Agricultural Productivity

• Domesticated animals greatly improved farming efficiency.Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Before the shift to an agricultural economy, bands of hunter-gatherers roamed in search of animals to hunt and wild plants that could be collected for food. Hunter gathering limited early humans to using almost all energy and time for the production of food. With the discovery of farming domesticated plants and animals, the calories yielded per acre increased exponentially and supported the existence of workers such as blacksmiths, merchants, religious leaders, scientists and bureaucrats who didn't contribute directly to food production, but instead to the growth of civilization. The practice of farming brought humans together to form cities, which necessitated the development of government to control the population and complete large irrigation projects.
  
  

Geography/Climate/Natural Resources

• Western civilization developed in the Mediterranean Sea region.Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images
  
  Obviously a civilization's geographical location played a crucial role in their agricultural system, but geography also affected other areas of its development. The distance to major markets, as well as access to waterways and sea-based trade, essentially put limits on the growth rate of a given civilization. Climate, which is dictated by geography, also influenced the development of civilizations. Those in warm climates were plagued by disease carrying mosquitoes and other diseases that thrive in the warm, wet tropical regions. Another card dealt by geography was the natural resources available; lumber, precious metals, livestock, horses, crops, and other resources put a limit on what a civilization could accomplish.
  
  

Language and Writing System

• The Rosetta StonePhotos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  The economic growth of Western civilizations was pushed along by its many geographic graces, but other regions with similar climates didn't grow as successfully. One reason is the strong language systems developed by the West. Writing allowed for the codification of laws, intergenerational knowledge transfer, and the efficient communication and sharing of ideas. Islamic countries favored secrecy in their business activities and relied on oral rather than written contracts; in contrast, Italy favored financial transparency and developed advanced accounting practices such as double entry accounting. This written accounting system allowed for standardized communication between investors, business owners, and financiers resulting in the development of large firms.
  
  

Trade-based Economy and Money System

• Early coins derived their value from the metals they were made of.Dick Luria/Photodisc/Getty Images
  
  Civilizations that engaged in trade with one another obtained access to the natural resources and goods only available in other regions. In addition to physical goods, trade opened up the doors to the intellectual knowledge and discoveries of other civilizations. This rapidly increased the rate at which civilizations could grow because they were effectively all advancing cooperatively. Development of a money system is another crucial piece of economic development because it allowed for the specialization of workers by standardizing how goods were paid for.