Greece - One of the last of the great Bronze Age societies to develop, Greece  is a very old civilization indeed.  However, it suffered from a number of disadvantages.  Unlike Mesopotamia, Egypt, India and China, Greece contains no great river basin, depriving it of naturally fertile soil and an easy route of transportation.  In addition, there are few natural resources to take out of the ground.  Timber was sparse, metals were rare and there was no iron to speak of.  Despite this, the Greeks were able to overcome these deficiencies and build one of the most significant civilizations in history.  They proved to be very industrious and made the most out of what the peninsula had to offer.  In truth, the Greeks were not a homogeneous people, but a mix of groups who migrated to the area over time, which explains why they fought constantly.  Dorians, Ionians, Achaeans and others all came together to make up the people we call "Greeks".  They didn't call themselves that, they were "Hellenes" and their land was "Hellas".  It was the Romans who gave them their name which sticks to the present day.