Geography and History Activity

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Africa South of the Sahara Geography and History Activity

Nubia The Nile, the longest river in the world, Egyptians traded for other valued items was a critical trade route in ancient times. the Nubians obtained from the African In the towns and villages along its banks, interior-leather, ebony, elephants and Egyptian traders plied their wares, eventu ivory, spices, incense, and ostrich feathers. ally emerging at the Nile's mouth on the Nubia also provided Egypt with slaves Mediterranean Sea. South of Egypt, how and the stone needed to build temples and ever, another kingdom grew in response to pyramids for Egyptian royalty. Although Nile River commerce. The Egyptians knew warfare occurred between the two lands, this kingdom as Kush, located in the mys the Egyptians depended on the kingdom terious region called Nubia (what is today of Kush for resources, and many of southern Egypt and the Sudan). Egypt's archaeological treasures were of Nubian origin. Treacherous Water After a major military defeat around The Nile that flowed through Nubia 600 B.C., the Nubians moved the capital of was not the easy water highway enjoyed the Kush kingdom farther south along the by Egyptians. The "middle Nile" could Nile, to Meroe. Meroe's location made it a be very narrow, and its current ran very hub of trade along the Nile as well as for rapidly in places called "cataracts." There caravans crossing the desert from northern were six numbered cataracts on the Nile Africa to the Red Sea and Arabia. between the Egyptian city of Aswan (the First Cataract) and Shabaluka Gorge Decline (the Sixth Cataract), located north of Khar The Nubian iron industry eventually toum, Sudan. The treacherous whitewater used up huge quantities of wood, and its of these cataracts isolated Nubia from forests were being overtaken by desert. the outside world for centuries. After the Overgrazing and poor farming practices Nubians mastered navigation of the cata caused the land to lose its fertility. After racts, however, they began trading with a series of skirmishes with Roman-ruled their neighbors to the north. Eventually, Egypt in the second century A.D., the Nubia became an important trading link Nubian economy declined. between sub-Saharan Africa and the rest The land called Nubia no longer exists. of the world. In 1971 the Aswan High Dam was built in Egypt, and much of the Nubian portion of Rich Kingdom the Nile was flooded to form Lake Nasser. Nubia was a land of great natural Archaeologists were able to excavate and wealth-rich in gold mines and iron ore. move only a few dozen monuments to Egypt relied on Nubia for gold to make higher ground before most of the territory coins and ornamentation, and for iron to of this once-powerful African kingdom make tools and weaponry. In addition, the was submerged forever.

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Geography and History Activity continued

SAHARA

SUDAN KEY ------disputed border

'+!i Applying Geography to History 4. Naming What natural resources did Nubia have? Directions: Read the information about the Nubians and examine the map. Then answer the questions below. 1. Locating Where was the kingdom of Kush located? 5. Listing What trade goods from Africa's interior were important. to the Egyptians?

2. Defining What is a cataract? How many cataracts were located along 6. Assessing What are two reasons the the Nile? kingdom of Kush declined in power?

3. Explaining How did the existence of 7. Mapping Activity On an outline map cataracts affect the history of Nubia? of Africa, draw the Nile River and label its source, its delta, the two rivers that combine to form the main river, the direction in which it flows, and the Aswan High Dam and Lake Nasser.