Why did the first cities arise in southern Mesopotamia?

Because it was a very fertile land, thats why it is caled "The Fertile Cresent".

Explanation:

hello,

  i would that it was because no matter how hard people worked everyone would be paid the same, witch it was a that the russian to rule.

have a great day

this means that germany had to pay the allied countries. reparations are/is essentially payment for something that they have done wrong, so after ww1, germany was forced to pay reparations so they could replenish the allied countries resources' that they had lost during the war.