The Nile River was one important aspect of life to Pharaohs. Let’s discover five super River Nile facts for kids.
The River Nile is home to some interesting wildlife such as soft-shelled turtles and hippopotamuses. There are even two animals which are named after the river Nile because they live there. The Nile Perch is a large fish which grows up to 6 feet long and is green or brown and grey. The Nile Crocodile is a type of crocodile which can grow to almost 14 feet long. Both of these animals take their name from the Nile River but can also be found in many places around the world.
Before the people of Egypt created a dam on the river Nile it would flood once a year. This flood spread a kind of mud called sediment on the ground around the river. This sediment is actually a very good thing for the soil. It contains lots of nutrients and minerals which make the soil perfect for growing crops. Farmers that lived by the Nile were able to benefit from the river mud making their soil so healthy.
People have been living in Egypt for 8000 years and it was home to one of the world’s earliest civilizations. As hunter gatherers started to settle and grow food by the river they stopped having to move around so much. One way they made farming for food easier was through creating a way to water their plants automatically rather than doing it by hand. This process is called irrigation and is still used by farmers and gardeners today. The Egyptians were the first to use irrigation which redirected water from the Nile to water their crops.
The Egyptians were the first people to have a calendar year of 365 days. They only had three seasons however, unlike our four. Their seasons were decided by how the Nile River flowed. They had one season, called Inundation, when the Nile flooded the land where crops grew. A second season, called Going Forth, when they planned for the harvest. And a third season, called Deficiency, is when the water returns to the river and the harvest happens.
The Ancient Egyptians used the Nile for more than just fresh water, they also used it to transport goods and to travel. The people of Egypt became very good at sailing the river. They used thin boats called Felucca, which had triangular sails to catch the wind. Boats were very important to the Ancient Egyptians and sometimes they were even buried with pharaohs to help their travel to the afterlife.
Travelling on the Nile River was helped by its currents and wind, if you wanted to travel North on the Nile the currents of the river would help you. And if you wanted to travel South, you would often have the help of the winds.
We hope you enjoyed learning more things about the Nile River as much as we loved teaching you about them. Now that you know how majestic this river is, you can move on to learn about other rivers like: Rivers and Amazon River.
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