Middle East Geography

Fertile Crescent A geographical area of fertile land in the Middle East stretching in a broad semicircle from the Nile to the Tigris and Euphrates

River Culture Cultures that were dependent on the flooding of a river to sustain their agriculture.

Agriculture Large scale cultivation of crops to sustain and enhance human life. The birthplace is located in northeastern Iraq.

Irrigation A way of supplying water to an area of land Farmers in ancient Sumer grew imported crops like barley (grain) in land without much rainfall. Canals and ditches were built to redirect water.

Tigris River A river that ran through Sumer and provided resources for the early civilization of the Mesopotamians.

Euphrates River A river in southwestern Asia that flows through the southern part of the Fertile Crescent Today

Zagros Mountains Mountains on the western side of Iran that help isolate that country from the rest of Southwest Asia.

Syrian Desert A desert in Southwest Asia covering much of the Arabian Peninsula between the Mediterranean coast and the Euphrates River.

Persian Gulf Also called Arabian Gulf, it is shallow marginal sea of the Indian Ocean that lies between the Arabian Peninsula and southwestern Iran.

Taurus Mountains Where the Tigris and Euphrates rivers begin, they separate Turkey from the rest of Southwest Asia