Why the Nile River was so important to the lives of ancient Egyptians?

Answer 1

The Nile river tied to the success of the Egyptian civilization because the Nile river cause cataracts (rapids) which prevented invasions.

Answer 2

This was because every year the Nile would flood, and the inundated areas would be covered in highly-fertile silt. Rainfall was sparse, spasmodic, and unreliable. In contrast, the annual flooding of the Nile could be relied upon, and Egypt had crops when other nations didn't (for example, if the expected rains didn't come in time.) The Nile bought life every year: without the floodwaters, Egypt was dead.

All this was before 1971, when the Aswan High Dam was built on the Nile from the First to the Third Cataracts. This Dam was built to supply huge amounts of hydroelectric power for an increasingly-industrialized Egypt. It was a laudable aim. The trouble is, the sediment was no longer being carried by a fast-flowing river, but in the slower-moving waters of a reservoir. Silt is held in suspension in fast-moving water, but when the speed of the water drops, the carrying capacity of the river also drops, and so does the silt. This silt was now being dropped behind the Dam wall, instead of flowing down the Nile to fertilize the soil as in time past, but there now were no annual floods anyway.

This meant they had to use artificial fertilizers. However, as superphosphate only provides the three elements of Sodium, Potassium, and Nitrogen, in contrast with up to 96 trace elements in fertile soil, this meant the soil would become eventually infertile. This has proven to be the case.

One would have thought the Egyptians would have learnt their lesson from the old Aswan Dam (which was built in 1902 4 miles below where the Aswan High Dam is now), and decided not to build a dam, but no. One would have thought the Chinese would have seen the example of the Aswan High Dam and decided not to build the Seven Gorges dam, but again no. Just as in business where Grandsons wreck the business Granddad created, so it seems every 3rd generation must re-learn the hard way, from experience, of what works and what doesn't, of what to do and what not to do.

The Nile was once the lifeblood of Egypt, but it is now so anaemic that it needs to be put on life-support.

Answer 3

A consistent freak act of nature allowed the Egyptians to harness the capabilities of the Nile River. While the majority of Egypt was and still is covered with the aforementioned sand, the river basin next to the Nile boasts wildlife and fertile soils. This is all due to the predictable rise and fall of the Nile's water levels each year, known as inundation (rise) and relinquishment (fall). During the inundation period, which takes place sometime around July, water would rise and fill canals made by Egyptian laborers. Sometime around the end of October, the river would begin to recede, leaving rich silt deposits. The water that had been collected in the canals and basins during the inundation period was enough to supply nourishment for the crops for the next year. Crops were harvested in June before the return of the floods. The cycle somewhat reliably repeated every year, although it sometimes produced more water than needed, which had negative effects on the crops. In the early 1900s, several dams were built in southern Egypt in an effort to control the sometimes overzealous flooding. While the dams were able to control the floods to a manageable level, they also decreased the amount of sediment deposits, drastically reducing the fertility of the area. Fortunately for Egyptian farmers, fertilizers are commonplace and they use them to offset the change in land fertility. The system allowed Egyptian farmers to grow a variety of crops, including staples such as wheat and barley. In addition to irrigating the crops and fertilizing the soil, the Nile's inundation period also supplied much-needed drinking water. The rise and fall of the Nile's life-giving waters inspired the ancient Egyptians to view it as a cycle of death and rebirth. The Egyptians experienced so much success cultivating the Nile that the area became densely populated. Because of this, Egyptian society evolved rapidly developing its own systems of record keeping, accounting and writing (hieroglyphics). The Nile was not just an agricultural boon for Egypt -- it also was the country's most important roadway, serving as the main thoroughfare to encourage travel and communication capabilities. This function helped to connect outlying portions of Egypt to the capital, enabling trade and communication.

Answer 4

The Nile river tied to the success of the Egyptian civilization because the Nile river cause cataracts (rapids) which prevented invasions.

Answer 5

The Nile River was so important because they use it for rich soil and for drinking water.