1. Chapter 4: Ancient Egypt & Kush

2. Chapter 4 Section 1 Geography and Ancient Egypt

3. Geography and Ancient Egypt The Big Idea The water, fertile soils, and protected setting of the Nile Valley allowed a great civilization to arise in Egypt around 3200 BC. Main Ideas Egypt was called the gift of the Nile because the Nile River gave life to the desert. Civilization developed along the Nile after people began farming in this region. Strong kings unified all of Egypt.

4. The Gift of the Nile Geography played a key role in Egyptian history and development. Egypt was called the gift of the Nile because the Nile River gave life to the desert.

5. Location and Physical features The Nile is the longest river in the world. It begins in central Africa and runs 4,000 miles north to the Mediterranean Sea.

6. Ancient Egypt included two regions, the southern region was called Upper Egypt and the northern region was called Lower Egypt. That were given their names by their relation to the Nile.

7. Ancient Egypt page 87

8. Desert The Nile sliced through the desert creating a 13 mile wide fertile river valley. On either side, however, lay hundreds of miles of empty desert.

9. At several points, the rough terrain caused cataracts, or rapids, to form and made sailing that portion of the Nile very difficult. There are seven cataracts in total, and the first one is 720 miles south of the Mediterranean. It marked the southern border of Upper Egypt.

10. In Lower Egypt, the Nile divided into several branches that fanned out and flowed into the Mediterranean Sea. These several branches formed a delta, a triangular area of land made from soil deposited by a river Two Thirds of Egypt's fertile farmland was located in the Nile Delta.

11. Little rain fell in the Egyptian desert, but the Nile flooded every year in the summer and fall. The floods of the Nile was easier to predict than those of the Tigris and Euphrates River.

12. Each year, the Egyptians eagerly awaited the flooding of the Nile. Without the floods, people could never have farmed in Egypt.

13. The Nile floods provided a bountiful growing season every year, and people knew they could count on a food supply in the future.

14. The rich silt made the soil ideal for farming. The silt made the land a dark color. The Egyptians called their country the black land, and the desert the red land.

15. Civilization Develops Along the Nile Hunter-Gatherers settled in Egypt more than 12,000 years ago. They found the land flowing with flora and fauna. In time they learned how to farm and they settled along the Nile River in small villages.

16. Like Mesopotamia, Egyptians developed an irrigation system. They built basins to collect water during the yearly floods and to store precious resources long afterwards. They built canals that could be used to direct water from the Nile River to the fields.

17. The Nile provided early Egyptian farmers with an abundance of food. They grew wheat, barely, fruits, and vegetables, and raised livestock. They eat fish and different wild birds.

18. Egypt’s location offered another advantage because it had natural barriers that made it hard to invade. 1.The desert to the west 2.the Mediterranean Sea to the North, 3.the Red Sea to the east 4.the cataracts along the river

19. Protected from invaders, the villages grew into two kingdoms in 3200 BC, one in the Lower and Upper Egypt.

20. Strong Kings Unify Egypt The Kings of Lower Egypt ruled from Pe, and had a red crown. The Kings of Upper Egypt ruled from Nekhen, and wore a white crown.

21. Around 3100 BC, Menes (Narmer) rose to power in Upper Egypt and he wanted to unify the nation, like an early King Scorpion wanted to do.

22. He unified the two kingdoms by taking control of Lower Egypt and by marrying a Lower Egyptian princess. Menes wore both the red and white crowns together, this symbolized leadership over the two kingdoms.

23. Menes was probably Egypt’s first pharaoh, the title used by the rulers of Egypt. Pharaoh means great house Menes founded Egypt’s first dynasty, or series of rulers from the same family.

24. Menes built the first capital of Egypt called Memphis. It became the cultural and political center of Egypt.

25. The First Dynasty lasted for about 200 years and extended Egyptian territory southward along the Nile. Eventually, rivals would appear and overthrow the dynasty and establish the Second Dynasty.

26. Geography Link

27. List three ways how did Civilization Develop in the Nile River Valley?

28. Canals were built to carry water to fields of wheat, barley, fruits, and vegetables. The Nile allowed farmers to raise animals such as cattle and sheep. The river also provided many types of fish to eat, and hunters trapped ducks and geese. How did Civilization Develop in the Nile River Valley Natural barriers made Egypt hard to invade. Desert in the west was too big and harsh to cross. Mediterranean and Red Sea provided protection from invasion. Cataracts in the Nile made it difficult to invade from the south.

29. Questions pages 86-89 Cambridge answer in complete sentences 1.Where were Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt located? 2.Why was it important to the Egyptians that Niles flooding was consistent? 3.How did farmers use the Nile to grow their crops 4.What does the title pharaoh mean? 5. How did the pharaohs crown display the unification of Egypt?