Egypt, "The gift of the Nile"

Nile river

   Many centuries after the early period of Egyptian history, a Greek historian named Herodotus wrote of his travels in Egypt. "All Egypt," he said, "is the gift of the Nile." Herod¬otus wrote accurately, for he was describing a remarkable feature of Egyptian geography. Each year, from June to October, rain and melting snow from the mountains at the source of the Nile cause the river to overflow and spread out over the flatland of the southern Nile Valley. The flood reaches its highest level at the beginning of September. As the flood recedes, the gentle slope of the land allows the water to drain off gradually. A layer of silt, or fertile soil, which the river has carried along in its flood, is left behind.
   From earliest times Egyptian farmers have planned their work according to the flood. They know when it will come every year. They harvest their crops before it begins, then wait for the water to soak the hard, dry earth before it drains off and leaves its new, fertile soil. There is little or no rainfall in Egypt, so the flood moisture is sufficient for only one planting. Early in their his¬tory, however, the Egyptians learned to irrigate the land by using water from the Nile and carrying it to the fields in short canals. Then they could plant and harvest two or even three crops a year.
   You can easily see the importance of this regu¬lar flooding of the Nile. Each year the valley receives a fresh layer of soil. Because of this, the land of the Nile Valley has been farmed continuously for more than 6,000 years. And it is still farmed today.