Geography of Mesopotamia

Location Located in the present- day country of Iraq Located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers It was approximately 300 miles long and 150 miles wide

The land between two rivers

Place Northern Mesopotamia is made up of hills and plains The land is quite fertile due to seasonal rains, and the rivers and streams flowing from the mountains. Southern Mesopotamia is made up of marshy areas and wide, flat, barren plains

Region Today commonly known as the Middle East Also Known as the Near East The climate was hot and humid with unpredictable floods

Movement Farmers and fishermen started to settle the Mesopotamian plain around 5,500 B.C.E Small villages grew into large settlements

Human-Environment Interaction The land consisted of marshes and channels that provided food, protection, and life to the people. The farmers learned to control the flooding to some degree. The fertile land along the rivers produced such crops as wheat, barley, sesame, flax, and various fruits and vegetables