Final answer:
The earliest civilization developed in Sumer, located in what is now Iraq, known as the cradle of civilization where agricultural advances gave rise to technological and political innovations that formed the basis of Western civilization.
Step-by-step explanation:
The earliest civilization developed in Sumer, an area located in the southern part of Mesopotamia, in modern-day Iraq. This region is famously known as the cradle of civilization, home to some of the first urban centers and several technological advances, including cuneiform, the world's first sophisticated writing system. The development of early civilizations occurred between 10,000 and 8,000 BCE, with Mesopotamia being where agriculture led to the emergence of the essential technologies of civilization such as mathematics, astronomy, engineering, as well as bureaucratic political structures.
These technologies and political networks became the foundation of Western civilization and spread through the ancient Near East. The historical significance of Mesopotamia and the achievements of the Sumerian culture are emphasized by scholars who credit this region with the origins of many elements of modern Western civilization. Mesopotamia's fertile land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers provided ideal conditions for the growth of human civilization.