A HUMAN PERSPECTIVE Have you ever heard the saying, “All roadslead to Rome”? The Mediterranean region was home to the two greatcivilizations of ancient Europe—ancient Greece and ancient Rome. Thecity of Rome was founded in about 753 B.C., and Rome conquered ahuge empire by about A.D. 100. To aid communication and make it pos-sible for the army to march quickly to distant locations, Rome built alarge network of well-paved roads. In ancient Europe, most roads didindeed lead to Rome, enabling that city to control a vast region.

A History of Ancient GloryTwo geographic advantages helped the Mediterranean to become theregion where European civilization was born. First, the mild climatemade survival there easier than in other areas. So societies had time todevelop complex institutions such as government. Second, the nearbyMediterranean Sea encouraged overseas trade. When different societiestrade with each other, they also exchange ideas. The spread of ideas oftenleads to advances in knowledge.

GREECE: BIRTHPLACE OF DEMOCRACY Beginning about 2000 B.C.,people from the north moved onto the Balkan Peninsula. They built vil-lages there. The region is mountainous, so those villages were isolatedfrom each other and developed into separate city-states. A city-state isa political unit made up of a city and its surrounding lands.

Ancient Greece left a lastinglegacy to modern civilization. Thecity-state of Athens developed thefirst democracy, a government inwhich the people rule. In Athens,all free adult males were citizenswho had the right to serve in thelaw-making assembly. Atheniandemocracy helped inspire the U.S.system of government. And Greekscience, philosophy, drama, andart helped shape modern culture.

In the 400s B.C., conflict weak-ened Greece. Several city-statesfought a costly series of wars withPersia, an empire in southwestAsia. Then Athens fought a ruinous

Mediterranean Europe Main Ideas• The ancient Greek and

Roman civilizations and the

Renaissance all began in

Mediterranean Europe.

• In the 20th century, the

region has seen economic

growth and political turmoil.

Places & Termscity-state Renaissance

republic aqueduct

Crusades

Connect to the Issues

unification Membership

in the European Union has

helped the economies of the

Mediterranean nations.

EUR

OP

E

PLACE In Athens, ancient

ruins such as the Parthenon,

shown here, stand near

modern buildings.

289

The Voyageur Experiencein World Geography

Italy: Natural Hazards and

Disasters

Rhine

R.

Danube R.Rome

A T L A N T I C

O C E A N

N o r t hS e a

Black Sea

M e d i t e r r a n e a n S e a

40°N

50 N

30°N

20°N

10°W 0° 10°E 20°E 30°E 40°E 50°E

Christian areas around A.D. 500

Romance language spoken, present-day

Boundary of Roman Empire A.D. 395

0

0 500 1,000 kilometers

500 1,000 miles

Azimuthal Equidistant Projection

N

S

E

W

290 CHAPTER 13

war with Sparta, a rival Greek city-state. Finally, in 338 B.C., Macedonia (akingdom to the north) conquered Greece. Beginning in 336 B.C., theMacedonian general Alexander the Great conquered Persia and part ofIndia. His empire spread Greek culture but broke apart after his death.

THE ROMAN EMPIRE As Greece lost power, a state to the west was ris-ing. That state, Rome, ruled most of the Italian Peninsula by 275 B.C. Atthe time, Rome was a republic, a government in which citizens elect rep-resentatives to rule in their name.

The Roman Empire grew by conquering territory overseas, includingthe Iberian and Balkan peninsulas. At home in Italy, unrest over inequal-ities led to decades of turmoil that caused Romans to seek strong lead-ers. Rome began to be ruled by an emperor, ending the republic.

One of Rome’s overseas territories was Palestine, the place whereJesus was born. Christianity spread from there across the empire, andby the late 300s, Christianity was Rome’s official religion.

By A.D. 395, the empire was too big for a single government, so it splitinto a western and an eastern half. The Western Roman Empire grewweak, in part because of German invaders from the north, and fell inA.D. 476. The Eastern Roman Empire lasted nearly 1,000 years longer.

Moving Toward Modern TimesAfter 476, the three Mediterranean peninsulas had very different histo-ries. The Balkan Peninsula stayed part of the Eastern Roman Empire

Background

The Roman repub-

lic was a model for

modern govern-

ments such as

those of France

and the United

States.

Cultural Legacy of the Roman Empire

SKILLBUILDER: Interpreting MapsREGION Which waterways formed part of the northern boundary of the Roman Empire?

MOVEMENT Which Roman cultural influence was more widespread, Christianity or

Romance languages?

Mediterranean Europe 291

(also called the Byzantine Empire) for nearly 1,000 years. Beginning inthe 1300s, Italy saw the birth of the Renaissance, and in the 1400s,Portugal and Spain launched the Age of Exploration.

ITALIAN CITY-STATES The invaders who overran the Italian Peninsulahad no tradition of strong central government. Italy eventually becamedivided into many small states and remained so for centuries.

In 1096, European Christians launched the Crusades, a series of warsto take Palestine from the Muslims. Italians earned large profits by sup-plying the ships that carried Crusaders to the Middle East. Italian citiessuch as Florence and Venice became rich from banking and foreign trade.This wealth helped them grow into powerful city-states.

The Renaissance, which began in the Italian city-states, was a time ofrenewed interest in learning and the arts that lasted from the 14ththrough 16th centuries. It was inspired by classical art and writings.Renaissance ideas spread north to the rest of Europe.

But the wealth of Italy did not protect it from disease.In 1347, the bubonic plague reached Italy from Asia andin time killed millions of Europeans. (See pages 294–295.)

SPAIN’S EMPIRE In the 700s, Muslims from NorthAfrica conquered the Iberian Peninsula. Muslims con-trolled parts of the Iberian Peninsula for more than700 years. Spain’s Catholic rulers, Ferdinand andIsabella, retook Spain from the Muslims in 1492.

Also in 1492, Queen Isabella paid for ChristopherColumbus’s first voyage. Portugal had already sent outmany voyages of exploration. Both Spain and Portugalestablished colonies in the Americas and elsewhere.Their empires spread Catholicism and the Spanish andPortuguese languages throughout the world.

A Rich Cultural LegacyMediterranean Europe’s history shaped its culture bydetermining where languages are spoken and wherereligions are practiced today. And the people of theregion take pride in the artistic legacy of the past.

ROME’S CULTURAL LEGACY Unlike many areas ofEurope that Rome conquered, Greece retained its ownlanguage. Greek was, in fact, the official language of theByzantine Empire. In contrast, Portuguese, Spanish, andItalian are Romance languages that evolved from Latin,the language of Rome.

The two halves of the Roman Empire also developeddifferent forms of Christianity. The majority religion inGreece today is Eastern Orthodox Christianity. RomanCatholicism is strong in Italy, Spain, and Portugal.

CENTURIES OF ART This region shows many signs ofits past civilizations. Greece and Italy have ancientruins, such as the Parthenon, that reveal what classical

Background

The Renaissance

shaped modern

life by stressing

classical culture,

material comfort,

and the value of

individuals.

MakingComparisons

What is similar

about the cultural

legacies left by

the Roman and

Spanish empires?

The Virgin and Child Surrounded by Five Angels,Sandro Botticelli

Alhambra Palace, Granada, Spain

REGION Italian

Renaissance paint–

ings often show the

Virgin Mary and baby

Jesus. Muslim art,

like the Spanish wall

design below (bottom),

often uses calligraphy

to praise God.

architecture was like. Spain has Roman aqueducts, structures that car-ried water for long distances, and Muslim mosques, places of worship.

The region also has a long artistic legacy, which includes classical stat-ues, Renaissance painting and sculpture, and modern art produced bysuch artists as Pablo Picasso of Spain. The pictures on page 291 contrastRenaissance Italian art with Muslim Spanish art.

Economic ChangeBecause of the Mediterranean region’s sunny climate and historic sites,tourism has long been a large part of its economy. In other ways, the econ-

omy has been changing rapidly since World War II.

AGRICULTURE TO INDUSTRY In general, theMediterranean nations are less industrial than thoseof Northern and Western Europe. For centuries, theregion’s economy was based on fishing and agricul-ture. Fishing remains important, and olives, grapes,citrus, and wheat are still major agricultural crops.

But in the late 20th century, the region’s economygrew and changed. Today, manufacturing is increas-ing. The making of textiles is Portugal’s biggestindustry. Spain is a leading maker of automobiles,and Italy is a major producer of clothing and shoes.Service industries, such as banking, also make up amuch larger part of the economy than before.

In the 1980s, Greece, Portugal, and Spain joinedthe European Union (EU). This aided growth by pro-moting trade with other EU nations and by makingfinancial aid from the EU available.

ECONOMIC PROBLEMS The region still faces eco-nomic challenges. For example, Italy’s northernregion is much more developed than its southernhalf. The reasons for this include the following:

• The north is closer to other industrial countries ofEurope, such as Germany and France.

• The south has poorer transportation systems.

• The government tried to promote growth in thesouth but made bad choices. It started industriesthat did not benefit the local people.

Another problem is that the entire Mediterraneanregion is poor in energy resources and relies heavilyon imported petroleum. This makes the region vul-nerable because trade problems or wars could halt oilsupplies and prevent industries from functioning.

Modern Mediterranean LifeMediterranean Europe saw political turmoil in the20th century. Two dictators, Benito Mussolini in Italy

Background

The EU is an

economic and

political alliance

of 15 nations.

Italy was one

of the founding

members.

Economic Activity*

Greece

Italy1952 1995

1952 1995

Other

Agriculture

Industry

Trade

Portugal

1952 1995

292 CHAPTER 13

SOURCE: United Nations Statistical Yearbooks, 1955, 1997

NOTES: Industry includes mining and construction;

other includes government, utilities, transportation,

and service industries.

* as percentage of GDP

SKILLBUILDER: Interpreting GraphsSEEING PATTERNS From 1952

to 1995, which economic activities increased

and which decreased?

MAKING INFERENCES Why do you

think the category “other” changed so

significantly? Give possible reasons.

35%

24%

10%

31%

21%

14%

51%

25%

39%

12%

24%

3%

26%

19%

52%

29%

36%

8%

27%33%

16%

47%

14%

4%

Mediterranean Europe 293

PLACE Pamplona,

Spain, holds a festival

in which young men

run through the streets

before a herd of

stampeding bulls.

What might thisactivity show aboutSpanish culture?

and Francisco Franco in Spain,ruled for long periods. After Francodied in 1975, Spain set up a consti-tutional government. After WorldWar II, Italy became a republic buthas had dozens of governmentssince then. Greece has also experi-enced political instability.

THE BASQUES Spain has had anongoing conflict with a minoritygroup. The Basque people live inthe western foothills of thePyrenees. Their language is theonly pre-Roman language still spo-ken in southwestern Europe. In the late 1970s, Spain granted the Basqueregion self-rule. But some Basques want complete independence andhave used violence to fight for it. The conflict remains unresolved.

CITY GROWTH The transition from agriculture to manufacturingand service industries has encouraged people to move from thecountry to the city. Urban growth has created housing shortages,pollution, and traffic jams. The people of Mediterranean Europewant to preserve their historic cities, so they are trying to solve theseproblems. For example, Athens is expanding its subway system toreduce traffic and pollution.

Despite their problems, Mediterranean cities give intriguing insightinto the past. In Rome and Athens, classical ruins stand near modernbuildings. Florence has glorious works of Renaissance art. Granada,Spain, has Catholic cathedrals and a Muslim palace. In Section 2, youwill read about Western Europe, a region that also has a rich history.

Places & TermsIdentify these terms and

explain their importance

in the region’s history or

culture.

• city-state

• republic

• Crusades

• Renaissance

• aqueduct

Taking Notes REGION Review the notes you

took for this section.

• What are the two ancient

civilizations of this region?

• What type of movement is the

result of recent economic change?

Main Ideas a. How was the Renaissance

an example of the

movement of ideas?

b. What is Rome’s cultural

legacy in Mediterranean

Europe today?

c. How has Mediterranean

Europe’s economy

changed since World

War II?

Geographic ThinkingIdentifying and SolvingProblems What might help

preserve the historic cities of

Mediterranean Europe?

Think about:

• how to provide housing

and reduce both pollution

and traffic

ASKING GEOGRAPHIC QUESTIONS Review the paragraph about the Crusades on page 291. Write

three to five geographic questions about the Crusades, such as "Why did many Crusaders purchase

supplies for their ships in Italy?" Do research to answer as many of your questions as possible. Then

create a set of quiz show questions and answers.

EUR

OP

E

Using the AtlasLocate the

Basque language

on the map on

page 267. What

other country

besides Spain has

Basque speakers?

History

Economics Modern Life

Culture

Mediterranean Europe

RESEARCH LINKSCLASSZONE .COM