Why Water Matters

Since ancient times, people have built their homes and cities near rivers, lakes, and oceans. Water was one of the most important resources for survival.
Rivers provided fresh water for drinking, cooking, and cleaning.
Rivers also provided water for irrigation helping crops grow.
Fish from the rivers provided food
Boats could travel on rivers, making it easy to trade goods and connect with other communities.

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Why Water is So Important

​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.

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.

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Why Water is So Important

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.

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.

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Why Water is So Important

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.

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Why Water is So Important

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.

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Why Water is So Important