Question

What present day country is being described?

You are in what has been called “the cradle of civilization.” The ancient Sumerians lived here sometime between 3500 and 3000 B.C. You look down at your watch, and you remember that it was the Sumerians who, with their mathematical system based on the number 60, devised the 60-minute hour. Looking at the cultivated fields, you think how the invention of the plow—another Sumerian invention—has changed the world. Some say the single invention that changed the world more than anything else was the wheel, and once again, credit goes to the Sumerians. How different it is today! The Sumerians are long gone, and today oil is the country’s most valuable natural resource.


What present day country is being described?

Answer 1

The present day country being described is Iraq. It is often referred to as "the cradle of civilization" due to the ancient Sumerian civilization that existed there between 3500 and 3000 B.C. The Sumerians were known for their mathematical system based on the number 60, which led to the invention of the 60-minute hour, as well as the plow and the wheel. Today, Iraq is known for its oil, which is its most valuable natural resource.