The area provided a good amount of oil and area becuase the terrian was flat. However, the tempature made vegetation almost inhabitable. Developments settled around the rivers or waters so they could farm.
Hopefully this helped a bit. Best of luck with whatever you're doing.
The Geography with it being a desert, forced people to live near the water, The Climate forced sturdy houses, and the Lack of Resources lead to settlements being forced to trade with each other to survive. Leading to them being forced to settle near waterways. This all lead to Rich City States.
