Geography

Around 3,500 B.C. farm communities were growing along Mesopotamia's two main rivers the Tigris River and Euphrates River. In South West Africa a new civilization started to settle. At the time Egypt's Nile River did not look like a good place for farming. The river wound through a vast desert with few signs of life. Each year through the Nile flooded near by land with much needed water and thick layers of silt. The Egyptian's used the Nile river for almost everything because that was the main river near them, and it was the biggest river near them. The Nile river had lots of floods and also had lots of droughts. When the Nile river flooded the Egyptian's gathered mud that was rich in minerals needed by plants. The Egyptians relied on the flooding of the Nile river. The Egyptians also needed the perfect amount of flooding because if there to much flooding it can destroy there houses and sweep away their cattle. In October they waited for the land to dry so that they can plant wheat and barley. They also planted garden vegetables such as cucumbers, lettuce, onions, and beans. By March the vegetables were ready for harvesting. Harvesttime ended in late June before the Nile once again began to flood. During the four-month flood season, farmers could not do their job due to flooding. Instead, many used the time to visit neighboring villages. By 5000 B.C. life in the early farming communities of ancient Egypt centered around the Nile river.