Fertile Crescent

The Fertile Crescent is a crescent-shaped region in the Middle East, spanning modern-day Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, and Palestine. This area is historically significant as one of the first places where agriculture and early civilizations developed around 10,000 BCE. Its rich soils, favorable climate, and access to water from rivers like the Tigris and Euphrates allowed ancient peoples to cultivate crops and domesticate animals. The Fertile Crescent is often called the "Cradle of Civilization" because it was a center for early human innovation, including writing, trade, and city-building.