It literally means people who live in cities so that is not hunter gatherer people. It has come to mean educated, caring, responsible. So I suppose countries who care about their entire population (not just the rich), who tax to redistribute wealth, who educate and provide health care from taxes, who care about the arts and culture, who have a free democratic society. When you think about it, all this came about after people started living in cities. If you have to move all the time, it's difficult to do these things.
There were some civilizations that didn't educate or provide health and didn't have a free democratic society but were nonetheless civilizations. I agree about the tax part and culture and people who lived under a ruler whether they were in cities or not.
I just returned from a trip that included the pre-Incan civilization - monumental builders/engineers, tax collectors, storers of agricultural and other goods for trade and redistribution, artisans of gorgeous gold, silver, bead works, armies, etc. WOW; they were managers of great societies of people and incredibly clever.
