Ancient America saw the rise of several civilizations that reached very high levels of development. These included the Maya, the Aztec and the Olmec.
There are several factors that contributed to the rise of such civilizations. However, the most important factor which allowed them to flourish was their geographical location. These cultures developed in an area known as "Mesoamerica." Mesoamerica is a region in North America that is significant because of its fertile land and favourable weather. It extends from central Mexico through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northern Costa Rica.
The fertile land and mild weather allowed for agriculture to flourish. These civilization relied on crops such as cacao, maize, beans, tomato, avocado, vanilla, squash and chili. These supported large populations, which eventually developed complex forms of government, art and social organization.
