Ancient
Egypt

Ancient Egypt is the term used to describe the civilization located along the Lower Nile River. At the time of its greatest extension, 15th century BCE, it reached from the Nile Delta in the north to as far south as Jebel Barkal
It lasted for three millennia, from approximately 3200 BCE to 343 BCE, ending when Artaxerxes III conquered Egypt.
As a civilization based on irrigation, it is the quintessential example of a hydraulic empire. The Nile river, has been the lifeline for Egyptian culture since nomadic hunter-gatherers began living along the Nile during the Pleistocene.
By about 6000 BC, organized agriculture and large building construction had appeared in the Nile Valley.
Between 5500 and 3100 BC, during Egypt's Predynastic Period, small settlements flourished along the Nile.
By the late Predynastic Period, just before the first Egyptian dynasty, Egypt was divided into two kingdoms, known as Upper and Lower Egypt. The dividing line was drawn roughly in the area of modern Cairo.
The Nile river flows northward through the centre of Egypt from a southerly point to the Mediterranean. The geologically lower delta region to the north, where the Nile river branches out into several mouths was known as Lower Egypt. Whereas the geologically higher land upriver to the south was known as Upper Egypt.
The two kingdoms were unified by Narmer around 3100 BCE, and a series of dynasties ruled Egypt for the next three millennia.
The last native dynasty, known as the Thirtieth Dynasty, fell to the Persians in 343 BC.