Ancient Egypt:Geography

Geography• Egypt is located in

northeastern Africa • The Nile River runs the

length of the country flowing south to north

• The river begins in the mountains of Africa and empties into the Mediterranean Sea

• The climate is hot and dry, part of the Sahara Desert

http://www.worldcountries.info/Maps/GoogleMap-Egypt.phphttp://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/geography/explore/ter.html

Geography

• Ancient Egypt was divided into two regions: Upper and Lower Egypt

• Lower (northern) Egypt consisted of the Nile River's delta made by the river as it empties into the Mediterranean.

• Upper Egypt was the long, narrow strip of ancient Egypt located south of the Delta.

http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/geography/home.html

The Nile River• The Nile was the

lifeblood of ancient Egypt

• It made life possible in the otherwise barren desert of Egypt.

• It is the longest river in the world (over 4,000 miles).

• It served as a source of food for the people of ancient Egypt

• It was the major source of water for bathing and drinking

• The Nile was crucial for farming

Blue Nile

White Nile

White & Blue Nile Meet in Sudan

Floodplain

16

Gifts of the Nile•ANNUAL FLOODING: Everything centered around the annual flooding of the Nile.

June–September Flooding Season

October–February Planting Season

March–May Harvest Season

•And so time went...season after season...for a thousand years.

Floodplain

• The low strip of fertile land located on either side of the Nile River

• The river flooded during the annual inundation (time of flooding)

• When the inundation subsided, it left the earth soaked and overlaid with a fresh layer of black silt.

• Most of the farming occurred here

Nile Delta• Located in northern

Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and empties into the Mediterranean Sea

• 150 miles of coastline• 65 miles in length• Rich agricultural

region• Most fertile soil in

Africa

Bordered on the south, east and west by the Sahara Desert, and on the north by the sea, ancient Egypt was protected from outside influences.

Great Sahara Desert

Facts About the Nile River

Length 4,184 miles

2 Sources Lake Victoria, Uganda (White Nile); Lake Tana, Ethiopia (Blue Nile)

Mouth Mediterranean Sea, off Egypt

Countries Flows Through

Egypt, Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia, Zaire, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi

Name Origin Greek word Nelios, which means "River Valley"