Download Upper Egypt

Geography of Early Egypt
What enabled life to thrive in Egypt?
THE NILE RIVER
Nile River
 Longest river in the world (over 4,000 miles)
 Flows through rocky, hilly land
 This causes cataracts- rapids (6 total)
 Cataracts make it impossible to sail the whole river
Nile River
 In Lower Egypt, Nile fans out and flows into the
Mediterranean Sea
 Delta- triangle-shaped area of land made from
soil deposited by a river
Egyptian Farming
• Nile flooded yearly
(upper in summer,
lower in fall)
• Floods deposited silt
• Silt = good for
farming
(Sound familiar????)
Natural Barriers= Protection
North- Mediterranean Sea
West- Large desert
East- Desert & Red Sea
South- Cataracts
2 Regions of Ancient Egypt
 Lower Egypt = North
 Upper Egypt = South
 Nile runs south
to north
 Elevation is higher
in the south
2 Kingdoms Emerge
 Food is bountiful (fish, fruit, vegetables, livestock,
grains, ducks (yummy…))
 More food = more people = cities = civilization!
 By 3200 B.C., two kingdoms develop – Lower &
Upper Egypt
Lower Egypt
Near Nile Delta
Capital- Pe
Red Crown
Upper Egypt
 Southern Nile
 Capital- Nekhen
 White Crown
Menes (MEE-neez)
 Rose to power in Upper Egypt in 3100BC
 Wanted to unify kingdoms
 Armies invaded and took control of Lower Egypt
 Married a princess from Lower Egypt
Menes Combined Crowns
More Menes
 Historians argue he was the 1st Pharaoh
Pharaoh- title of rulers of ancient Egypt,
means “Great House”
 Establishes 1st dynasty
 Dynasty- Series of rulers from same family
(The people think their rulers are divine!)
More Menes
 Established Memphis, first capital of Egypt
(near modern day capital – Cairo)
 Eventually, rivals challenged 1st Dynasty and took
over to start 2nd Dynasty
 Over 2,500 years, about 30 dynasties would rule
Egypt