Lesson 1 - The River Nile

WALT: locate and describe key features of the River Nile. 

• Egypt's location in Africa 
• The significance of the River Nile to Egypt 
• Importance of the Nile's flow into the Mediterranean Sea

What do you already know about the River Nile?

Location of Egypt and the River Nile

• Have a look at some maps of Africa. 
  
• Can you find Egypt?

The River Nile

Over 5000 years ago the Ancient Egyptian civilisation started on the banks of the River Nile. The river runs right through the country & even today the towns & villages are situated along its banks. The River Nile runs through several other African countries too: Can you find them on the map? 

The River Nile

Only about 22% of its length is in Egypt. The river is about 6,850km (4,260 miles) long – the longest river in Africa & in the world. It empties into the Mediterranean Sea. Sometimes the source is described as Lake Victoria but nowadays the River Kagera which starts in Burundi & flows into Lake Victoria is considered to be the source by many people (& by which the overall length is measured). 

Source and Tributaries of the River Nile

There are two main tributaries: The Blue Nile (originating at Lake Tana in Ethiopia) and The White Nile (Lake Victoria in Uganda) that combine to form the main River Nile. 

Look at the image of the River Nile from space, how would you describe the landscape?

Can you name any other parts of a river? 

The River Nile's Valley and Egyptian Geography

The branches that the river splits into in the delta region are called distributaries. Heavy rains and melting snow in the mountains of Ethiopia & Uganda (Tanzania & Burundi) feed the tributaries which form the White Nile and the Blue Nile, before joining to become the great river.  

Egyptian Beliefs

The villages that Ancient Egyptians lived in were built on high ground near the River Nile. The river was considered to be a god – Hapi, a god of water & fertility. He is usually depicted with lotus flowers or papyrus reeds as his headdress & a pot belly to show he was well-fed. Amulets & offerings were thrown into the river to please Hapi. Many fish & birds also lived in or by the Nile & other animals came to the river to drink.  There was very little rainfall in Egypt so the River Nile was a very important source of water for all living things. Tefnet was the goddess of moisture, moist air, dew and rain. The climate of Egypt today is the same – hot desert climate with very little rainfall, except on the northern Mediterranean coast. It is cooler along the coast too. 

Egyptian Beliefs

 There was very little rainfall in Egypt so the River Nile was a very important source of water for all living things. Tefnet was the goddess of moisture, moist air, dew and rain. The climate of Egypt today is the same – hot desert climate with very little rainfall, except on the northern Mediterranean coast. It is cooler along the coast too. 

Glossary

River Nile: The longest river in Africa and the world, which played a crucial role in the development of Ancient Egyptian civilization. 

Tributary: A smaller river or stream that flows into a larger river or stream, forming part of a river system. 

Delta: A landform at the mouth of a river where it splits into several branches, creating a fan-shaped area. 

Hapi: An Ancient Egyptian god of water and fertility, associated with the Nile. 

Activity

Work together in groups or as a class to each produce a large-scale map of Egypt and the Nile. 

• Indicate the green fertile valley on the map. 
• Annotate the map with labels (seas, parts of the river). 
• Pencil the river & coastlines in lightly before marking them permanently. 
• Challenge: Can you mark some of the ancient sites on the map too (e.g. Valley of the Kings & the pyramids at Giza).