Pages 82-85

The Gift of the Nile

Fun Facts about the Nile River

World’s longest riverFlows north over 4,000 miles from the

mountains in east AfricaFlows through modern Uganda, Ethiopia,

Sudan, and Egypt.Empties into the Mediterranean SeaSeparates into the Nile deltaFloods its banks every yearEgypt’s major resource

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

Lower EgyptNorthern Egypt is called Lower Egypt

because it lies “lower”, or downstream.

Upper EgyptThe south is “upstream”. The Nile cuts

through some cliffs and desert sands.

ShadoofA tool used to lift water into the fields.

Upper and Lower Egypt

UPPER EGYPTSouthernUpstreamNile River ValleyStone cliffsDesert sands

LOWER EGYPTNorthernDownstreamNile DeltaFertilelowlands

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 drownedToo little=crops would failRight 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 fieldsBuilt a “Nilometer”, or special staircase with measured

steps, to keep track of how much flooding took place

Hymn to the NileWhy 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.