Geography of the Fertile Crescent Cornell Notes

The Land Between the Rivers Mesopotamia Fertile Crescent Southwest Asia Greek meaning “land between the rivers” Tigris Euphrates Large “crescent- shaped” area of rich fertile farmland

The Rise of Civilization What is civilization? What made civilization possible in Mesopotamia? A well organized and developed society The fertile soil formed by the silt left after the rivers flooded Early settlers learned to domesticate (train) plants and animals The 2 rivers gave supply of fresh water.

Farming and Cities How were the early settlers able to control the water of the rivers ? Irrigation A way of bringing water to an area where it’s needed Canals Ditches Basins Water gates

Farming and Cities (cont.) How did irrigation benefit the settlers? Surplus of food produce more food than needed Self-sufficiency No longer had to rely on hunting and gathering Division of labor Different people now do different jobs

H/W- Review: Use your notes to answer the following questions: 1. Where was Mesopotamia located? 2. Why is the area called the “fertile crescent”? 3. What caused the farmland to be so fertile? 4. How did farmers control the rivers? 5. How did having a “division of labor” help Mesopotamia’s civilization grow?