Comparison of Mesopotamia and North Africa
“In what ways were the civilizations of Mesopotamia and North Africa alike? In what ways were they different? What accounts for the similarities and differences?”
Elizabeth Emswiler
History 114
Dr. Norris
August 21, 2014
Geography
The geography of Mesopotamia and North Africa (from now on referred to as Egypt) are very similar. Within those similarities are a few differences in the way the two civilizations dealt with and the land. Both civilizations lived near rivers that tended to flood and enrich the soil. Mesopotamia centered on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and dealt with the flooding by building large-scale irrigation and drainage ditches with the intervention of the state. Egypt, however, lived by the Nile River and used irrigation without the help of the state. The flooding in both civilizations enriched the soil making it great for farming. The major difference between Mesopotamia and Egypt is in security. Egypt had natural barriers in the North, South, East and West which protected it from invasion and gave a sense of isolation. Mesopotamia on the other hand had no barriers so they had to build walls around their cities which were prone to constant invasion.
Empires and Kingdoms
A major difference between these two civilizations is in the history of their rulers. Mesopotamia created city-states which would go to war with each other, making them susceptible to invasion. First they were invaded by the Akkadians then the Amorites and many others. Egypt was able to stay secure for 400-500 years at a time with only a few interruptions from other civilizations due to their natural barriers. Even those times of insecurity only lasted about 100 years before the Egyptians overthrew their conquerors and replaced their sense of security.
Economy
The economy of Egypt and Mesopotamia are very similar because of their geography. Since they both lived near water, the soil
Elizabeth Emswiler
History 114
Dr. Norris
August 21, 2014
Geography
The geography of Mesopotamia and North Africa (from now on referred to as Egypt) are very similar. Within those similarities are a few differences in the way the two civilizations dealt with and the land. Both civilizations lived near rivers that tended to flood and enrich the soil. Mesopotamia centered on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and dealt with the flooding by building large-scale irrigation and drainage ditches with the intervention of the state. Egypt, however, lived by the Nile River and used irrigation without the help of the state. The flooding in both civilizations enriched the soil making it great for farming. The major difference between Mesopotamia and Egypt is in security. Egypt had natural barriers in the North, South, East and West which protected it from invasion and gave a sense of isolation. Mesopotamia on the other hand had no barriers so they had to build walls around their cities which were prone to constant invasion.
Empires and Kingdoms
A major difference between these two civilizations is in the history of their rulers. Mesopotamia created city-states which would go to war with each other, making them susceptible to invasion. First they were invaded by the Akkadians then the Amorites and many others. Egypt was able to stay secure for 400-500 years at a time with only a few interruptions from other civilizations due to their natural barriers. Even those times of insecurity only lasted about 100 years before the Egyptians overthrew their conquerors and replaced their sense of security.
Economy
The economy of Egypt and Mesopotamia are very similar because of their geography. Since they both lived near water, the soil
Cited: Coon, Dennis and Mitterer, John O. Psychology: Modules for Active Learning, 12th ed. Boston: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2012 Duiker, William J. and Spielvogel, Jackson J. World History, 7th ed. Boston: Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, 2013