Egypt is a country with particular natural regions that have led to life among desert regions. He has come to house the important Egyptian and Greek civilizations and events of great biblical relevance. But where is Egypt exactly? This country is located in the northwest of the African continent, limiting with Libya, Palestine, Israel, the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. In this ecology article, we present the Five natural regions of Egyptmany of them recognized and differentiated by the ancient Egyptians and that are distinguishable by their natural and geographical limits that generate different ecosystems.
Western desert
This desert includes the 68% of the territory of Egyptlocated west of the Nilo River. It is one of the most arid areas in the country, with rocky deserts and sandy of maximum diurnal temperatures of 48 ยฐ C in summer and night minimal of -2.2.2 ยฐ C in winter.
In this Egyptian desert The oasis are commonisolated sites with water and vegetation, in which there are small human settlements. These oasis were very useful for mining expeditions that were undertaken in ancient times and that promoted the development of the country.
There is an abundance of precious metals and stones, black granite deposits, Crete limestone in the white desert and sand with quartz. The Fauna is not very varied Because it is a desert, but Fennecs can be found (Zerda vulpes) and city sheep (Ammotragus Lervia), inter alia. Both this desert and the Eastern desert were called by the ancient Egyptians as the “red earth” because their windows are generated are reddish.
Do not hesitate to visit this other article to obtain more information about the flora and fauna of Egypt.
Eastern desert
This desert, also known as the Arabic desert, occupies 28% of Egyptbetween the Nile Valley, the Red Sea, the Suez and Sudan channel. When containing oil, emerald, copper, gold, quarry and coal deposits, it is about Natural region with more natural resources from Egypt. Many of these natural resources were used for the magnificent Egyptian constructions and the characteristic jewels that accompanied Pharaohs. In this area are the famous archaeological and pyramid deposits. The most famous is the Guiza Plateau, where the sphinxes, the Keops pyramid and the funeral temples, among many others.
It receives few rains per year and its temperature reaches 50 ยฐ C maximum and minimum of 0 ยฐ C. His vegetation is scarce And there is no oasis like those found in the western desert. Among the plants that grow are acacias, Tamarisco trees (Tamarix) and multiple desert herbs. The Fauna adapted to the extreme conditions It includes Hiracoidal Ibices and Ladies, in addition to all those migratory birds that cross the desert to move from Europe to Africa.
Sinai Peninsula
It consists of one triangular peninsula delimited by bodies of water On each side: to the north by the Mediterranean Sea, to the east by the Gulf of Aqaba, to the west by the Gulf of Suez and to the south by the Red Sea. It connects to the west with Egypt and East with Israel. Three areas can be distinguished in the peninsula:
- The northern area: composed mostly of sandy deserts that receive sudden floods of rainfall, accumulating water that does not generate vegetation but is drained to the Mediterranean.
- The southern zone: mostly composed of granite mountains, such as Santa Catalina, which is the highest in Egypt with 2,640 meters high. The famous Mount Sinai is also here with 2,285 meters high and of biblical importance.
- The central zone: It is characterized by having plateaus with valleys that descend to the Mediterranean Sea
Its climate is more temperate than the rest of Egypt by the mountains that rise, with temperatures of -16 ยฐ C as a minimum temperature and 25 ยฐ C on average. Among the vegetation are datile palm trees. This peninsula has the Arab leopard (Panthera Pardus Nimr) as endemic species, in Critical danger of extinction by hunting and reduction of habitat.
We recommend this articles on the causes and consequences of animal poaching so that you can have more information on the subject.
Nile Delta
The last two natural regions develop around the Nile River, with rich biodiversity For water traffic. The Nile Delta region, also known as Bajo Egypt, receives water from the Nile River to form the Delta that flows into the Mediterranean Sea, north of the country. It covers from Alexandria to Puerto Said, whose great extension of 240 kilometers makes it one of the largest deltas in the world.
It has a dark clay background from the Ethiopian volcanic massif that is deposited by the Nile when it grows. This condition caused the ancient Egyptian civilization to call it the “black earth.” Within the delta there are different formations related to water:
- Two channels water: Damieta east and west Rosetta. These channels were vital for communication in ancient Egypt, which were previously more but were disappearing due to the sedimentation of the river and by the control of water by the human. Artificially it was built on Suez Canal, to connect to the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea.
- Three lakes: Mariout, Idku and Burulus.
The delta climate is desert-alid, with maximum temperatures of 34 ยฐ C in summer and winters with minimums of 9 ยฐ C. It rains only in winter, with a maximum of 200 mm per year. Associated with this climate is the vegetation of lotus flowers (Nucifera nuciferous). The Delta receives migratory birds, such as the Nile geese (Alopochen Aegyptiaca). It has numerous reptiles, frogs, turtles and birds, such as the Nile Varano (Varanus niloticus).
Its waters are lower than those of the Nile River, so it is a Ideal site for agriculture. This cultivable and water flow land led to the development of Egyptian and Greek civilizations. In addition, today, there are numerous archaeological sites in this area of โโsuch civilizations. Around this delta ancient settlements were created with the name of Nomoswhich divided the cultivable surfaces. They evolved in the modern cities of today, among which Alexandria, Cairo, Suez and Guiza stand out.
Nile Valley
To the east Nile River is the Nile Valley, also known as El Alto Egypt. It goes from the Hafa Valley to the Mediterranean and includes the part of the end of the Nile basin, before reaching the Delta. It is a very narrow valley that divides the western desert and the eastern desert, with a width of 19 kilometers. It occupies only 4% of the Egyptian territory and, even so, it is the most populated region of Egypt.
During the summer the surrounding plateaus are flooded and a fertile slime descends that is concentrated in the Nile Valley, which has been used since ancient times for agriculture. Being between two deserts, the richness of natural resources is contrasting and, since ancient times, it meant a key point for Food trade and supply Among the dry places.
This also leads to a Great abundance of wild speciesas the characteristic papyri of the Nile (Cyperus Papyrus) From which the first versions of the paper were created, Dum palm trees (Hyphaene Thebaica) and animals like Nile crocodiles (Cocodrylus niloticus). Its ecoregion is classified as flooded savanna. In satellite photography, the Nile Valley highlights as a green thread that furrows the two arid deserts that, in addition to housing wild species, motivates the production of vegetables and even flowers, such as roses.
The temperature is higher than in the Delta because it is surrounded by deserts. It can go to 40 ยฐ C, with warm summers and temperate winters. Receive less rain than the natural region of the delta.
If you want to read more articles similar to Natural regions of Egyptwe recommend that you enter our category of ecosystems.
- Egypt State Information Service. (SF). Egypt: Geography. Available at: https://www.sis.gov.eg/seccion/2/73?lang=en
- Bolaรฑos Gonzรกlez Ji (2003). The Nile Valley: From Geography to myth. Geographical Notebooks, 33, 75-103.
- Nilo One. (SF) Crossing the Eastern Desert. Available at: http://www.nilo.one/paisjes/desiestooriental.htm