The emergence and development of ancient Egyptian civilization are inseparable from the Nile River. As the ancient Greek historian Herodotus said: "Egypt is a gift from the Nile River." In ancient Egypt, the Nile River flooded almost every year, flooding farmland, but it also turned the flooded land into fertile farmland. The Nile River also provided transportation convenience for the ancient Egyptians, making it easier for people to travel between cities along the river. Another important reason why ancient Egyptian civilization could last for thousands of years without interruption was its geographical environment that was relatively isolated from the outside world. To the north and east of ancient Egypt were the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea respectively, while to the west was the desert, and to the south was the desert. It is a series of large waterfalls, with only the northeast having a passage through the Sinai Peninsula to western Asia. This geographical location makes it difficult for foreigners to enter Egypt, thereby ensuring the continuation of ancient Egyptian civilization. In comparison, the relatively open Mesopotamia civilizations of the same period were often dominated by different ethnic groups.
Ancient Egypt was located in northeastern Africa (today's Middle East). It was originally in the Nile River Basin, and it was not until it became strong that it reached the territory of today's Egypt. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Nubia (present-day Ethiopia and Sudan) to the south, and Libya to the west. From a geographical point of view, Egypt has deserts on its east and west sides, and there are several large dangerous shoals in the south. It is difficult to communicate with the outside world. It is only more convenient to communicate with West Asia through the Sinai Peninsula at the northeastern end. Therefore, ancient Egypt was relatively isolated.
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The Nile River runs through the entire territory of Egypt and is formed by the confluence of the White Nile River originating in central Africa and the Blue Nile River originating in Sudan. The Nile River, which flows through forests and grasslands, floods regularly from July to November every year, irrigating the dry land on both sides of the river. Silt containing a large amount of minerals and humus flows down the river and gradually settles on both sides of the river, becoming fertile black soil. The ancient Egyptians therefore called their country "Kemet" (meaning black land). The ancient Greek historian Herodotus said that "Egypt is a gift from the Nile." The ancient Egyptians once wrote this poem: "Ah, Nile, I praise you, you flow out of the earth and feed Egypt... Once you The flow of water decreased and people stopped breathing. ”
Egypt’s geographical location means that there is not much precipitation in Egypt. It can be seen from the large number of sculptures and paintings left over from ancient Egypt that the characteristics of the ancient Egyptians are: tall stature, black hair, low forehead, thick eyelashes, black eyes, straight nose, wide face, broad shoulders, bronze skin, and strong body . Their body shape and appearance are different from the ancient Libyans and Nubians, and also different from the ancient Asiatics, and have their own unique characteristics.