The First Civilizations
Instructions:
1. Locate the following towns, areas, seas and rivers on a world map. (15 points) Submit your map in class to deliver with the respective identified places.
* Egypt * Nile River * Mesopotamia * Tigris River * Palestine * Euphrates River * Phenicia * Jordan River
* Mediterranean Sea * Red Sea * Sinai Peninsula * Athens * Yellow River, China
* Asia Minor * Arabian Peninsula
2. Why did the ancient civilizations settle near the rivers?

Egypt is a country that is located between northeastern Africa and the middle east, located near the Nile River. Mesopotamia is situated in western Asia and the Tigris–Euphrates river system. Jordan River is 250 km long passes through the Middle East that flows roughly from the north to south through the Galilee and Dead Sea.

Reason for the settlement of ancient civilization around the river valleys is due to these fertile lands helped the civilizations to grow in large numbers and also provided the mineral-rich soil for the domestication of plants and cattle from where the phase of agriculture began.

Also, the fertile rivers were considered as the breeding ground for the fish populations and hence provided immediate food for the civilizations.