Introduction to Egypt History

Egypts rise to civilizationThe Nile river was the unifying force in Egyptian history. The Nile was used to transport Egypts wealth and to ship stone blocks used for the great monumental structures called the Pyramids. The huge stoneblocks were taken from the southern parts of the Nile river so they had to be shipped with boats up north where the early pyramids were built. Egypt was isolated from other lands and the narrow Nile valley restricted movement into and out of Egypt. The desert surrounding Egypt was a great natural defensive system.The similarities between Egypt and the high cultured settlements in Mesopotamia (the area between the two rivers Euphrates and Tigris) can not be neglected. In the early high cultures the close relationship to a river was necessary. Rivers did not only make it possible for transports but also for irrigation to be invented and the Nile river had a natural kind of irrigation so artificial irrigation was invented earlier in Mesopotamia probably because of this aspect. The environmental conditions in Egypt were better than in Mesopotamia. The Nile river has an annual flood which was very important for the agriculture. Artificial irrigation was introduced in Egypt by 3000 BC. The artificial irrigation in Egypt was used to control the Nile's waters. In some areas this made it possible to produce two crops a year. Another benefit the egyptians had when it comes to increase the outcome the agriculture was the moderate, uniform climate. Hot summers and temperate winters with no frost to threaten the crops. The lack of rain was of less importance since the Nile river had enough water to supply the agricultural areas.Salanization problems was not of higher relevans in Egypt since yeah after year the earth was overflowed with rich, black sediment from the Nile flood. Egypts lack of a harbor coastline in the north at the delta did not exactly help the egyptians to make contacts with the the outside world. Although this was a severe problem, migration and trade did exist with other settlements in the Mediterranean.