Many civilizations have thrived along the Euphrates‘ banks, notably in ancient times. The Mesopotamian Empire was one of its most prominent civilizations. Ancient Mesopotamia occupied the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which is known as the « Fertile Crescent. » That region of the world is now located in Iraq. With a length of 1,740 miles, the river is the longest in Western Asia. Its source is in Eastern Turkey, and it flows to the Persian Gulf. It passes through Turkey, Syria, and Iraq along the way. The Euphrates River passes across several diverse vegetation zones. Although millennia of human occupancy have substantially altered the landscape in most regions of the Euphrates basin, remnants of ancient flora survive. The Euphrates obtains the majority of its water from rainfall and melting snow, resulting in peak flows from April to May.
