The Four Locations of Early World Civilisations

Where did the early civilisations grow?

Each of the four early world civilisations grew in a special place: a fertile river valley. Rivers gave water, rich soil for farming, fish to eat and an easy way to travel and trade. Let us look at where each one was located.

The four locations

• Mesopotamian civilisation — grew between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, in the area of modern-day Iraq. The name means 'land between the rivers'.
• Egyptian civilisation — grew along the Nile river in North Africa. Each year the Nile flooded and left rich soil for crops.
• Indus Valley civilisation — grew along the Indus river in the area of modern-day Pakistan and north-west India.
• Huang He civilisation — grew along the Huang He (Yellow River) in northern China.

All four locations had one thing in common: a great river. This is why historians call them river valley civilisations. The water and fertile land made it possible for large numbers of people to farm, settle and build cities.