1. MESOPOTAMIA “land between the rivers”

2. This area’s claim to fame…  Several of the world’s EARLIEST regions BEGAN HERE!  This area is made up of today’s:  IRAQ  SYRIA  LEBANON  ISRAEL  JORDAN

3. THE FERTIle crescent  This was the land’s NICKNAME for two reasons:  1) The land took on a CRESCENT SHAPE  2) The land was very FERTILE and excellent for FARMING  FYI: FERTILE land means that seeds can grow VERY WELL here and thus produce many CROPS

4. Welcome to civilization The Fertile Crescent promoted civilization for several reasons: 1) The climate was TOLERABLE – there were very HOT summers but very COOL winters 2) There were excellent sources for WATER 3) The soil was FERTILE and MINERAL RICH

5. WeLCOME TO Mesopotamia!  Translated as “LAND BETWEEN THE RIVERS”  The rivers are the TIGRIS and EUPHRATES

6. Two rivers worth gold…  The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers had SILT in its waters  This is SOIL IN THE WATER that would lay on the land after the rivers would FLOOD  The silt was VERY FERTILE!!!

7. Dependent on disaster? Mesopotamian civilization depended on THE TIGRIS AND EUPHRATES RIVERS FLOODING *

8. Good flood, bad flood?  Flooding was GOOD because it left behind VERY FERTILE SOIL, such as SILT  Then again, flooding was BAD for many reasons… FLOODING

9. Reason #1  Flooding was bad because THE FLOODS WERE UNPREDICTABLE!  The people never knew when TO EXPECT THEM!

10. Reason #2  Flooding was bad because the Mesopotamians COULDN’T PREPARE FOR THE FLOODS!  Guess it’s hard to prepare for something you don’t know is coming!

11. Reason #3  Because of the strength of the floods, often times HOMES AND FARMS WERE DESTROYED  This was especially devastating because THEY RELIED HEAVILY ON THEIR FARMS FOR SURVIVAL

12. ANOTHER REASON TO BE ON GUARD…  The Mesopotamian land was very WIDE OPEN  The land was also surrounded by MOUNTAINS to the NORTH and EAST  This landscape made it EASY for INVADERS to ATTACK