A civilization is a way of life that involves urban areas and focuses on the development of shared methods of communication. Civilization also involves the development of administrative infrastructure, a division of labor, and the organization of people into classes that are based on income. In modern times, the word has become more common to refer to a particular region (European civilization, French civilization, Mayan civilization), culture (Arabic culture, Chinese culture), or period of time (modern Western civilization). The term civilization is often used in the sense that it represents a progression away from barbarism. However, anthropologists have tried to find more value-neutral ways to describe the development of human cultures and communities.
The first step in becoming a civilization is the creation of a sedentary community, which can be accomplished by building villages and towns. Cities are the next step, as they are large areas where people can live together in a concentrated and centralized way. Civilizations also involve the development of specialized roles in society, such as priests or military commanders. These specialized positions enable people to focus on the tasks that they are best suited for. In most cases, people in a civilization will be divided into economic classes that are defined by their level of wealth and the types of jobs they do. In ancient Mesopotamia, for example, wealthy kings and queens owned much of the land in their area while serfs worked the fields.
The final step is the development of a government that provides law and order in a society. This usually takes the form of a monarchy, where a powerful leader is elected to oversee the entire community. Many civilizations also develop a democracy, in which citizens vote for their representatives and leaders. A republic, in which power is shared between a president and the legislative branch of government, is another option for a type of government.
In general, civilizations also develop advanced forms of technology that make it possible to create larger, more organized groups and to manage resources on a greater scale. This technology might include writing systems, astronomical calculations, and even airplanes and automobiles.
An important aspect of any civilization is its ability to grow and expand, which usually means that it must develop a system for trading with other people. It is often a matter of necessity for a civilization to trade food, artifacts, or other items with people who are not in its immediate vicinity. This trade may have to be over long distances, which requires a system of communications to maintain business agreements and record transactions.
The earliest civilizations developed in river valleys, where fertile flood plains were available for agriculture and water was easily accessible for drinking and industry. Later, enterprising humans developed the necessary technologies to travel over land and sea, crossing the Bering Land Bridge into North America and later sailing around the world. The spread of civilizations has been rapid and impressive, although there are still some regions of the world that have never had a chance to develop the same level of cultural sophistication as those in the West.