Geography played a major role in the development of independent Greek city-states. The mountainous terrain of Greece made it difficult for a single ruler to control the entire region, so the Greeks developed a system of independent city-states. Each city-state was surrounded by its own walls and had its own government, laws, and customs. The city-states were also separated by physical barriers such as mountains, rivers, and seas, which made it difficult for one city-state to conquer another. This allowed the city-states to develop independently and to form their own unique cultures and societies.
