What geographic conditions do you think made for a successful civilization

a historian researching the immigration policies of the early 1900s would expect a source written today,rather than in 1910 to :

( a ) be more interested in objective data and statistics.

2686-2181 bce-- "egyptian civilization developed along the nile river in large part because the river’s annual flooding ensured reliable, rich soil for growing crops."

1069-664 bce-- "ancient egyptians developed wide-reaching trade networks along the nile, in the red sea, and in the near east."