The Gift of the Nile
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Transcript The Gift of the Nile
The Gift of the Nile
Pages 82-85
Fun Facts about the Nile River
World’s longest river
Flows north over 4,000 miles from the mountains in east
Africa
Flows through modern Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan, and
Egypt.
Empties into the Mediterranean Sea
Separates into the Nile delta
Floods its banks every year
Egypt’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 Egypt
Northern Egypt is called Lower Egypt because it lies “lower”,
or downstream.
Upper Egypt
The south is “upstream”. The Nile cuts through some cliffs
and desert sands.
Shadoof
A tool used to lift water into the fields.
Upper and Lower Egypt
UPPER EGYPT
LOWER EGYPT
Southern
Northern
Upstream
Downstream
Nile River Valley
Nile Delta
Stone cliffs
Fertile
Desert sands
lowlands
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 drowned
Too little=crops would fail
Right 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 fields
Built a “Nilometer”, or special staircase with measured steps, to
keep track of how much flooding took place
Hymn to the Nile
Why 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.