What is the Fertile Crescent?

• A. A crescent-shaped region in Western Asia formed by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and the Mediterranean Sea.
• B. A desert region in North Africa
• C. A mountain range in Europe
• D. A coastal region in South America

Answer: (A)

Geography and early history show that the Fertile Crescent is a crescent-shaped region in Western Asia, bordered by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and the Mediterranean Sea. Its fertile soils and reliable water sources in these river valleys supported the development of early agriculture, which in turn helped birth civilizations in that area. The other descriptions point to regions that don’t match this location or its characteristics, such as a desert in North Africa, a European mountain range, or a coastal region in South America, so they don’t describe the Fertile Crescent.