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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Tonguez" data-source="post: 9414507" data-attributes="member: 1125">The broader meaning of Desert is "arid region with low rainfall" and Civilizations do tend to develop in arid areas due to Necessity and Opportunity.In tropical regions with abundant heat and moisture food plants grow easily and constantly thus agriculture is less intense (swidden farming works) but in arid regions it is necessary to improve soil cultivation and irrigation methods to feed your families. Also growing seasons are shorter thus there is a need to develop food storage systems - in particular Grain Silos and Beer brewingThe opportunity comes about due to river flood plains (Mesopotamia/Nile/Indus/Yellow River Valley) giving a defined area of regular fertile growing conditions - literally an oasis in the desert - which if secured can support large populations and which have a degree of natural defence by having deserts on the borders. Cities become centers of Population and Trade - civilisation is born.Of course thats not absolute - The Incas and Greeks, and Ethiopian civilisations flourished in Mountainous regions which are easy to defend and might control luxury goods, the Greeks also had great access to the Mediterranean for transport and food. The Mayans and Aztecs built civilisations in jungle/swamp</blockquote>