Ancient Greece was a peninsula in the Mediterranean Sea around the size of Louisiana. It had a mountainous geography which caused Greek communities to develop independently and often fight each other. Due to their coastal location, Greeks developed advanced naval technologies for trade and warfare. They also invented necessary structures like aqueducts for transporting fresh water in their mountainous terrain. Greek innovations included sports, architecture using columns and arches, military weapons like catapults, and the foundations of Western democracy in city-states like Athens. Alexander the Great later conquered the Persian Empire and spread Greek culture and ideas widely, influencing structures in both the ancient and modern world.