🌍 Geography & Nile
On what continent is Egypt?
Africa
Pharaohs were both _____ and _____.
King and god.
Most Egyptians worked as _____.
Farmers.
What giant tombs were built for pharaohs?
Pyramids.
What river made Egypt’s civilization possible?
The Nile
What symbol showed a pharaoh ruled all of Egypt (Upper & Lower)?
The double crown.
What main crop did Egyptians grow for food and taxes?
Wheat (also barley).
What writing system did Egyptians use?
Hieroglyphics.
Why did Herodotus call Egypt the “Gift of the Nile”?
Because the Nile made life possible in the desert (fertile soil, water, food, transport).
How was a pharaoh different from today’s leaders?
Pharaoh = divine, absolute, no elections; modern leaders = elected, limited by law.
Why did farmers give part of their harvest to the pharaoh each year?
Taxes supported state projects, temples, officials.
How did writing help the pharaoh govern?
Kept records of taxes, laws, trade, orders.
How did Egyptians control the Nile’s water for farming?
Irrigation canals, basins, shaduf.
What were some jobs of the pharaoh besides ruling?
Led armies, judged disputes, ran religion, ordered big projects.
Why did religion matter in ordinary people’s lives?
Explained Nile floods, gave meaning to life/death, offered hope for afterlife.
Why did Egyptians invest so much energy in building pyramids and temples?
Belief in afterlife, honor gods, show pharaoh’s power.
If the Nile flood failed two years in a row, what three big problems would Egyptians face?
Starvation/famine, no taxes for pharaoh, unrest/weak government.
What were two strengths of having a divine pharaoh, and two weaknesses?
Strengths = unity, order, loyalty, organized big projects.
Weaknesses = too much power, no checks, dangerous if weak/cruel.
Imagine you are a farmer. The pharaoh orders thousands of workers to build a pyramid. How does this help or hurt your community? Explain with two reasons.
Helps = jobs, religious duty, favor of gods/pharaoh.
Hurts = less farming, heavy taxes, hunger.
Which Egyptian achievement is most important today: pyramids, writing, or religion? Defend your choice.
Any of the following are correct, if they are argued correctly.
Pyramids = architecture; Writing = records/literacy; Religion = cultural influence.