Natural Features

The ancient Egyptians thought of Egypt as being divided into two types of land,
the 'black land' and the 'red land'.

The 'black land' was the fertile land on the

banks of the Nile. The ancient Egyptians
used this land for growing their crops. This
was the only land in ancient Egypt that
could be farmed because a layer of rich,
black silt was deposited there every year
after the Nile flooded.

The 'red land' was the barren desert

that protected Egypt on two sides.
These deserts separated ancient
Egypt from neighbouring countries
and invading armies. They also
provided the ancient Egyptians with a
source for precious metals and semi-
precious stones.

Natural features
Read the passage on Google classroom and answer the questions
Question 1: Define the following words:
a) Silt b) barren
Question 2: What was the black land? Draw a picture of the black land.
Question 3: What was the black land used for?
Question 4: What was the red land? Draw a picture of the red land.
Question 5: Why was the red land important?
 The Gift of Nile
“Egypt is a gift of the Nile” wrote the ancient Greek thinker Herodotus in the 5th century
B.C. He was right for along the banks of this mighty river one of the world’s oldest, most
civilized, wealthy and oldest civilizations sprang forth.
It is now known that 2 mighty rivers the Blue Nile and the White Nile meet at Khartoum in
the Sudan. They join to form the single Nile river which flows through right through Egypt
on its journey to the Mediterranean Sea.
The Nile starts in the centre of Africa and at 6,741 kilometres is the world’s longest river.
It really is Egypt’s lifeblood and now as in ancient times the Egyptians rely on it flooding
between July and October each year. The building of the massive Aswan dam by modern
Egypt has helped in the regulation of their water reserves. It is in the fertile valleys beside
the Nile river, that nearly all of Egypt’s food and crops are grown.
The Nile river as well as providing Egypt with a way of feeding itself was also its primary
means of transportation and trade. It united the people and towns of Egypt and gave
them common identity and easy access to communication.
The desert was both dangerous and feared. Yes, feared and respected because of the
following reasons:
• lack of water
• heat and dehydration
• sandstorms that could literally blow you away
• bandit gangs
• the ancient Egyptians believed that it was inhabited by evil spirits
While most of Egypt is a dry and sandy desert, the land around the Nile is exceptionally
fertile and productive. Farmers have learned to manage the river with dams and canals.
These have meant that they can store water for drought times. This has helped to get rid
of the previous “boom or bust” nature of Egyptian life in this land of 70 million people.
1. Why was Nile called the ‘gift of Egypt’?
2. Where does Nile start and how long is it?
3. When did Nile flood each year?
4. How did ancient Egyptians use Nile?
5. Why did ancient Egyptians fear the desert?
6. How do farmers manage Nile in modern times?