Nile River Valley—Ancient Egypt

Where was this civilization located (region of the world, region name then
and now)?
The Nile River civilization is located in the the
northeast region of Africa, the Nile River flows
through Uganda, Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia, Zaire,
Kenya, Tanzania, and Burundi.

What were the significant
geographical features of this region
(bodies of water, land forms,
climates, vegetation)?
In northeastern Africa, two major tributaries of
the Nile, the Blue Nile and the White Nile
converge near Khartoum (Sudan’s capital), and
form the Nile. This mighty river flows northward
through Sudan and Egypt to the Mediterranean
Sea. To the south, tropical lakes of Central Africa
feed the Nile river. Emanating from Lake Victoria
(3720 feet), the Nile flows through Lake Albert
(2030 feet) of western Uganda, and northward
through southern Sudan as the Mountain Nile to
Lake No. Here several smaller tributaries join the
river forming the White Nile which flows quietly
through the grassy plains of central Sudan to
Khartoum.
The Blue Nile drains the high mountains (13,000+
feet) of Ethiopia, with the help of the Atbara River, which flows into the Nile approximately 150
miles north of Khartoum. These two rivers carry rocky debris that eventually forms the fine stone
dust known to comprise the black mud of the Nile.
Below (north of) Khartoum the Upper Nile flows over 950 miles through the tableland of the
Sudanese sandstone. In some places, where the river failed to erode more resilient rock, the
water forces itself through these hard rocks forming great rapids, called cataracts. Ten of these
cataracts exist, with the furthest one downstream—the first cataract—being seven miles in
length. This cataract, located near Aswan (also Assuan), forms the natural southern boundary of
Egypt.
Throughout its length, rocky walls, sometimes 600 to 800 feet tall, flank either side of the valley
containing the Nile. This valley never exceeds five to nine miles in width throughout the Sudan
but broadens past Aswan reaching widths of up to thirty-three miles. Near Gebel Silsileh, about
thirty miles north of Aswan, the Sudanese sandstone gives way to limestone. The limestone
forms cliffs along the Lower Nile for nearly 475 miles to the Delta.
The cliffs reach high, table-like plateaus that are surrounded by sand from the nearby deserts.
The Libyan Desert, the northeastern part of the Sahara, borders the Nile to the west. To the east,
the limestone plateau skirts the Arabian Desert which parallels high mountains further east.
Primarily granite and gneiss, these mountains border the Red Sea and rise to heights of 6000
feet or more.
http://carbon.cudenver.edu/stc-link/AE/geography.html

How did this civilization/culture begin?
Egypt was blessed by the Nile in many different ways. Because of the Nile Egypt became one of
the great cradles of world civilization. The Nile provided the people that moved to it's valley in
the year 5000 BC water to drink, irrigation water, farming opportunity, fish and waterfowl for
food, papyrus reeds grew on the banks of the Nile and they were used for boats and for houses.
these reeds also allowed the ancient Egyptians to make paper on which to write important
documents. The Nile River was guarded by desert on either side of it and that offered protection.
In ancient Egypt the Nile would flood yearly covering up the farmlands. This would make the
land very fertile for farming, thus improving Egypt's agriculture.
The first few settlers of the Nile River built houses of papyrus reeds that were all tied together in
columns, with thatched roofs. The walls were made of straw, mud, and clay. Later settlers used
the clay to build bricks. With the bricks they built stronger houses. Small villages started to
appear along the Nile River. The people of these villages learned to irrigate and divert the water
during the flooding season. As time passed the residents of the Nile River became better farmers.
http://www.nileriver.com/nile/nileinfo/nileriver.htm
Around 3000BC Egypt slowly became a civilization. This happened slowly as mankind around
the area became more advanced and more able to take advantage of the agricultural resources
available to them. This allowed their population to grow which in turn prompted their civiliation
to grow
http://www.ancient-egypt.org/

How did these geographical features impact the development of this
civilization (What was their daily life/culture like eg. Clothing, food, customs,
beliefs?
The flooding of the Nile rendered the narrow strip of land on either side of the river extremely
fertile. Agriculture was practised by the majority of the people. As the flood waters receded,
sowing and ploughing began, using primitive wooden ploughs.
Since rainfall is almost non-existent in Egypt, the floods provided the only source of moisture
needed to sustain crops. Canals were used to control the water, particularly during dry spells.
The main crops grown during the the time of Ancient Egypt era were barley, emmer (a coarse
wheat), lentils, beans, cucumbers, leeks, onions, dates, figs and grapes. The abundance of
flowers provided nectar for the bees to produce honey, which the Egyptians processed. Flax
was grown for making linen, and papyrus was harvested to be converted into paper, ropes,
mats, sandals and light skiffs.
The Nile River was the ancient Egyptians' best friend, even if it did flood every year.
Every year, in the fall, the great river would overflow its banks. At first, the Egyptians lost their
crops, their houses, and (in some cases) their lives. But the Egyptian people noticed after a time
that the floods came about the same time every year, in June. So they planned ahead.
They would make sure nothing important was on the banks of the river when it was time for the
floods. Then, after the water level went back down, they would quickly plant new crops. The
floods brought good, fresh soil up onto the land. This soil was ideal for planting barley and other
grains.
The river also gave them a chance to catch many fish. The Egyptians would build boats out of
wood or papyrus and soil up and down the river. They would use spears and nets to catch fish.
They would also use nets to catch birds that flew close to the surface of the water.
The Nile also provided protection from attack. People wanting to invade Egypt would have to
first cross the river, which was very wide in places. The Egyptians could stand on their own side
of the river and throw spears at their attackers. Any attacker who did cross the river was likely to
be tired from making the crossing.
Another important way that the Nile helped the ancient Egyptians was in trade. Goods went to
and from Egypt down and up the Nile, which had its mouth at the Mediterranean Sea.
http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/worldhistory/introancientegypt1.htm