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What makes the Nile river flood?
The flooding of the Nile is the result of the yearly monsoon between May and August causing enormous precipitations on the Ethiopian Highlands whose summits reach heights of up to 4550 m (14,928 ft). These facts were unknown to the ancient Egyptians who could only observe the rise and fall of the Nile waters.
What is the Nile river described as?
Nile River, Arabic Baḥr Al-Nīl or Nahr Al-Nīl, the longest river in the world, called the father of African rivers. It rises south of the Equator and flows northward through northeastern Africa to drain into the Mediterranean Sea. Its most distant source is the Kagera River in Burundi.
Was the Nile river flooding gentle?
Unlike in Mesopotamia, where we shall see the flooding was unpredictable, sudden, and ferocious, the flooding of the Nile in Egypt was predictable, gradual, and gentle. The Egyptians created basin areas to trap the layers of silt that nourished the soil and hold the water needed to irrigate their crops.
How was the flooding of the Nile unpredictable?
In ancient Egypt, the flooding of the Nile was predictable enough for the Egyptians to plan their yearly crops around it. It flooded annually sometime from June to September, as a result of monsoons in Ethiopia. The famine resulted when there was inadequate or surplus flooding.
When did the river Nile last flood?
orty-two years ago, in June 1964, I and my four-man Egyptian film crew set out from Cairo to capture on film the very last Nile flood that would come to Egypt. From the moment the flood began in Ethiopia, we followed its progress for 3200 kilometers (2000 mi).
What was the importance of the Nile river as described in this passage?
The Nile was a source of water for Egyptians which was important because of the desert area that surrounded the civilization; without water from the Nile, the Egyptians would not have been able to settle in this area. The Nile River supported animal life. Egyptians were able to hunt and fish for food.
Why has the Nile river been described as the lifeblood of Egypt?
During the annual flooding of the Nile, which typically lasted from July through November, farming was impossible. But when the waters receded, a thick layer of fertile silt over the farmlands remained to insure rich soil for their crops and thick grasses for their grazing animals. The Nile was the lifeblood of Egypt.
Was the Nile River unpredictable?
The unpredictable annual flow of the Nile River is legendary, as evidenced by the story of Joseph and the Pharaoh, whose dream foretold seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine in a land whose agriculture was, and still is, utterly dependent on that flow.
How did Egyptians predict Nile flooding?
Predicting the flood of the Nile became very important because two month after the flood people could plant seeds in the fruitful soil. In that period Egyptian astronomers observed that each time the star Sirius appeared for the first time at the Eastern part of the sky just before sunrise, the Nile flood took place.
Why has the Nile River been described as the lifeblood of Egypt?
Why does the Nile River no longer overflows its banks?
The Nile River no longer overflows its banks because the flow of the river is now entirely controlled by the Aswan High Dam . The Aswan High Dam prevents the natural flood cycle each year by regulating the rivers flow.
What caused the Nile River to flood?
According to Woodlands Resources History Homework, melting snow and heavy summer rain flowed down into the River Nile, causing it to flood. This heavy influx of water caused the banks of the Nile to overflow.
Why were the Egyptians wanted the Nile River to flood?
Ancient Egyptians believed that the Nile flooded every year because of Isis ‘s tears of sorrow for her dead husband, Osiris .
Why was the Nile River called the gift of the Nile?
Egypt is called the gift of the Nile because the Nile River annually flooded its banks in ancient times, creating fertile farm fields for people to plant their crops. The term “gift of the Nile” was coined by the renowned philosopher and historian Herodotus .