Egypt is a country in the north of Africa. It has sea to the north
and sea to the east. On the north it is called the Mediterranean Sea,
and on the east the Red Sea. On the west is the great sandy desert
called the Sahara, and to the south are great forests and mountains.
Egypt itself is the land of the great River Nile. There is very
seldom any rain there, and everyone has to get water from the great
river. So all the people live near the Nile or the canals which lead
out of it. A "canal" is a waterway, the channel of which has been dug
by men. The big towns are where the river flows out into the sea, or
where a canal meets the main stream, because the people bring their
merchandise to market in boats. All over the land are little
villages, where many people live and work in the fields to grow food.
Year by year when there is heavy rain in the mountains far away south,
the River Nile rises and floods the fields. Then the people plant
their seed quickly and get a good harvest. It is not difficult to
understand why the Egyptians love their great river, which gives them
water for their fields and carries them in their boats from place to
place.