The Indus Valley Civilization was one of the four largest ancient urban civilizations located in the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent along the Indus River basin. Harappa, an important city in the Indus civilization, flourished from around 2600 to 1700 BCE and remains inhabited today. The Indus Valley Civilization had a similar geography to ancient Egypt and Peru, with rich agricultural lands surrounded by highlands and desert. Semi-permanent settlements in the Indus region date back to 9,000 BCE.