There are very important reasons why people throughout history have chosen to live where they do.  If we look at maps of different places in the world, we will notice that most large communities and cities are located on, or near the water.  Let's look some maps of two countries where there were early civilizations, and see if this is true.

The map above is a map of China.  As you can see, most of the cities are along rivers, or near the coast of the ocean.  On the map of Egypt below, you will notice the same thing.  We will learn the reasons for this, as we discover where people settle and live, and why.

Around 5000 years ago, the first civilizations began to pop up along the southwest part of the continent of Asia.  Today, this is an area we call the Middle East.  Towns began to develop along river valleys, where water was available.  There were some important reasons for this.

The land along the rivers is fertile.  If there is fertile land, then crops can be grown.  Animals can also be raised if there is enough food and water for them.  People learned that they could stay in one place and grow enough food to feed their community, if they were near a water supply.

As time went on, waterways began to serve more purposes.  Rivers, lakes, and seas began to be used for transportation.  People built boats, and started exploring the area around them. 

As people began to travel around, different societies came into contact with each other.  Different groups of people could now share ideas with each other.   People began to trade food, clothing, and other things.  Many major waterways were becoming trade routes that people would travel to buy and sell goods.

People began to build their homes where they could be close to food and supplies.  Larger towns and cities began to spring up along trade routes.  Let's stop for a minute, and think about the locations of some of the major cities, here in the United States.  These cities have one thing in common.  They are all near water.   We will also learn why these locations were important to the growth and development of America.

Many of the oldest and largest cities in America are located along the Atlantic Ocean, or on harbors that join the ocean.  For example, New York, Boston and Baltimore all have harbors.  When the United States was being settled, these locations were very important trade centers.  These cities have large ports where ships can load and unload their goods.  From these ports, goods can then move to other locations by land or river. Trade and shipping are very important to the development of towns and cities.  Shipping creates jobs, and communities develop around these locations.

photographs and clipart used with permission from http://www.freefoto.com and http://gimp-savvy.com

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