1.  Egypt and Kush

2. Geography  Located in Africa  The Nile River helped Egypt develop a civilization  Egypt’s economy depended on farming

3. Religion  Believed in many gods  Polytheistic – belief in more than one god  Believed in a happy after life (life after death)  Akhenaton tried to replace Egyptian old gods with one god called Aton.

4. Achievements  Egyptians made advances in calendars, geometry, medicine, astronomy,  Egyptians developed a writing system called Hieroglyphics which are pictures that stand for different words or sounds  Pharaoh Khufu built a huge monument to proclaim his glory

5. Politics  Egypt united under a central government that ruled for centuries  Egypt entered a period of change as centralized rule weakened  Ramses II ruled Egypt for decades and created a stable empire

6. Economy  Fertile land provided everything Egyptians needed  The Nile and other resources influenced Egypt’s economy  Strong economy because of mining, fishing, hunting, and trade  Egyptians developed a complex society with many different jobs and social roles  Queen Hatshepsut ruled as pharaoh and expanded trade during the New Kingdom

7. Social Structure  Pharaoh – the ruler was above all other people because he or she was considered a god  Priests – The priests cared for the temples and held ceremonies to keep the gods happy  Scribes – trained in the art of writing and record keeping  Craftspeople and merchants- built architecture, monuments  Farmers- took care of the fields and crops  Laborers and slaves – bottom of society. They became slaves if they owed a debt, committed a crime, or were captured in war