Welcome to the world of pyramids, mummies, and golden tombs.
Egypt began more than 5,000 years ago. It grew in northeastern Africa, along the banks of the Nile. Without this river, Egypt would be almost all desert. Every year, the Nile floods. It leaves a layer of rich, black dirt on its banks. The people use this soil to grow two or three crops a year. In the past, Egypt’s rulers were called pharaohs. They had total control over their people. The first pharaohs had people build canals and ditches to move the Nile’s floodwater to the fields.
While Egypt grew, another kingdom also rose up. Kush, also known as Nubia, was farther south along the Nile. Sometimes Egypt traded with Kush. Other times, the kingdoms fought. Egypt usually defeated weaker Kush. But starting around 750 B.C., Kush ruled Egypt for nearly a hundred years. Over time, Kush built its own culture.
