Chapter 4, Lesson 1: Geography of Ancient Egypt

1. Nile River Valley - The Nile River Valley is located in the 
northeastern corner of Africa. Set in the middle of a desert, it was 
the home of the world's first great civilization, Ancient Egypt.

2. The Mediterranean Sea – This large body of water is at the mouth, 
or end, of the Nile River. Its’ name is a compound Greek word that 
means “Middle Earth Sea.”

3. Lake Victoria – Lake Victoria is the source, or beginning, of the 
Nile River. It is located 4,000 miles south of the Mediterranean in 
Africa’s highlands.

4. Silt - Silt is a mixture of tiny bits of black soil and rocks and 
was excellent for farming. It was deposited in the Nile River Valley 
and in the delta every year when the river overflowed. Silt allowed 
farmers to raise crops in the desert.

5. Delta – The delta is a flat, fertile land made of silt left 
behind when the Nile empties into the Mediterranean. It is named for 
the triangle-shaped fourth letter of the Greek alphabet.

6. Lower and Upper Egypt - Lower Egypt is the Nile delta, or 
the "downstream" part of the Nile. Upper Egypt is the land south of 
the delta, but it’s called "upper" because it is "upriver" in the 
highlands. It has nothing to do with North and South on the map.

7. Flax - Flax is plant that grew well in the Nile River Valley. 
When spun into thread and woven, it made a lightweight fabric called 
linen.

8. Irrigation - Irrigation is the watering of dry lands by means of 
streams, canals and pipes. Egyptians brought water from the Nile 
River directly to their farmlands. It changed "Desret" (red land) 
to "Kemet" (black land).

9. Shadouf – The shadouf was a stone-and-wood bucket-lifting device 
that scooped water out of the Nile. It was another part of 
irrigation technology.

10. Nilometer – The Nilometer looked like a staircase on the 
riverbanks, but it was actually a device for measuring the rise of 
the floodwaters.