Interdisciplinary Essay

Geography plays a monumental role in the establishment and success of a nearly every civilization. For example, rivers bring water and allow for agricultural development, while mountains or deserts provide for protection and create a barrier. Many things, such as the aforementioned deserts and mountains, can offer both positive and negative influences on the society in question. Where a civilization is located will always play a crucial role in the success – or failure – of the society. Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia are two ancient civilizations located in the middle east that used the natural resources for advancement.

When Herodotus, the ancient Greek historian, wrote these words, Egyptian civilization had been going successfully for thousands of years without foreign interference. These unusual people, thanks to the uniquely protective Nile River Valley, had the opportunity to develop differently from Europe and the East. Long periods of isolated growth without foreign invasion occurred because Egypt had natural borders that were impossible, or very difficult to cross.So immense is the significance of the Nile River to the development of Egyptian civilization, that we cannot separate the history of Egypt from its geography and other natural aspects. The Nile was very important as a communication and trade route across a vast and harsh land. Also, its annual flooding renewed farmlands that would otherwise be arid desert.Since before written history, people have built their homes in towns and cities made along the banks of the Nile. But it wasn't always this way. The earliest inhabitants of this region were Stone-Age hunter-gatherers who roamed an immense area rich in wildlife, which is now a desert. With radical changes in climate, these people gradually replaced their nomadic culture with the settled life of agriculturalists. Egypt is situated in the northeast corner of the African continent, bordering on the Mediterranean Sea. Most of the land of ancient Egypt was barren desert. However, a narrow strip of fertile land on the banks of the Nile river made it possible for life to be sustained on the land there. This is why the Greek writer Herodotus called Egypt the ‘gift of the river'.The yearly flooding and receding of the Nile determined how people lived in ancient Egypt. The land on the banks of the river was devoted to fields where crops were grown. During the flood season, this land was under water. When the flood waters receded, a layer of rich, mineral enriched black silt was left on these fields, leaving them ready to support

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