EGYPT

LAND-MAJOR AREAS Nile River Valley Sinai Peninsula Deserts

NILE RIVER VALLEY Lifeline of Egypt is the Nile River. Nile River supplies 85% of the country’s water. The Nile River is 4,180 miles in length.

NILE RIVER VALLEY Egypt the “Gift of the Nile” Egyptians took advantage of the Nile’s annual floods to become an especially productive agricultural region After the floods receded in late summer, cultivators could go into the floodplains and plant their seeds without a lot of preparation.

SINAI PENINSULA Sinai Peninsula lies southeast of the Nile Delta. Major crossroads between two continents-Africa and Asia.

DESERTS

DESERTS Most of Egypt is desert. 2 deserts occupy most of Egypt: Libyan and Arabian. The Libyan desert covers two-thirds of Egypt’s land area. The Libyan and Arabian deserts are parts of the Sahara desert, one of the largest deserts in the world.

ECONOMY Since the 1950’s the Egyptian economy has grown considerably. Two areas that influence the economy the most are Agriculture and Industry.

AGRICULTURE 4% of Egypt’s land is used for farming. Best farmland is along Nile River. Most farmers have small plots of land. Cotton, dates, vegetables, sugarcane, and wheat. farming methods from their ancestors are used to help crops. Cotton is Egypt’s leading agricultural export.

INDUSTRY Largest industrial centers are the capital city of Cairo and the seaport of Alexandria. Industries improved by the creation of the Aswan High Dam. Aswan High Dam provides hydroelectric power. The Dam also allowed farmers to grow more than one crop a year.

INDUSTRY-CONTINUED Egyptian factories produce mainly food products, textiles, and consumer goods. Consumer goods/ household goods include clothing, shoes, and everyday common items. Oil is an important export.

PEOPLE Most Egyptians live within 20 miles of the Nile River. 99% of Egypt’s population live on only 3.5% of the land. 43% of Egypt’s people live in rural areas. Rural farmers are called fellahin. Most farmers rent their small plot of land. Farmers raise enough crops to feed their family. Anything left over they take it to sell at the market, or bazaar. Egypt’s large cities offer a different kind of life. Cairo is Egypt’s capital. 11 million people Cities life is increasing for two reasons. Egypt has a high birthrate. Many farmers move from rural areas to the cities to find work.

Mummification In order to prepare a person for the long and hazardous journey before they could enjoy the pleasures of the afterlife, the body of a dead person was preserved by a process called mummification.

INFLUENCES OF THE PAST Egyptians has a long and fascinating history. Pyramids, pharaohs, kings, and hieroglyphs. HIEROGLYPHS, or picture symbols, were used by the Egyptians for writing.

DEFINITION HIEROGLYPHICS- PART OF THE EGYPTIAN ALPHABET USED TO COMMUNICATE MESSAGES.

HIEROGLYPHIC ALPHABET

The Sphinx and Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza. Art and Writing Pyramids Symbols of the pharaoh’s authority and divine stature; royal tombs Pyramid of Khufu involved the precise cutting and fitting of 2,300,000 limestone blocks with an average weight of 2.5 tons Estimated construction of the Khufu pyramid required 84,000 laborers working 80 days per year for 20 years The Sphinx and Great Pyramid of Khufu at Giza. 

CARTOUCHE

CARTOUCHES FOR KINGS OF EGYPT

Social Hierarchy

Social Hierarchy Pharaoh Egyptian kings of a centralized state Claimed to be gods living on earth in human form Bureaucrats Because the pharaoh was an absolute ruler there was little room for a noble class as in Mesopotamia Instead professional military forces and an elaborate bureaucracy of administrators and tax collectors served the central government Patriarchal Vested authority over public and private affairs in men However, more opportunities for women than in Mesopotamia as evidenced by Queen Hatshepsut reigning as pharaoh Peasants and slaves Supplied the hard labor that made complex agricultural society possible Among the slaves were the Hebrews

Mesopotamia and Egypt Mesopotamia Egypt Agriculture +“Land between the rivers” (Tigris and Euphrates forms Fertile Crescent +Artificial irrigation +”Gift of the Nile” Specialization +Pottery, textiles, woodworking, leather, brick making, stonecutting, masonry +Pottery, textiles, woodworking, leather production, stonecutting, masonry Cities -Numerous, densely populated city-states (Ur and Babylon) -Fewer cities with high centralization (Memphis and Thebes) Social Hierarchy -Noble class -Patriarchal +Slaves -Absolute authority of the pharaoh made a noble class unnecessary (had bureaucrats instead) -Patriarchal, but the presence of Queen Hatsheput may indicate greater opportunities for women

Mesopotamia and Egypt Mesopotamia Egypt Religion and Education -Polytheism -No afterlife -Polytheism, but brief period of monotheism under Akhentan -Afterlife and judgment (mummification) New Technologies -Superior in metallurgy -Papyrus, shipbuilding, pyramids Economic exchange -Trade by land and water -Trade principally by water along the Nile -Trade more important because Egypt lacked natural resources beside the Nile Art and Writing -Cuneiform -Hieroglyphs (more pictorial than cuneiform)