Geography
Why is Upper Egypt located in the south and Lower Egypt in the north?
What made the land along the Nile River so fertile? (Choose the best single-word answer.)
Flooding.
Which group made up ancient Egypt’s largest social class? (Pick one.)
Laborers (or peasants/farmers).
When did Egyptians begin building pyramids? (Which period?)
During the Old Kingdom.
Were the Egyptians and Kushites neighbors, or far apart? (Choose the best answer.)
They were neighbors (Kush was south of Egypt in Nubia).
Name two natural barriers that protected ancient Egypt from many invaders
List three geographic features of the Nile River. (Give three separate features.)
longest river; flows south to north; forms a delta at the Mediterranean; cataracts; natural barriers/deserts along banks.
What key factor enabled ancient Egyptians to develop specialized job skills?
food surpluses
Which Egyptian leader first united Upper and Lower Egypt?
King Narmer (also called Menes).
What was the primary cause of fighting between the Egyptians and the Kushites? (Pick the best choice.)
they were neighbors (competition over land, control of trade routes, and resources).
Explain what the Nile Delta is and why it was important.
The Nile Delta is where the river splits and empties into the Mediterranean, creating rich, fertile marshland used for farming and settlements.
How did annual Nile flooding help farmers plan their crops?
Farmers used knowledge of flood timing to plant after floods when soil was fertile; predictable floods allowed planning for food production.
Fill in this social pyramid from top to bottom with four levels: Pharaoh, __________, __________, __________. (Give three groups in correct order beneath the pharaoh.)
Pharaoh → Nobles/Priests → Merchants/Artisans/Scribes → Laborers/Peasants/Slaves.
What was Karnak?
Karnak was a huge temple complex (a major religious site
Give one example of how Kush and Egypt traded or influenced each other (goods, culture, or leadership)
Trade in gold, ivory, ebony, and slaves; cultural exchange such as religious practices and art; at times Kushite rulers adopted Egyptian titles and customs
Describe what a cataract is and how it affected travel on the Nile.
Cataracts are rocky rapids or shallow stretches that made river travel difficult and acted as natural barriers.
Explain one way the Nile River affected transportation and trade in ancient Egypt.
The Nile served as a major transportation route—boats carried goods and people, connecting Upper and Lower Egypt and enabling trade.
Explain why having food surpluses helped create different social classes.
Surpluses freed some people from food production so they could train in special jobs (artisans, scribes, priests), creating different social roles and classes.
Name one reason for the decline of the New Kingdom
costly wars and military spending; invasions; internal conflicts; economic strain from prolonged warfare.
Describe how control of trade routes could cause conflict between Egypt and Kush.
Control of valuable trade routes and access to resources (gold mines, trade to sub-Saharan Africa) created competition and led to conflict or attempts at control
Describe two ways everyday life (jobs, food, or housing) depended on the Nile.
Examples: irrigation/farming depended on floodwaters; fishermen relied on the river for food; houses and villages were built near the river for water and transport.
Compare and contrast the lives of artisans and laborers — give two differences and one similarity.
Differences: Artisans had specialized skills and crafts, often lived in towns and could trade goods; laborers worked fields or construction, had heavier manual work and lower status. Similarity: both supported the economy and daily life of Egypt.
Explain why pyramids were built and describe one way pyramid building shows the power of the pharaoh
Pyramids were tombs for pharaohs to prepare for the afterlife and to show the ruler’s power/resources. Building pyramids required organized labor, resources, and leadership, demonstrating centralized power.
Explain how geography (such as deserts or the Nile) shaped the relationship between Egypt and Kush — include at least two geographic factors.
The Nile connected them, making trade and contact possible; deserts on either side limited overland routes and concentrated interactions along the river; cataracts affected navigation and control of trade; fertile lands drew settlement and competing claims.