How did the physical geography of Greece lead to the development of the polis?

Answer 1

Greece was - and still is -mostly covered with mountains that were in turn covered with dense forests. This led to communities living quite isolated from each other who moreover had to make the most from what little habitable and arable land there was. Which in turn meant that people had to live close to each other in order to have enough land left to live off: land for agriculture and farm animals. The isolation and Greece's geography as mentioned also led to a situation where a would-be king would have a very hard time to combine several of them into a "State".
So, until the arrival of the Romans, most communities grew into a 'polis' or city that remained an independent entity. Most ancient cities in Greece remained very small by our standards: in most it took no more than a ten to at most fifteen minutes' brisk walk to go from one end of the city to the other.

Answer 2

The mountainous terrain of Greece created natural barriers between communities, prompting the development of independent city-states or polis. These polis were self-sufficient due to limited arable land and promoted a sense of loyalty and identity among their citizens. The proximity to the sea allowed for trade and interaction with other societies, contributing to the diversity and development of Greek civilization.