Use the map showing the locations of major city-states in ancient Greece to answer the question.

Based on the map and your knowledge of ancient Greece, how did the geography of the region shown affect the development of Greek city-states?
A.

Access to water and natural harbors contributed to the development of distinct cultures among the city-states.
B.

Access to water and natural harbors contributed to the development of a single, dominant culture shared by the city-states.
C.

Natural barriers to travel contributed to the development of distinct cultures among the city-states.
D.

Natural barriers to travel contributed to the development of a single, dominant culture shared by the city-states.

C.


Natural barriers to travel contributed to the development of distinct cultures among the city-states.

C. Natural barriers to travel contributed to the development of distinct cultures among the city-states.

To answer the question, we can analyze the map and consider our knowledge of ancient Greece. The first step is to examine the geographic features present in the region shown on the map.

Looking at the map, we can observe that ancient Greece had a highly fragmented coastline with numerous small islands and peninsulas. Additionally, mountainous terrain is visible. These features acted as natural barriers, making travel and communication between different regions difficult.

From our understanding of ancient Greek history, we know that these geographic features influenced the development of Greek city-states. Option C suggests that natural barriers to travel contributed to the development of distinct cultures among the city-states. This is the correct answer.

The mountainous terrain and fragmented coastline of ancient Greece created isolated pockets of land, which led to the formation of independent city-states. The natural barriers hindered contact and communication between these city-states, resulting in each city-state developing its own distinct customs, traditions, and political systems. This is a key aspect of ancient Greek history and the reason why city-states such as Athens, Sparta, Corinth, and Thebes had their unique characteristics.

Therefore, based on the map and our knowledge of ancient Greece, the geography of the region shown affected the development of Greek city-states by creating natural barriers to travel, which contributed to the development of distinct cultures among the city-states.