Mesopotamia means ‘land between rivers’. The term originates from the Greek words mesos (‘middle’) and potamos (‘river’). Geographically, Mesopotamia lies between the Tigris River to the east and the Euphrates River to the west. These rivers defined the territorial boundaries of the Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, and Assyrian civilizations.
The two rivers created fertile farmland, surrounded by desert and mountains. They also provided natural defensive protection to the cities built near them. The name Mesopotamia was used by ancient Greece based on this physical feature. However, the people who lived there earlier did not call it Mesopotamia; they referred to their cities.