The main feature I was taught long ago was that the Nile river would flood every year, providing ample water for growing crops. It also brought with it a thick, black, clay soil that was extremely fertile (but also very tough, making it tough to plant seeds until they learned to use animals for muscle). Of course, if they only grew near the Nile, that would severely limit their acreage. The Egyptians compensated by building the world's first dam, as well as irrigation canals.
This is impressive when you consider that Egypt is a desert region!
