49123862Khyber Passa mountain pass of great strategic and commercial value in the Hindu Kush on the border between northern Pakistan and western Afghanistan12
49123863HarappaSite of one of the great cities of the Indus Valley civilization of the third millennium B.C.E. It was located on the northwest frontier of the zone of cultivation , and may have been a center for the acquisition of raw materials. (p. 48)13
49123864Mohenjo-DaroIndus Valley city laid out in a grid pattern. Had a complex irrigation and sewer system., One of the first settlements in India14
49123865ShangThe dominant people in the earliest Chinese dynasty for which we have written records (ca. 1750-1027 B.C.E.). Ancestor worship, divination by means of oracle bones, and the use of bronze vessels for ritual purposes were major elements of this culture; walled cities arose--became cultural, military, and economic centers; elaborate palaces and tombs built for rulers; stratified society w/classes of ruling elites, artisans, peasants, and slaves; patriarchal families; succumbed to Zhou dynasty about 1122 BCE; central authority continued15
49123866Zhou Dynastythe imperial dynasty of China from 1122 to 221 BCE; notable for rise of Confucianism and Taoism; mandate of heaven originated; after Shang dynasty; centralized Chinese government more; expanded territory to include Yangtze river valley (good for rice growing); produced emperors; standardized the spoken language16
49123867Bantu migrationsThe Bantu expansion was a millenia long series of physical migrations, a diffusion of language and knowledge out into and in from neighboring populations, and a creation of new societal groups involving inter-marriage among communities and small groups moving tocommunities and small groups moving to new areas. Bantu-speakers developed novel methods of agriculture and metalworking which allowed people to colonize new areas with widely varying ecologies in greater densities than hunting and foraging permitted.17
49123868Jenne JenoAncient West African city that existed for more than 1600 years where the Niger and Bani Rivers meet.; in Mali; one of oldest urbanized centers18
49123869Tikalthe largest ancient Mayan city in the northern part of Guatemala19
49123870Chichen ItzaRenowned Mayan city, huge buildings, on the Yucatan Peninsula (many tourists today); famous for temples20
49123871Mauryan EmpireThe first state to unify most of the Indian subcontinent. It was founded by Chandragupta Maurya in 324 B.C.E. and survived until 184 B.C.E. From its capital at Pataliputra in the Ganges Valley it grew wealthy from taxes. (184); Chandragupta was autocratic ruler who dev'd large bureaucracy and large army in addition to promoting trade and communication; rulers were first to unify most of subcontinent; most prominent ruler= Ashoka (269-232 BCE)--all of Indian subcontinent under this control; brutal conquests; later moderated behavior and went to nonviolence; encourage trade; constructed roads; spread Buddhism; Kushans and then Guptas broke apart this empire21
49123872Gupta EmpirePowerful Indian state based, like its Mauryan predecessor, on a capital at Pataliputra in the Ganges Valley. It controlled most of the Indian subcontinent through a combination of military force and its prestige as a center of sophisticated culture; high towered temples; intricate wall paintings; growth of Sanskrit as language of the educated; discovered zero as a place holder, developed "arabic" numerals; dev'd decimal system; strengthened trade between E. and SE. Asia; deterioration in status of women; inoculation against smallpox and sterilization; knowledge of plastic surgery and setting bones; advances in astronomy; classic hindu temples22
49123873Qin Dynasty3rd century BC (221-202 BCE); came out of the period of Warring States; legalism; started connecting Great Wall; took power from feudal lords and placed it in the state bureaucracy; anti-Confucian; expanded to Vietnam; Great Wall was constructed; weights, measures, and coinage were standardized; a common written language was standardized; the manufacture of silk cloth was encouraged; new roads constructed.23
49123874Great Wall of ChinaA system of fortified walls with a roadway along the top, constructed as a defense for China against the nomads of the regions that are now Mongolia and Manchuria: completed in the 3rd century b.c., but later repeatedly modified and rebuilt. 2000 mi. (3220 km) long.24
49123875Han Dynastyimperial dynasty that ruled China (most of the time) from 206 BC to 221 and expanded its boundaries and developed its bureaucracy; adopted Confucian values; had to pass civil service exam to be in bureaucracy; trade along Silk Roads increased; peaceful time; strengthening of patriarchal society; gov't oversaw iron production; gov't sponsored and maintained canals and irrigation systems; further stratified society (elite, peasants/artisans, unskilled laborers); agriculture improved by invention of ox-drawn plows; paper manufactured; water-powered mills invented25
49123876Greecebirthplace of democracy, democracy was founded in; home of Indo-European people who migrated to the southern portion of the peninsula about 1700 BCE; geography is important26
49123877Athensthe capital and largest city of Greece; named after Athena (its patron goddess); "in the 5th century BC ancient Athens was the world's most powerful and civilized city"; initially an aristocracy, but gradually allowed inhaitants to self rule; height of democracy occured during rule of Pericles (443-429 BCE--Golden age of Athens); relied on sea for livelihood and engaged in active trade across Agean; education and artistic expression were important; depended heavily on slaves; joined with Sparta to defeat Persian invasions in 500 to 449 BCE.27
49123878SpartaGreek city-state that was ruled by an oligarchy, focused on military, used slaves for agriculture, discouraged the arts; the dominant city of the Peloponnesus prior to the 4th century BC; aristocratic government; relied on agriculture; joined forces with Athens to defeat Persian invasions from 500 to 449 BCE28
49123879Persian WarsConflicts between Greek city-states and the Persian Empire, ranging from the Ionian Revolt (499-494 B.C.E.) through Darius's punitive expedition that failed at Marathon. Chronicled by Herodotus. (131)29
49123880Peloponnesian War431 to 404 B.C., was an ancient Greek war, fought by Athens and its empire against the Peloponnesian League, led by Sparta.30
49123881AntigonidOne of three regions of Alexander's Empire, composed of Greece and Macedon; continuous tension between the Antigonid rulers and Greek cities; Economy of Athens and Corinth flourished again through trade31
49123882Ptolemaicthe pre-Copernican explanation of the universe, which placed the Earth at the center of the universe32
49123883Seleucidempire created out of eastern portions of Alexander's empire33
49123884Romecapital and largest city of Italy; on the Tiber; seat of the Roman Catholic Church; formerly the capital of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire34
49123885CarthageCity located in present-day Tunisia, founded by Phoenicians ca. 800 B.C.E. It became a major commercial center and naval power in the western Mediterranean until defeated by Rome in the third century B.C.E. (p. 107)35
49123886Punic WarsA series of three wars between Rome and Carthage (264-146 B.C.); resulted in the destruction of Carthage and Rome's dominance over the western Mediterranean.36
49123887Edict of Milan313 CE Constantine makes Christianity the primary religion of the Roman Empire37
49123888Constantinoplethe largest city and Capital of Ottoman Empire,now known as Istanbul; rebuilt on the site of ancient Byzantium by Constantine I in the fourth century; renamed Constantinople by Constantine who made it the capital of the Byzantine Empire; now the seat of the Eastern Orthodox Church38
49123889Silk RoadAn ancient trade route between China and the Mediterranean Sea extending some 6,440 km (4,000 mi) and linking China with the Roman Empire. Marco Polo followed the route on his journey to Cathay.39

Need Help?

We hope your visit has been a productive one. If you're having any problems, or would like to give some feedback, we'd love to hear from you.

For general help, questions, and suggestions, try our dedicated support forums.

If you need to contact the Course-Notes.Org web experience team, please use our contact form.

Need Notes?

While we strive to provide the most comprehensive notes for as many high school textbooks as possible, there are certainly going to be some that we miss. Drop us a note and let us know which textbooks you need. Be sure to include which edition of the textbook you are using! If we see enough demand, we'll do whatever we can to get those notes up on the site for you!