Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

This satellite image shows the gift of fertile soil that the Nile River gives to Egypt along its banks and through the Nile delta, where it empties into the Mediterranean Sea. Ancient civilizations took advantage of such areas along rivers and other water sources.

Location has a great deal to do with whether a civilization can thrive. In this module, you discovered how the location of the ancient river valley civilizations fostered the development of their lasting social, economic, political, and religious traditions. Not only did these traditions become reflected in the surrounding communities, but later in the course you will also discover how they spread far and wide into future civilizations like Greece and Rome. In many cases, the ancient river valley civilizations provide a historical basis for nations that exist in these locations today.