Final answer:
Ancient civilizations prospered in areas with geographical features such as rivers and fertile valleys, as seen in Mesopotamia with the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and in Egypt with the Nile River(option b). These features provided the water necessary for irrigation, enabling extensive farming, leading to surplus food production, population growth, and development of cultures and governance related to water management.
Step-by-step explanation:
The geographical features that allowed for better farming and irrigation in ancient civilizations included primarily rivers, but also encompassed lakes, fertile valleys often referred to as the Fertile Crescent, and predictable flooding patterns. For example, the civilizations of Mesopotamia, including famous cities such as Ur, Babylon, and Nineveh, flourished due to the waters of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which enabled the creation of extensive irrigation systems for agriculture. Similarly, Ancient Egypt thrived on the banks of the Nile River, which provided a predictable annual flood that enriched the soil and made it highly productive for farming.
The proximity of river valleys such as the Nile in Egypt and the Tigris and Euphrates in Mesopotamia provided the rich, fertile valleys needed for the development of agrarian societies. These rivers' waters sustained large agricultural yields, which led to the growth of cities and the ability for these societies to establish a stable food supply. The resultant surplus of crops also allowed early civilizations to grow in population, develop distinct cultures, and form organized systems of governance related to the management of their pivotal natural resource: water.
Hence, the answer is option b.