Ikaros (Failaka Island)

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/ikaros-failaka-island

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the hellenistic name?Ikaros
2. What is the ancient economic role?Strategic emporion (trading post) for Mesopotamian and wider regional trade networks
3. What is Ikaros and where is it located?Ikaros is the ancient Greek name for Failaka Island in Kuwait, about 50 kilometers southeast of where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers meet. It sits in the Persian Gulf and was a key spot for sea travel.
4. Why was Ikaros an important trading spot?It was on the sea routes that linked Mesopotamia with the wider Indian Ocean, so merchants could bring goods there and the island could collect taxes on the trade.

Geopolitics: The study of the influence of geography on international politics and relations.
Hellenization: The historical spread of classical Greek culture, language, and political organization.
Emporion: A designated trading place or market in ancient Greek city-states and colonies.
Syncretism: The merging of different religions, cultures, or schools of thought.