Therefore, this had positive effects on Egypt’s agriculture and development. The natural boundaries included the Mediterranean Sea, deserts and the six cataracts of the Nile. Since there were no outside influences there were no pressures and so this ancient river valley civilization could develop. The Nile did not only protect them but it also benefited them a lot. The annual flood of the Nile gave them good soil to grow and the prevailing winds of the Nile made it easier to travel up and down the Nile. The annual flood also allowed them to develop a calendar. Also the Nile valley gave them a lot of good building materials and other natural resources for tools and jewelry. The Egyptians lived this uninfluenced lifestyle until around 3000 B.C.
1 Ancient Egypt’s natural boundaries offered it lots of protection which caused it to be so uninfluenced until around 3000 B.C. These natural barriers did not give them full protection and were still vulnerable. The first natural barrier was the Mediterranean above the delta. Before 1500 B.C. not many people travelled by ship and so the Mediterranean offered great protection. The next natural boundaries were the Western Desert and the Lower Desert. A desert is a region that receives less than ten inches of precipitation every year. It was hard to move an army through a desert and also the provisions needed to make the tour. The last natural barrier that gave the Ancient Egyptians protection from outside influences was the six cataracts along the Nile. A cataract is a waterfall or a violent rush of water. These cataracts didn’t let any foreigners or enemies travel in the Nile which as a result kept them out too.
1 Mahdy El, Ancient Civilizations Egypt Land and lives of the pharaohs revealed (Lane Cove: Global Book Publishing, 2005), 14
2 Although the Nile river valley was very protected there