Civilizations ultimately developed on every continent except Antarctica.Īll civilizations have certain characteristics. and in Central America (what is now Mexico) by about 1200 B.C.E. Civilizations thrived in the Indus Valley by about 2500 B.C.E., in China by about 1500 B.C.E. Civilizations first appeared in Mesopotamia (what is now Iraq) and later in Egypt. Many people no longer had to practice farming, allowing a diverse array of professions and interests to flourish in a relatively confined area. The earliest civilizations developed between 40 B.C.E., when the rise of agriculture and trade allowed people to have surplus food and economic stability.

Civilization describes a complex way of life that came about as people began to develop networks of urban settlements.