How Did The Nile River Affect North Africa

The Nile River is situated in North Africa and glides down through countries such as Egypt, Ethiopia, Nubia and many more. This river with a length of approximately 6825 kilometers is ultimately the world’s longest river. The river is composed of two branches, which are the White Nile and The Blue Nile, which eventually merge at Khartoum to become the main Nile. The Nile River was and continues to be an essential resource for the inhabitants of North Africa. North African countries’ success through time came be linked to the presence of the Nile. The region’s climate and conditions made it nearly impossible for life to exist, but the resources brought by the Nile surely counteracted those conditions. The early inhabitants of the Nile valley

were escaping the Savannah, which was on the verge of becoming a desert, and other regions where conditions were not favorable. The Nile River connects countries such as Egypt to both the Mediterranean Sea and the deep Sub-Saharan desert. This river is mainly known for the advantages and successes that it brought to many countries that were located by its side. Egypt is perhaps the country most talked about in books that benefited from this river.
Water is certainly an essential and crucial fluid that needs to be consumed by humans. Water not only contributes to our health but also to the success of many other necessities such as agriculture and livestock. The Sahara desert was not an ideal location for living things to exist. The dryness was the first and most important obstacle for a growing and flourishing society. The animals and plants were dying and the humans were leaving the region in the search of better living conditions. It was rational that many of them started to move better places such as those closest to the Nile River. Since it was a river, water was abundant and available to all those living near it. The regions surrounding the Nile River not only provided water but also many other things that the water’s importance could bring to a population. During the summer, a phenomenon known as the swelling of the river was a blessing to the inhabitants living in the surroundings of the river. The river overflowed because of the excess water that was being poured into the sources by the popular summer rainfalls. As expected, the inhabitants living close by would use the water for the plants they were growing, give water to the animals, store water for the future months. The swelling of the river, which could be considered a devastating situation to many other countries, was in fact a blessing for North Africa. Therefore, the water that was being given by the Nile River was of an importance that North African countries highly benefited from.
With the water offered by the river, food was bound to multiply.

Just like with water, no society could survive on earth without the consumption of food. Food was indeed another concern that troubled the humans and the animals at the time. In the Sahara desert, food was not able to grow and prosper due to the dryness of the region, which in turn lead to fatal consequences. However, the populations that moved closer to the Nile River fortunately experienced a different outcome regarding food. The water was certainly nourishing the ground, which made it fertile and resulted in many plants growing and to giving off the proper amounts of food needed. Agriculture was therefore an important aspect that was exploited throughout the world; it was no different in North Africa. Human and animal life depended on it. The constant water available to the ground was not only enriching, but also made the prosperity of the region. Life had formed and it was developing. It was even shown that the inhabitants of the upper Nile region reaped wild barley as early as 10000 B.C.E. The contribution of the Nile to the success of crops, raising animals and producing raw materials that would be sold is of great importance. As this paragraph shows, without the Nile the crops, animals and societies would not have survived the region or at least, they would not have such success. The dependency of the inhabitant of the region on the Nile is a phenomenon that can be witnessed even today in the modern

world. Regions near water are more populated and tend to have more success due to the availability of water.
Another great advantage that came from the Nile River was the Egyptian Civilization.

The Nile River provided a reliable ground for the enlargement and the prosperity of Egypt. It was proven that rainfalls were not very abundant in Egypt. Since water was a problem, the population of Egypt greatly suffered from this immense deprivation. It is now understandable that Egypt would not have existed without the many advantages given by The Nile River. The rainfalls given of by Ethiopian Highlands which overflowed the river, allowed for the thick mud to rise around the river. Those muds were very utile to grow many plants, which would later turn into their food source. The water of the river fortunately became central to the everyday lives of the ancient Egyptians. To conduct the water to their fields, the inhabitants of Egypt, under the order of a leader, constructed dams and dikes and provided canals and swamps. It was necessary for them to learn how to work together in order to achieve their common interests. The Nile River was accredited for the teamwork that the Egyptians had acquired over time. This river continued to play an important role among the Egyptians as it even allowed for the construction of many other monuments such as the pyramids that exist in Egypt. It was by using the Nile River that heavy building materials could be transported from one place to another. With the stones and the mud accumulated next to the Nile River, the Egyptians were also able to turn them

into brick forms to build many monuments, homes and more. The river was definitely a resource that helped the survival and rise of The Egyptians, and to obtain principles such as teamwork but also to build part of their history.
At the time, the major way to gain riches was through trading with surrounding countries. This was how many countries had learned to become economically successful. There were also distant countries that were in need of raw materials and other goods that could be found in the Northern African region. Countries such as those from Europe would travel to those countries. Just as when they discovered America, Europeans used ships to navigate to the African countries since it was faster and easier. In the past, advanced means of transportation such as planes and trains were obviously not yet to exist. The only options were to travel by land or by sea. Without roads and powerful machines, travelling and transporting merchandise by land was probably a laborious task. Using the sea was easier as they would only have to use the forces of nature such as the winds and the currents to travel to destinations. Exchanges across the Nile River using boats therefore became ideal for North African countries. The Nile allowed the inner regions of the African continent to benefit from the trades with international buyers. Without it, only countries with direct access to the sea would take the full advantage of the trades. It is comparable to the trading routes Europeans were using to travel back and forth to their colonies. The contribution of the Nile for the exchanges in the regions surrounding it was significant. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, Egypt greatly benefited to the Nile’s trading routes.
Without the Nile River many inhabitants such as those living in the Sahara desert or in Egypt, which was a form of desert, would have perished in the long run. The river opened doors not only to their survival, but also to the long-term prosperity of the countries surrounding it. The river was clearly a fundamental source of water that immediately became available to those inhabitants. Water led to better food and livestock, which eventually became a part of the population’s everyday life. The Nile River also benefited many countries since it serves as a transportation route for the exchanges that played an important role in the economy of the nearby countries. Overall, The Nile River contributed to the survival and success of different countries. It also contributed to the migration of societies in the region as people moved to regions where they could benefit from the Nile. Egypt, the most notable country that benefited from the river, is the perfect example of all the benefits provided by the river: the water, the food and the transportation, which all lead to the rise and success of the country.