Transcript Egypt Geography - My Teacher Pages

Egypt
World History & Geography to 1500 AD
PowerPoint Slides
Mr. Mable
Tucker High School
2012
SOL Standards Chapter 1
STANDARD WHI.2a
The student will demonstrate knowledge of early development of humankind
from the Paleolithic Era to the agricultural revolution by
a) explaining the impact of geographic environment on hunter-gatherer
societies.
• During the New Stone Age, permanent settlements appeared in river valleys and
around the Fertile Crescent.
•
River valleys provided water and rich soil for crops as well as protection from
invasion.
•
Egyptian civilization: Nile River Valley and Nile Delta (Africa)
Great Sahara Desert
Where is Egypt in Africa?
Geography
• Ancient Egypt was divided into
two regions: Upper and Lower
Egypt
• Lower (northern) Egypt
consisted of the Nile River's
delta made by the river as it
empties into the
Mediterranean.
• Upper Egypt was the long,
narrow strip of ancient Egypt
located south of the Delta.
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/geography/home.html
Vegetation of
the Nile
Delta
Delta: Geographic Formation
• Swampy Area
• Mouth of River
• Fans out in shape
of a Triangle
(Delta)
• Very fertile soil in
this area
Nile Delta
• Located in northern
Egypt where the Nile
River spreads out
and empties into the
Mediterranean Sea
• 240 km of coastline,
106 km in length
• Rich agricultural
region
• Most fertile soil in
Africa
I. Geography
• River dominates Egyptian world/thought
• Surrounded by desert with occasional
oasis
– Permits some trade
– Defense from invasion
• Contributes to feeling of safety
– preserves artifacts
I. The Nile
• yearly flooding - no concern for soil
depletion
– Predictable
– Irrigation systems
• Encourages
– Trade
– Communication
– Political unity
White & Blue Nile Meet in Sudan
Isthmus: Geographic Formation
• Small strip of land
• Connects 2 larger
pieces of land
• Fans out in shape
i.e. Isthmus of
Suez
• Suez Canal is
located here. Why?
• Opposite of Strait!!
Isthmus: Geographic Formation
• Why do you think canals are placed at an
Isthmus?
Suez Canal
Modern trade routes
Early Capital of
Lower Egypt
Early Capital of
Upper Egypt
Cataracts (Waterfalls)
I. The Nile
I. The Nile
I. The Nile
Trade on the Nile
Contrary to popular belief, the pyramids were not built with slave labor but by the
Egyptian people. How was it done?
Blue Nile
White Nile
“Egypt is
the gift of
the Nile” Herodotus
I. The Nile
• Impact on religion
– divided life - living and dying.
• East (sunrise) is land of the living - cities,
temples
• West (sunset) is land of the dead - tombs
Floodplain
Floodplain
• The low strip of fertile land
located on either side of the
Nile River
• The river flooded during the
annual inundation
• When the inundation
subsided, it left the earth
soaked and overlaid with a
fresh layer of black silt.
• Most of the farming occurred
here
Bordered on the south, east and west by the
Sahara Desert, and on the north by the sea, ancient
Egypt was protected from outside influences.
Facts About the Nile River
Length
4,184 miles
2 Sources
Lake Victoria, Uganda (White Nile);
Lake Tana, Ethiopia (Blue Nile)
Mediterranean Sea, off Egypt
Mouth
Countries
Egypt, Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia,
Flows Through Zaire, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda,
Burundi
Name Origin
Greek word Nelios, which means
"River Valley"
The History of Egypt begins with Menes
Menes Unites upper Egypt and Lower
Egypt, joining the two into a united
kingdom
In doing this, Menes establishes
the first Egyptian Dynasty
Lower Egypt
Upper Egypt
Ancient Egypt
3200-500 BC
I. Location
1. North Africa
2. Natural barriers: Mediterranean Sea, Sahara Desert, Red
Sea
A. Result = less prone to invasion.
II. Nile River
1. World’s longest river (4000 miles)
2. “Gift of the Nile”  annual flooding that deposits rich soil.
3. Benefits
A. Easy communication.
B. Transportation.
C. Ample water supply.
The most important thing to the
Egyptians about The Nile was the
yearly flooding.
The Nile would flood each year in the
spring. With the flood it would
deposit a rich later of silt, or soil on
either side of the river.
The rich soil around the Nile was
called the Black land. The desert was
called the Red Land.
Egypt had several natural barriers
which helped to protect it from
invasion
These barriers gave Egyptians a sense
of security that was lacking in much of
the ancient world.
Mediterranean Sea
Western
Desert
How did the Nile River in Egypt
and other River Valley
Civilizations promote life?
rivers
Agriculture
• Expanded agriculture led to
expanded populations and demand
for increased production
• Cultivators moved beyond the Nile’s
immediate floodplains building dikes
to protect their fields from floods and
catchment basins to store water for
irrigation
agriculture
populations
cities
specialization
hierarchy
Shaduf
• To lift water from the canal
Egyptians used a shaduf, a
large pole balanced on a
crossbeam with a rope and
bucket on one end and a
heavy counter weight at the
other.
• When the rope was pulled, the
bucket would be lowered into
the canal.
• The counterweight would raise
the bucket.
• The farmer would then carry
the bucket to the field and
water it.
Specialization
Brewing and Breadmaking
Sailing
Plowing and Sowing
Harvesting papyrus and Herding
Specialization
• Nile societies were
much slower than
their Mesopotamian
counterparts to adopt
metal tools and
weapons
• Did develop pottery,
textile manufacture,
woodworking, leather
production,
stonecutting, and
masonry occupations
Egyptian pottery
makers
Specialization
• Building a pyramid would require
– Laborers
– Architects
– Engineers
– Craftsmen
– Artists
Your homework:
Map Quiz on Egyptian
Geography
&
Database Quiz #2