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Where was Sumer located within ancient Mesopotamia?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Historical map showing ancient Mesopotamia with labeled locations of major archaeological and historical sites. Symbols and color codes indicate sites from the prehistoric era, Sumerian-Akkadian culture, Babylonian and Neo-Babylonian eras, Assyrian civilization, Hurrian era, late Persian, Greek, and Parthian eras, as well as marshland areas. The map covers the region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, including present-day Iraq and surrounding areas.
history of Mesopotamia

Sumer was located in the southernmost region of ancient Mesopotamia, situated between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. This area, which corresponds to modern-day southern Iraq, extended from the vicinity of Baghdad down to the Persian Gulf.1

Historically, this territory later became known as Babylonia. The region was characterized by a collection of independent city-states, such as Ur, Uruk, and Nippur, which served as the foundation for the earliest known civilization.12