AP TERM 1 EXAM

Asia

Largest continent in the world. Home to 60% of the world's population and the earliest civilizations

North America

Third largest continent. Home to the world's largest island and the Great Lakes. Called the bread basket

South America

Fourth largest continent. Home to the world's longest mountain range, largest river, and highest waterfall

Europe

Sixth largest continent. Rivers shaped its history. Heavily influenced by Greek mythology

Africa

Called the Mother Continent and cradle of humankind. Second largest continent. Home to the largest hot desert and the longest river

Australia (Oceania)

Made up of four regions: Australasia, Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia. Over 10,000 islands

Antarctica

Fifth largest continent by area. No permanent residents or countries. Mostly covered by the Antarctic Ice Sheet

Charles Darwin

English naturalist who wrote the Theory of Evolution, which conflicted with the biblical account of creation

Australopithecus

Early hominin found in East Africa. Lived 2 to 4 million years ago. Brain was only 35% the size of a modern human's. Famous fossil named Lucy

Homo Habilis

Meaning Handy Man. Found in East and South Africa. Lived 1.6 to 2.5 million years ago. Had a larger brain and small teeth

Homo Erectus

Meaning Upright Man. Lived 100,000 to 1.8 million years ago

Homo Sapiens

Meaning Wise Man. Lived in Europe between 30,000 and 250,000 years ago

Paleolithic Period

Old Stone Age. Nomadic lifestyle. Survived by hunting and gathering. Tools made from rough stone

Mesolithic Period

Middle Stone Age. Transition period between the Paleolithic and Neolithic. People learned to make thinner, finer tools from stone, horn, and animal bone

Neolithic Period

New Stone Age. Stone tools became polished, smooth, and sharp. People began changing their environment to suit their needs

Metal Age

Stone tools were replaced by bronze, then iron due to scarcity of bronze resources. Iron is still used today

Mesopotamia

Meaning land between two rivers. Located between the Tigris and Euphrates. Part of the Fertile Crescent. Rich in agriculture but lacked wood and stone

Sumer

The earliest civilization established in Mesopotamia. Made up of city-states like Eridu, Ur, and Uruk

Ziggurat

A temple structure built for the gods in Mesopotamia

Cuneiform

Wedge-shaped writing system of Mesopotamia. Used to record important documents

Code of Hammurabi

A code of laws used to maintain order and justice in Mesopotamian society

Sargon I

First ruler to successfully unify Mesopotamia. Founded the Akkadian dynasty, which lasted 200 years

Nebuchadnezzar

King of Babylon who built the Hanging Gardens for his wife and conquered Jerusalem

Cyrus the Great

Conquered the Fertile Crescent and most of Asia Minor. Freed the Hebrews from captivity

Zoroastrianism

Official religion of the Persian Empire. Monotheistic, worshipping Ahura Mazda. Founded by the prophet Zoroaster

Indus Valley Civilization

Centered on Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa. Known for advanced urban planning and indoor plumbing

Aryans

Migrants from Central Asia who brought Sanskrit to India and established the caste system

Vedas

Collection of prayers and ritual texts brought by the Aryans

Hinduism

Considered the oldest religion in the world. Open to many forms of worship, so it has no single church

Buddhism

Founded by Siddhartha Gautama. Goal is liberation from suffering and rebirth through nirvana

Shang Dynasty

First dynasty established in China. Practiced ancestor worship and developed oracle bone script

Zhou Dynasty

Considered the classical age of Chinese civilization. Introduced the Mandate of Heaven and iron metallurgy

Mandate of Heaven

The divine right to rule, used by Chinese rulers to legitimize their authority

Confucianism

Founded by Confucius. Teaches that people are naturally good and stresses filial piety, respect for parents and elders

Nile River

Longest river in the world. The only major river that flows south to north. Its floods left fertile silt on the land

Mummification

Ancient Egyptian practice reflecting belief in eternal life

Pyramid

Built to serve as a passage for the pharaoh's soul into the afterlife

Pharaoh

Ruler of ancient Egypt, worshipped as a god on earth

Theocracy

A government where the ruler is both king and god, as practiced in ancient Egypt

Hieroglyphics

Ancient Egyptian writing system. From Greek words meaning sacred carving

Rosetta Stone

Key artifact that helped scholars decode Egyptian hieroglyphics

Latium

Region in the Italian Peninsula where Rome developed, near the Tiber River

Romulus and Remus

Legendary twin founders of Rome, said to have been raised by a she-wolf

Etruscans

Ancient people north of Rome who influenced Roman architecture, art, and metalwork

Roman Republic

A system of government led by elected representatives rather than a king

Consuls

Two officials elected annually in the Roman Republic. Each could veto the other's decisions

Patricians

Members of Rome's old aristocratic families with strong political influence

Plebeians

Common citizens of Rome, including farmers, artisans, and merchants, with limited political power early in the Republic

Tribune

Roman official with the power to veto Senate decisions to protect plebeian interests

First Triumvirate

Alliance of Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus, who each sought political and military power in Rome

Julius Caesar

Skilled general and politician. Governor of Gaul. Expanded Rome's territory greatly

Augustus (Octavian)

First Roman emperor. Given the title Augustus by the Senate in 27 BCE

Pax Romana

Period of peace and prosperity under Augustus's rule, marked by trade growth and safe travel

Roman Legacy

Includes law and government systems, architecture, roads, language, and the concept of a republic

Minoan Civilization

Bronze Age civilization on Crete, roughly 2000 to 1500 BCE

Minotaur

Mythical creature with a man's body and a bull's head from Minoan legend

Linear A

Writing system of the Minoan civilization

Mycenaean Civilization

Greek Bronze Age civilization, roughly 1500 to 1200 BCE. Its collapse led to the Greek Dark Ages

Polis

A Greek city-state, home to no more than 10,000 people, with its own laws and government

Draco

Athenian lawmaker whose harsh Draconian Laws favored the wealthy over the poor

Solon

Athenian lawmaker who replaced Draco's harsh laws and shifted government from oligarchy to timocracy

Timocracy

A government where political participation is based on property ownership

Cleisthenes

Known as the Father of Democracy in Athens. Introduced ostracism to remove corrupt officials

Democracy

From Greek demos, meaning people, and kratos, meaning rule. Rule by the people

Athenian Citizenship

Limited to freeborn men aged 18 and older with property. Women, slaves, and foreigners were excluded

Lycurgus

Founder of Sparta's military state and its laws, the Great Rhetra

Spartan Government

An oligarchy led by two kings, a Council of Elders called the Gerousia, and five Ephors

Agoge

Spartan military training program that boys entered at age 7

Helots

Enslaved people in Sparta given to retired soldiers along with land

Belief

An idea, view, or thing considered true or important by a person or group

Religion

An organized system of beliefs, values, rituals, and practices related to what is sacred

Renaissance

French word meaning rebirth. Revival of interest in classical Greek and Roman art, literature, and the value of the individual

Humanism

Intellectual movement of the Renaissance emphasizing human value, ability, and potential

Individualism

A mindset emphasizing personal ability, freedom, and identity

Secularism

A mindset separating religion from government, education, and science, focusing on worldly matters

Leonardo da Vinci

Renaissance painter, sculptor, inventor, and scientist. Painted the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper

Michelangelo

Renaissance artist known for painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling and sculpting La Pieta

Donatello

Renaissance sculptor known for realistic human forms, including his statue of David

Giovanni Boccaccio

Italian scholar who wrote the Decameron, a collection of stories about the power of love

Francesco Petrarch

Known as the Father of Renaissance Humanism. Promoted the study of Greek literature by translating it into Latin

William Shakespeare

English playwright known for Romeo and Juliet, Julius Caesar, and Antony and Cleopatra

Thomas More

English writer who wrote Utopia, describing an ideal, equal society

Niccolo Machiavelli

Italian writer of The Prince, known for the principle that the ends justify the means