Egypt: The Ancient World

Geography and Ancient Egypt Geography and Ancient Egypt Egypt is located in Northeast Africa. The Nile is the longest river in the world. The Nile runs 4000 miles from south to north and empties into the Mediterranean Sea. Greek historian Herodotus called Egypt the gift of the Nile.

The Gift of the Nile Cataracts are strong rapids in the Nile which made sailing difficult. Two-thirds of Egypt's farming took place on the delta. A delta is a triangle- shaped area of land made of soil deposited by a river.

Floods of the Nile Floods of the Nile Most of Egypt was desert. The Nile’s floods were easier to predict than flood in Mesopotamia. The Nile flooded upper Egypt in midsummer and lower Egypt in the fall. The silt from the Nile made the soil ideal for farming. Without floods, people never could have settled in Egypt.

Kings Unify Egypt Pharaoh is the title used for rulers of Egypt. A dynasty is a series of rulers from the same family. Menes is considered to be Egypt's first pharaoh. Menes unified upper and lower Egypt. The first dynasty lasted about 200 years.