Egyptian History - part one Quick Geographical Notes


The Ancient Egyptians Divided Their land into two parts, Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt. Upper and Lower do not refer to north or south; rather, the terms refer to the flow of the Nile and elevation of the land. Uppr Egypt is the southrn region and takes its name because it is the closest to the source of the nile, or up river, and there fore lies on higher terain. Lower Egypt consists primarily of the Nile Delta region and takes its name because it is furthst from the source of the nile, or down river. It is also closer to sea level than upper egypt.

The predominant geographical feature of ancient egypt was a vast desert bisected by the nile. The nile cut a fertile swath along Egypt's length, and the majority of ancient Egyptians lived along the river. The Egyptians referred to the desert as deshret, or the "red land" and called the land along the Nile kemet, or "black land" which is also the name the Ancient Egyptians used to refer to their home land.

Most of Egypt's population lived on the black land along the Nile. Her, they were able to establish farms. The desrt, however, was not completely devioud of life. During ancient times, the Egyptians hunted several animal species that thrived among the bush in the desert.

Egypts' particular geography aided its early development. Egypt was naturally protected on three sides. Th desrt, along with the mediterranean sea to th north and the red sea to the est, provided early Egypt with natural barriers agains its foes. Limstone cliffs lining the Nile Valley bolstered the defences to the east and the wst. To the south was Nubia, but during Egypt's infancy, the land to the south posed no problems

Without much fear of invasion, Egypt developed the internal infrastructure and economy that led to its longevity. Within a few hundred years of its first unification, Egypt began military conquests aboard and built fortresses to bolster its boundaries. As other cultures developed sea going vessels, ancient Egypt's natural protctions broke down. By this time, however, Egypt had learned to protect itself.


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