California Teacher Credentialing Examination (CSET) 2026 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The ancient Near East primarily included areas around the eastern Mediterranean, notably encompassing regions such as Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq and parts of Iran, Syria, and Turkey) as well as the Nile Valley in Egypt. The Nile Valley was significant for its civilization, agriculture, and trade, making it a central aspect of the ancient Near East. The geography of this area contributed to the development of early societies, agriculture, and trade networks that were crucial for the civilizations that arose there.

The other choices reflect regions outside the scope of the ancient Near East. The Sahara Desert is a vast desert that stretches across North Africa but is not part of the core cultural and geographic areas classified as the Near East. The Amazon Basin, located in South America, and the Rocky Mountains in North America are also geographically distinct and culturally unrelated to the civilizations of the ancient Near East.