Download Egypt: Built Along a River

Egypt: Built Along a River
Where is Egypt located, and what are its major cities and rivers?
Egypt is located in the northeastern portion of Africa. It borders the countries of Libya to the west, Sudan to the south, and Israel to the northeast. The
Mediterranean Sea lies to the north, and the Gulf of Aqaba is to the east.
Ancient Egypt was home to some of the earliest civilizations. These civilizations developed along the Nile River, the longest river in the world. The
Nile is the most important feature of Egypt’s geography, and it played a major role in the creation and development of Egyptian civilization. The
river’s journey—more than 4,000 miles—to the Mediterranean Sea begins in present-day Uganda on the northern shore of Lake Victoria. This
southernmost portion of the river is known as the White Nile. As the river makes its way north, it is joined in present-day Sudan by two more major
tributaries: the Blue Nile and the Atbarah River.
The Nile and its delta make up one of four geographic regions in Egypt. The others are the Western Desert, the Eastern Desert, and the Sinai
Peninsula.
In ancient times, most of the population of Egypt lived either in Lower Egypt, in the Nile River delta, or in Upper Egypt, along the Nile river.
Farming was made possible in these areas because of the rich silt deposited by the river. Major cities, as well as farming villages, also developed
along the Nile. The largest cities in ancient Egypt were Thebes, Memphis, and Giza.
Today, Egypt is a busy modern country. However, the majority of its population is still located along the Nile River. In fact, the valley of the Nile is
one of the most densely populated areas in the world.
The Nile River
What are the unique features of the Nile River?
The Nile River forms in Khartoum, Sudan, at the meeting place of the White Nile and Blue Nile rivers. The White Nile provides the majority of the
Nile’s water.
From Khartoum, the Nile flows northward to Egypt. At Cairo the Nile fans out into its delta, a fertile area created by sediment from the river,
deposited as the river empties into the Mediterranean Sea.
As the Nile flows north through Egypt, it creates a thin strip of fertile land along its banks. This green, fertile land is in sharp contrast to the barren
desert on either side of the river valley.
The flooding of the Nile River occurs in a cycle with three seasons, as shown on the table below.
In the spring, heavy tropical rains in Ethiopia flood the Nile at its source. These flood waters move north toward Egypt carrying with them nutrientrich soil, also called silt, from the Ethiopian highlands. Ancient Egyptians called the Nile River Ar or Aur, which means “black,” for the color of the
silt it carried.
Every year, the Nile floods and silt-rich water flows over the floodplain—the flat land around the river. When the water recedes, the silt that it carried
gets left behind on the land. These silt deposits enrich the soil that fills the Nile River Valley and delta, making them very fertile.