About 10,000 years ago the climate of the Mediterranean area seems to have changed. Less rain fell, and wandering tribesmen were forced to move to the nearest water supply. The Nile is the largest river in North Africa; from its source in Lake Victoria it stretches 5,500 kilometeres to the sea. As it nears the Mediterranean it spreads out to form a huge delta (triangle) of smaller streams. Each year, at certain seasons, heavy rains in central Africa swell its waters and cause it to spill over the land. When such flood goes it leaves miles of thick black mud which is ideal for growing crops.

By 3500 BC people had setteled down to farm in this land. In such a hot, dry country this would have been impossible without the Nile's annual flooding, or inundation. Each year the Egyptians watched anxiously for a sign in the rise of the river level. They noticed that such floods normally occured a few days after the star Sirius at dawn in the summer sky. So they made this the first day of their New Year.

Further upstream in Egypt the deserts are closer to the river bank so there is less land for farming. For this reason the first civilised region was around the delta - or Lower Egypt. The southern valley was setelled later and called Upper Egypt. A King Menes of Upper Egypt united the two parts in about 3300 BC. He conquered the delta region and founded a city of Memphis. Because there had been two Egypts, the pharoahs wore a double crown, the high white crown of Upper Egypt and the red one of Lower Egypt. Later the country was divided into 42 provinces, ruled by the pharoah, his priests and thousands of officials.

The pharoah was very important to the Egyptians. Not only was he their priest and king. He was also thought to be a god. All important religious festivals were conducted by him. When the pharoah appeared in public he carried a carved shepherd's staff. He dressed in a golden apron and wore an artificial beard fixed to his face with a strap. Stone carvings show pharoahs standing proud and erect, as if always young and strong. When death came to them, the Egyptians believed that they are not judged liked ordinary men but went straight to heaven, sailing across the sky in a sunboat driven by golden oars.