Tigris & Euphrates River Valley—Mesopotamia/Sumeria

Where was this
civilization
located (region
of the world,
region name
then and
now)?
The area between the
Tigris and Euphrates
rivers also know as "The
Fertile Crescent" begins
on the eastern shore of
the Mediterranean Sea,
and curves around like a
quarter moon to the
Persian Gulf.
Some of the best farmland of the Fertile Crescent is in a narrow strip of land between the Tigris
and Euphrates Rivers. The Greeks later called this region Mesopotamia, which means "between
the rivers." Today this land is known as Iraq.
http://www.mrdowling.com/603mesopotamia.html

What were the significant geographical features of this region (bodies of
water, land forms, climates, vegetation)?
Mesopotamia is very diverse. In the North are large plains, to the South, their are life-rich rivers
and jungles. The Sourthern plain, outside the area of rain, is filled from the rivers with very fertile
soil. Further North and to the East are mountains. Of course, the main geographical features of
this region are the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
http://www.crystalinks.com/meso.html

How did this civilization/culture begin?
The Sumerians moved to the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers about 3500BC, but we do not know
where they came from. They were probably nomads who discovered the fertile land between
the rivers. Nomads travel in small groups until they have eaten the food that grows wild and
hunted the animals in the area. When food is no longer plentiful, they move to a new area.
Some people continue to live like this in remote parts of the world to this day.
Eventually the Sumerians developed a civilization. They learned that by planting seeds and
plowing their land, they were able to grow crops. They learned to domesticate, or tame animals
to help them plow their lands. The Sumerians learned to use irrigation, or a system of watering
crops, to grow more food. The Sumerians also made a very important invention--the wheel. The
invention of the wheel made it possible for to pull heavy loads.
http://www.mrdowling.com/603-sumerians.html
Many different civilizations developed in this small region. The Sumerians were the first culture
to develop in the Mesopotamian region but they were not the only culture. First were the
Sumerians, who were replaced in turn by the Assyrians and the Babylonians.

How did these geographical features impact the development of this
civilization (What was their daily life/culture like eg. Clothing, food, customs,
beliefs?
The majority of Mesopotamia is a very dry area, so irrigation became very important to the
region. These efforts to bring water to the crop lands aided in the development of the
civilization. The farming successes of the Mesopotamians lead to a surplus of food, which
allowed cities to develop.
The cities were centers where trade, as well as well as production of crafts, and politics
developed.
The richness of Mesopotamia made it attractive for neighbouring peoples, and its lack of
mountains made it fairly difficult to protect against invaders. The result was numerous invasions
through the history, and many times did foreign warlords replace the existing rulers. Few
dynasties lasted more than a few hundred years. The threat from the neighbours, was another
reason for establishing the cities: The cities could be fortified and defended.
http://i-cias.com/e.o/mesopotamia.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Cavern/5178/main.html