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Ancient Egypt and Ancient Mesopotamia: A Compare and Contrast Essay
Ancient Egypt, known as “The Gift of the Nile,” and ancient Mesopotamia, known as the land “Between the Rivers,” were the first two civilizations developed by mankind. Not only this is a double-negative that you do not need.] These were they the first civilizations to form, andbut they were also the first river-valley civilizations using the nearby river(s) [redundant – if they are the first river valley civilizations, then aren’t they near a river?] for their benefit. Ancient Egypt was birthed around 3100 B.C., and was based in the northern part of Africa. Ancient Mesopotamia came into existence around 3000 B.C. in the region now known as Iraq. Although the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia were developed independently, they also exhibited similarities in their governments, religions, geographies, and economies. [Good, thesis statement is clear]
Geography, Climate, and Economy
Both, ancient Egypt and ancient Mesopotamia, were considered river valley civilizations. [redundant – you already made this statement] Mesopotamia, which is currently Iraq, was nestled between the Tigris River and the Euphrates River. This is known as “The Fertile Crescent.” Egypt was founded on the banks of the Nile River in what is now the northeast part of Africa. All three of these rivers flooded annually, which deposited rich silt into the soil, and created a fertile area for agriculture. The Egyptians and the Sumerians, as the Semitic people of Mesopotamia were called, possessed an economy based primarily on agriculture. They used the rivers as a way of transportation, and were able to trade with other peoples. They both created irrigation systems to provide drinking water for human and animal consumption, and as a water source so their crops could flourish. The Nile flooded each year predictably, and was a very