Why is Mesopotamia called the cradle of civilization?

The Mesopotamians are said to have given the world irrigation, writing, organized religion, laws and the concept of time. Why were they so advanced? What makes Mesopotamia the cradle of civilization?

History of Asia

Asia is the birthplace of all the earliest known civilizations except that of Egypt; of most of the great language families; and of all the great religions.

History of Afghanistan

The independent existence of Afghanistan dates only from the mid-18th century, but archeologists believe that the area was inhabited as early as the Old Stone Age.

History of Armenia

The ancient kingdom of Urartu arose in the ninth century B.C. in the region that later became Armenia.

History of Bahrain

Bahrain was the site of Dilmun, a trade center that thrived intermittently from about 2600 to 600 B.C.

History of Bangladesh

Bangladesh is the eastern part of the historic region of Bengal. The Bengalis regard the four centuries of rule by the Pala dynasty (8th to 12th century) as their greatest period.

History of Burma

Throughout its history, Burma has alternated between periods of unity and disunity.

History of Cambodia

The earliest recorded history of Cambodia comes mainly from Chinese sources. They refer to a kingdom called Funan that was established in the first century A.D.

History of China

Prehistoric humans inhabited China as early as 600,000 years ago. The most notable prehistoric human remains are those of Peking Man, which date back some 300,000 years ago.

History of Cyprus

The ancient Greeks and Phoenicians colonized Cyprus and it later was part of the Persian and Roman empires.

History of Georgia

The area of what is now Georgia was settled by people from Asia Minor in the 12th century B.C.

History of India

The civilization of India is very ancient. In the Indus Valley are ruins of a civilization of high order that flourished from about 2300 B.C.

History of Indonesia

In the Mediterranean. Fossil remains of Java Man show that Java was inhabited by apelike humans about 500,000 years ago.

History of Iran

Iran is the native name for Persia. In 1935 the shah (king), Riza Khan Pahlavi, insisted the country be called “Iran” by other nations.

History of Iraq

Modern Iraq includes the territory known in ancient times as Mesopotamia. This region, consisting of the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, was one of the first centers of civilization.