Free «The Nile and the Rise of North African States» Essay Sample

The River Nile is a heart of some states of the Northern region of Africa. Water is a vital part of all living organisms, including a man in this case. The freshwaters of the Nile have seen the rise of nations as they have utilized the river in various ways to grow their economies from time immemorial (McConnel, 2003). Therefore, the Nile River was vital for the success of some North African states.

The Nile is the longest river in the world. Its waters are fresh and fit for domestic consumption. Countries like Sudan, Ethiopia, and Egypt have developed economies as a result of the utilization of the Nile in various economic sectors (Gilbert &Reynolds, 2011). Egypt, for instance, is the country that has succeeded because of agriculture exporting products to Europe and other regions. The Egyptians grew grains and barley, especially used in brewing. The country utilized the Nile by applying basin irrigation, where the water was trapped during the flooding season and used for irrigation after it was over. Flooding resulted into fertile soils that were deposited in the Egyptian lands. The soil was a base for high yields that lead to prosperity in the country. The river provided the people of Egypt with fish that supplemented their diet (McConnel, 2003). Although fishing inside the Nile River might not be cogitated to be their main occupation, the Egyptians did it in a small gage of other products, using fish as a nutrient.

The Nile is a home for such creatures as crocodiles and hippopotamus. The land next to the Nile was also a home for many animals and birds like ostriches. A hot and dry climate of North Africa was hostile for communities and forced them to move closer to the Nile. While some went into agriculture, others were busy with hunting on land, as well as killing water animals for food (Gilbert &Reynolds, 2011). The Nile attracted farmers and hunters close to it leading to the assimilation of cultures. Many people intermarried, and the population in the region grew forming towns. Many people living along the Nile had diverse needs, which included food, clothes, and clean water, as well as tools for hunting, fishing, and farming. It led to specialization, and as a result, blacksmiths, medicine men, artists, craftsmen, traders, and tailors among others came up to serve various needs of people.

The Nile was used by the Ethiopians, Sudanese, and Egyptians as a major transport means during trade (Diamond, 2012). Since the Nile was a large river, canoes and boats made of wood were used to transport goods and people to various destinations within the region. Other modes of transport were not common then. The greatest expertise was to serve vital traffic along the Nile. Since the vessel skill was known by persons in Ethiopia and Egypt, they exchanged products and other items (McConnel, 2003). The river made it feasible for merchants from the Middle East to exchange with Egyptians and Ethiopians. These businesses made people have items made in outer Africa. Thus, trade developed the economy of states like Egypt importing what they did not produce. Heraklion, a city near the sea in Egypt, for instance, was made a port that belonged to Greeks. Trade in that region was the basis for the development of the nation.

Egyptians got a sufficient food supply from farming (Diamond, 2012). This aspect of self-sufficiency made them stable and eager to venture elsewhere. For instance, they could come up with ways to develop the state, including the building of pyramids and advancements in the fields of science, mathematics, and geometry, which are still applied today. The pyramids in Egypt were built with the use of technology that remains a mystery until this day (McConnel, 2003). The Nile made this development possible, since if Egyptians had been living in poor conditions, nobody would have ventured into science.

The Nile was a good foundation, where many towns and cities were established for such reasons as transport along the river and the availability of food among others. Naucratis, for instance, was established in the seventh century in Egypt, seventy-two kilometers from the sea within a canopy branch of the Nile. The city was built to act as a center of the exchange of the Egyptian and Greek art cultures (Diamond, 2012). The Egyptians were known for their art masterpieces. The history of the nation is still preserved in the art, which the Greeks liked and borrowed from the Egyptians (Gilbert &Reynolds, 2011). The river course did not remain constant; it began to change in the seventh century in a rate of about three meters every year. Towns also moved with reference to the river course.

Conclusively, the Nile is a pivot or a backbone of the success of some nations, such as Egypt in the region of North Africa. Agriculture was the main reason for growth of states. Other reasons were transport, trade, specialization, and fishing. The Nile has supported lives, since the river has been a point of provision and the factor making economies grow. What is seen today in the countries of the region has a long history with a secret hidden in the Nile.