For humans to settle an area they need certain resources in that area. The resources are food, water, and materials to build shelter. This meant that societies and settlements formed around big rivers that could help people grow food. They could not really live in a desert so most settlements converged around big rivers. Later with the industrial revolution, many new settlements were made in order for the oil to be extracted, and resources could be brought to cities that were not around rivers.
Answer: In terms of oil reserves, the Middle East is second to none. This “oil miracle” of the world has been shaped by a set of favorable factors, some global and others local, inscribed in the geologic history of the region.
