Key AP Cities

1. Key Cities in AP World History

2. Key Cities: Period 1: 8000 B.C.E. – 600 B.C.E.
Memphis, Egypt
Key city of ancient Egypt
Located along Nile R.
Center of commerce, trade, religion
Aleppo and Jericho
Key Neolithic cities in Middle East
Located in Fertile Crescent
World’s earliest cities
Babylon
Capital city of Babylonian Empire
Located along Euphrates River
Center of commerce, trade, religion
Hammurabi’s Code
Harappa & Mohenjo-daro
Key cities of Indus Valley
Located along Indus Rvier
Center of commerce, trade, religion
Anyang
Key city of Shang China
Located along Hueng He (Yellow) River
Mastery in bronze working

3. Key Cities: Period 2: 600B.C.E. – 600 C.E. “The Classical Era”
Rome, Italy
Capital of Roman Empire
Located along Tiber River
Italian Peninsula
Center of commerce, trade,
and politics.
Alexandria, Egypt
Center of Hellenistic Age
Located along Mediterranean coast
Center of scholarship during
Hellenistic Age.
Persepolis, Persia
Capital of Achaemenid Persian Empire
Connected to Royal Road
Center of commerce, trade, religion
Production and trade of textiles
Center of Zoroastrianism
Athens, Greece
Key city of ancient Greece
Center of Golden Age (Age of Pericles)
Center of Hellenic (Greek) scholarship
Trade in wine, olive oil, pottery
Teotihuacan: 100 B.C.E. – 550 C.E.
Largest city in Pre-Columbian America
Located in Valley of Mexico
Mainly agricultural economy
Production and trade of obsidian objects
Center of politics & religion
Human and animal sacrifice

4. Key Cities: Period 3: 600 – 1450 C.E.
Calicut, India
Main trade city on India’s west coast
Traded actively with Arabian &
Swahili Coast of Africa
Trade items: Cotton textiles, spices
Hangzhou, China
Center of commerce in Southern China
One of largest in the world
Population: 1 ½ million
Terminal point for Grand Canal
Trade items from throughout Eurasia &
SE Asia
Center of China’s Golden Age (Tang & Song Era)
Swahili city-states
Blend of Arab & Bantu culture
Located along E. African coast
Traded gold, ivory, pearls & slaves
Venice, Italy
Power Italian trade city
Dominated Mediterranean
sea trade
Traded for Middle Eastern
goods
Tenochtitlan
Aztec Capital
One of largest in the world
Located in Valley of Mexico
Trade in maize & obsidian
Chinampas built to increase ag. Production
Imposed tribute system on neighbors
Timbuktu, Mali
Capital of Kingdom of Mali
West Africa
Center of Islamic scholarship
Center of economic exchange;
Gold, salt, ivory
Constantinople
Capital of Byzantine Empire
Crossroads of trade between Asia & Europe
Political, Economic center of Byzantine Empire
Orthodox Christianity

5. Key Cities: Period 4: 1450 – 1750 C.E.
St. Petersburg
Peter the Great’s new capital on Baltic Sea
His “Window to the West”
Russia’s commercial & economic connection the West
Russia’s Westernization
Malacca
Powerful trade city
Malay Peninsula
Connects S. China Sea to Indian Ocean
One of busiest straits in the world
Muscat
Capital of Omani Empire
Key trade city linking Africa & Middle East
Center of Omani dominance
Rival to Europeans Beijing
Capital of Ming & Qing
Controlling European influence through
Canton System
Maintaining positive balance of trade with
West.
Import silver; not much else
Export tea, silk, porcelain
Zanzibar
Slave-trading island state
Off E. coast of Africa
Economy based on huge clove
plantations & selling slaves.
London
Capital city of growing British Empire
Political and economic center
Cuzco
Capital of Incan Empire
Located in Andes Mts.
Economic exchange from Amazon basin to
Pacific Coast
Lima, Peru becomes key Spanish capital after
Spanish arrival.

6. Key Cities: Period 5: 1750 – 1900

7. Key Cities: Period 6: 1900 – Present