- The region lies from northwest to southeast. It is bounded on the north by the Taurus mountains, on the south by the Arabian desert, on the west by the Mediterranean Sea, and on the east by the Tigris River.
- It includes the entire countries of Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Cyprus, and Syria, as well as parts of Iraq, Egypt and Turkey.
- The region is considered the birthplace of agriculture, cities, literacy, and governance, and is home to some of the oldest cities including Aleppo, Byblos, Damascus and Jericho.
- The region takes its name from the arc-shaped area of rich soil stretching from the Nile Delta in Egypt to the Tigris river valley in present day Iraq. The alluvial soils in the river valleys were highly fertile and conducive to agriculture.
- The abundance of water sources such as the Nile, Euphrates, Tigris, and Jordan Rivers further enhanced the fertility of the region and supported early human settlements.