Geography+of+Egypt

Back to Home Back to Group Geography is an important part of Egypt. There are many deserts, lakes, rivers and lots of land. Main parts of the land are the Sahara Desert, Red Land, Black Land, Oases, Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt.

The **Sahara Desert** is one of the most famous deserts in Egypt. The Sahara is the largest desert in the world and is extremely dry. The desert constantly changes with all of the sandstorms and movement of sand. This desert is made up of mostly seas of sand called "ergs". Over two million people live in the desert. The population consists of Arabs and Berbers. The Sahara Desert covers about ten percent of the African Continent.

In the Sahara, there are **fertile areas called oases**. There are several oases throughout the Sahara. In total, the Sahara has about 90 large oases where people live in villages and grow crops. Some small oases can fit two or three families inside.

When Egypt was first growing, the ancient Egyptians believed in the land as being divided into Red and Black Lands. **The Red Land was the barren desert that protected Egypt on both sides.** This land provided Egypt with sources of precious metals and semi-precious stones. **The Black Land was known as the fertile banks of the Nile.** Ancient Egyptians use this land for farming. Black Land was the only land that could be farmed because of the layer of **rich black silt that was deposited every year after the Nile flooded.**

Upper and Lower Egypt were how the two lands were separated. **Upper Egypt was the Southern part of Egypt between the cataracts of the Nile and above Aswan.** This part of Egypt was known as "Ta Shemau". **Lower Egypt was the Northern Part of Egypt where the Delta of the Nile was located.** Since the Nile runs North, Lower Egypt was the Northern Part and Upper Egypt was the Southern part. This part of Egypt was divided into twenty districts and originally was too undeveloped for humans to live.

The Country of Egypt had a large amount of land and people. These six places in geography are main and important parts of Egypt's geography.

Bibliography: [|ancientegyptmap.gif]

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"Sahara Desert" World Wildlife Fund. Oct. 12, 2007 Encyclopedia of Earth www.eoearth.org/article/Sahara_desert

The British Museums. "Geography". Ancient Egypt www.ancientegypt.co.uk

Donald E. Vermeer. "Sahara Desert" __World Book Encyclopedia.__ World Book Inc. 1996