geography

//** 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.
 * //[[image:thumbnail3.jpg]]GEOGRAPHY[[image:http://www.realadventures.com/listingimages/1026/1026045/m_1026045a.jpg width="201" height="135"]] [[image:http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/geography/images/desert.jpg width="200" height="136" align="right" caption="Desert"]][[image:http://www.usask.ca/antiquities/new%20images/horemheb.JPG width="107" height="104"]] [[image:http://www.mummytombs.com/mummylocator/group/guanche.museumofman.sd.jpg width="163" height="195"]][[image:http://a.abcnews.com/images/Technology/ht_Egypt1_060601_ssh.jpg width="291" height="204"]][[image:http://greensboring.com/pod/ra.gif width="178" height="191"]]

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 pr ecious metals and semi-precious stones.

Egypt is one of the oldest civilizations, dating back over 6000 years. Population: 55 million people Geographic size: 387,000 square miles Capital: Cairo Major cities and population: Cairo, Alexandria, El Giza, Suez, Asyut, Luxor, Aswan, and El Minya

Egypt borders on the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. The Nile, the world's longest river, flows through Egypt on its way to the Mediterranean Sea. Most major cities, including about 99% of the population, lie along the Nile River.

Most of western Egypt is desert. Winds blowing the sand can create sand dunes hundreds of feet high.

Ancient Egyptian civilization existed about 4,500 BC, many years before people lived in North America. Ancient Egypt was located in the fertile Nile valley. The Nile valley had rich soil for farming. The Nile delta also had grass necessary to feed herds of cattle. In addition to agriculture, the Nile River was a great source of fish. While the Nile was a great area for agriculture, Ancient Egypt was also an area rich with gold. The Pyramids are nearly 4,500 years old.