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Chapter 4: the Rise of City Sumerian States Study Guide Ancient Sumer is located in Mesopotamia, an arc shaped region in the Middle East. the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers run through this region. Summer is located in the foothills of the Zagros Mountains. In this chapter, you have learned how geographic challenges led to the rise of city-states in Mesopotamia. Food Shortages in the Hills A shortage of food forced people to move from the foothills of the Zagros Mountains to the plains between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. This plains area became Sumer. Controlling Water Supply on the Plains Farmers in Sumer faced times of flooding and drought. They built irrigation systems to create a steady water supply. Maintaining these complex systems required cooperation among villages. From Farming Villages to City-States As villages grew into towns and cities, some became large city-states with protective walls around them. The earliest settlements in Mesopotamia were like small, independent countries. They are called city-states. The fact that the sun was hot, and there was little rain made Sumer a difficult environment to live in. The major disadvantage to the rapid population growth in the foothills was food shortages. The need for food drove people to move out of the foothills to the plains of Sumer. The foothills provided conditions that were good for farming and building shelters. People settled in one place, and the population grew.