1. The Gift of the Nile
Pages 82-85

2. Fun Facts about the Nile River
World’s longest river
Flows north over 4,000 miles from the mountains in east Africa
Flows through modern Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt.
Empties into the Mediterranean Sea
Separates into the Nile delta
Floods its banks every year
Egypt’s major resource

3. Delta: A very fertile, flat land made of silt dropped by a river as it grains into a larger body of water.
Map View
Satellite View

4. Lower Egypt
Northern Egypt is called Lower Egypt because it lies “lower”, or downstream.

5. Upper Egypt
The south is “upstream”. The Nile cuts through some cliffs and desert sands.

6. Shadoof
A tool used to lift water into the fields.

7. Upper and Lower Egypt UPPER EGYPT Southern Upstream Nile River Valley
Stone cliffs
Desert sands
LOWER EGYPT
Northern
Downstream
Nile Delta
Fertile
lowlands

8. Flooding
Causes: The rainy season from May to September had heavy rainfall that caused the river to rise, carrying silt as it flows North. When they reach Egypt they slow down and flood the banks.
Effects:
Too much=villages destroyed and animals drowned
Too little=crops would fail
Right amount=fertile soil and Egyptian agriculture would thrive
Actions taken:
Used an irrigation system that included canals
Used a shadoof to lift water into the fields
Built a “Nilometer”, or special staircase with measured steps, to keep track of how much flooding took place

9. Hymn to the Nile Why is Egypt called the “Gift of the Nile”?
This passage praises the Nile like a God for everything it provides for the people of Egypt.
Egypt is called the “Gift of the Nile” because without the Nile the Egyptian civilization would not have been possible. The Nile River made agriculture possible in the dry, desert regions of Egypt and made the Nile Delta lowlands very fertile. The prosperity from agriculture allowed the Egyptians to have specialization of jobs, which increased trade. The Nile also provided a great source of transportation for the people of Egypt, allowing them to gain wealth through trade.