Does Geography Determine Destiny?

Ancient Mesopotamia is considered by many to be the cradle of civilization. This is due to the development of many things that still impact our lives today. Agriculture, cities, religion, government, and written language are just a few of the things that were first developed in Mesopotamia. Unlike the many civilizations that would follow, Mesopotamia was unique in that the people who were in these various cities were bound together through culture. The social laws, written language, and religion are what historians use to classify the people of Mesopotamia. As a result, Mesopotamia is more of a region occupied by various civilizations rather than a single civilization. However, the people of the region are grouped together due to two developments:

1. the rise of cities and
   
2. the invention of written language.