EGYPTGeography

ClimateNatural Resources

Geography

Africa

Egypt is bordered by:

Mediterranean Sea to the north

Libya to the west Sudan to the south The Gaza Strip and

Israel to the east

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A Transcontinental Nation

Suez Canal is a canal in Egypt opened in 1869

Allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without going around Africa

Connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Indian Ocean via the Red Sea

The canal is owned and maintained by the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

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Most important geographic feature: The Nile

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•Lifeline of ancient Egypt civilization

•Major north-flowing river

•Longest river in the world

•Majority of population

•Ends in a large delta that empties into the MediterraneanSea. A delta is formed when a channel deposits sediment into another body of water.

Deserts

Apart from the Nile Valley, the majority of the landscape is a sandy desert.Sahara and Libyan desert protected Egypt from western threats.

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Two Regions: Upper and LowerLower (northern) Egypt consisted of the Nile River‘s. Delta. Today the Delta is fifteen thousand square miles of alluvium (silt), which has been deposited over the centuries by the annual flooding of the Nile.

Upper Egypt was the long, narrow strip of ancient Egypt located south of the Delta. This area is composed of four topographic zones: the Nile River, the floodplain, the low desert, and the high desert.

http://www.carnegiemnh.org/exhibits/egypt/orientation.htm

Climate•Temperatures range from 80 -109degrees Fahrenheit in summer

•Winter temperatures range from 55-70 degrees

•Most rainfall occurs between October and March

•The Nile floods every year and replenishes Egypt’s soil. This provides a consistent harvestthroughout the year – know as the Gift of the Nile

•Khamaseen is a wind that blows from the south bringing in sand and dust

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Natural Resources

Crops Flax grew well in the

Nile Valley Flax was spun into

linen cloth Papyrus was a

naturally grown crop Papyrus was made

into writing material

Rocks and Minerals

Quarries of limestone, granite, alabaster, quartzite, flint, steatite

Flint used for weapons and sickles

Steatite stone used to make scarabs (inexpensive charms which held religious meaning)

www.historylink101.net/egypt

More Natural Resources

Copper was the main metal used in ancient Egypt

Comes mixed with other metals in an ore form

Heating process called smelting was used to remove impurities from the copper

www.historylink101.net/egypt