The Nile River played an important role in shaping the lives and society of Ancient Egypt. The Nile provided the Ancient Egyptians with food, transportation, building materials, and more.

The Nile River is the longest river in the world. It is over 4,100 miles long! The Nile is located in northeast Africa and flows through many different African countries including Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Burundi. There are two major tributaries that feed the Nile, the White Nile and the Blue Nile.

The Nile River flows north through Egypt and into the Mediterranean Sea. Ancient Egypt was divided into two regions, Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt. This looks a bit confusing on a map because Upper Egypt is to the south and Lower Egypt is to the north. This is because the names come from the flow of the Nile River.

The most important thing the Nile provided to the Ancient Egyptians was fertile land. Most of Egypt is desert, but along the Nile River the soil is rich and good for growing crops. The three most important crops were wheat, flax, and papyrus.

Wheat - Wheat was the main staple food of the Egyptians. They used it to make bread. They also sold a lot of their wheat throughout the Middle East helping the Egyptians to become rich.

Flax - Flax was used to make linen cloth for clothing. This was the main type of cloth used by the Egyptians.

Papyrus - Papyrus was a plant that grew along the shores of the Nile. The Ancient Egyptians found many uses for this plant including paper, baskets, rope, and sandals.

Around September of each year the Nile would overflow its banks and flood the surrounding area. This sounds bad at first, but it was one of the most important events in the life of the Ancient Egyptians. The flood brought rich black soil and renewed the farmlands.

The Nile River also provided a lot of building materials for the Ancient Egyptians. They used the mud from the riverbanks to make sun dried bricks. These bricks were used in building homes, walls, and other buildings. The Egyptians also quarried limestone and sandstone from the hills along the side of the Nile. Since most of the major cities of Ancient Egypt were built along the Nile River, the river could be used like a major highway throughout the Empire. Boats constantly traveled up and down the Nile carrying people and goods.

Why are the terms "Upper Egypt" and "Lower Egypt" confusing?
1. Because of the path of the Nile River.
2. Because they should be side-to-side.
3. Because on a map, it seems the Upper should be Lower and vice versa.
4. Because the Nile River flows from north to south.
Which is an accurate description of the Nile River?
1. It is the world's longest river and flows through several nations in southern Africa.
2. It is the world's longest river and flows through several countries in middle Africa.
3. It is the world's longest river and flows through five nations in northeast Africa.
4. It is over 4,000 miles long and flows through Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Kenya.
Flooding of the Nile...
1. was actually a good for the Egyptians because it renewed their farmlands.
2. was actually good for the Egyptians because it provides drinking water.
3. was actually bad for the Egyptians because it ruined their farmlands.
4. was actually bad for the Egyptians because it caused death and destruction.
"Trade and Transportation" might be the answer to which question?
1. What is the most important feature of the Nile River?
2. What were flax, wheat, and papyrus used for in ancient Egypt?
3. How did the flooding of the Nile River impact the Egyptians?
4. Why were Egyptians cities built along the Nile River?
What does "quarried" mean in the following sentence?

The Egyptians also quarried limestone and sandstone from the hills along the side of the Nile.
1. extracted
2. bought
3. created
4. developed
Which IS NOT true about the Nile River?
1. The ancient Egyptians used limestone and sandstone from the hills along the river.
2. It flooded during the spring each year.
3. Ancient Egyptians used mud from the riverbanks to form bricks for building.
4. Papyrus was actually a plant that grew along the Nile's shores.
Where does the Nile River flow into?
1. Upper Egypt
2. Lower Egypt
3. Mediterranean Sea
4. Sudan