Geography

Around 3500 B.C., Egypt's Nile River valley that curved around the desert, was not a good place for farming because it showed few signs of life. Year after year, the Nile flooded the land and created thick layers of silt. Because of the flooding, ancient Egyptians were able to turn the desert into rich farmland. As time went by, Egypt would be one of the world's most powerful civilizations. Egyptian civilization owed it's life to the Nile River because it gave them many resources such as water and food. It was also the main "highway" that connected the towns and Egypt was also called the Gift of the Nile.

The Nile River is the longest river in the world (it flows 4,000 miles north of East Africa). It passes through four different countries and it empties into the warm Mediterranean Sea. The Nile swells with rainwater during the rainy season and carries layers of silt. The river divides into different branches, forming a fan-shaped delta (a very fertile flat land made of silt). There is Lower Egypt because it is downstream and Upper Egypt where the landscape has cliffs and desert sands.

Farmers depended on flooding so they would be successful in having crops. Too much water meant cattle would be swept away and house detroyed. Too little flooding would mean less crpos and people would go hungry. Egypt's farmers then created irrigation systems to water their crops using basins, dikes and dug canals. During flood season which is the busiest time for travel, farmers visited neighboring villages that would be a 600 mile (a month to walk) journey between Upper and Lower Egypt. People used boats to get from place to place along the Nile and would take half the time.