What is a city-state?
- A city-state is a city that controls itself and its surrounding territory
- Many civilizations had independent city-states that were each ruled separately, but together made up the same or similar culture
Sumerians
- Sumer was a Mesopotamian civilization made up of many city-states
- Important Sumerian city-states:
- Uruk
- Ur
Phoenicians
- The civilization of the Phoenicians was made up of some city-states in the Middle East along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea
- Important Phoenician city-states:
- Tyre
- Carthage
- Phoenicians established many colonies in North Africa along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea
Greeks
- The Greek civilization was made up of city-states in the Balkans and the Peloponnesus Peninsula
- Important Greek city-states:
- Athens
- Sparta
- Corinth
- Greek city-states developed independently and separate from each other because of Greece's mountainous geography
- Important rulers of the Greek city-state of Athens:
- Draco
- Solon
- Pericles
Mayans
- Located in the Mexican and Central American rain forests, part of Latin America
- Important Mayan city-state:
- Chichén Itzá
- Each Mayan city-state was ruled by its own king
- Economy based on agriculture and trade
- Polytheistic religion that included pyramids
Italian City-States
- Italian city-states developed as important trade centers after the Crusades
- Important Italian city-states:
- Florence
- Venice
- Genoa
- Florence