The context of a long narrow Nile corridor surrounded by vast uninhabitable desert had an important role in the development of the Ancient Egyptian state because:

Question

The context of a long narrow Nile corridor surrounded by vast uninhabitable desert had an important role in the development of the Ancient Egyptian state because:

A. The desert was an important source of food resources

B. It hid them from other competing states

C. It was easy to defend from other competing states

D. Everyone could travel quickly without restriction along the Nile

E. People were easier to control because they could not walk away into the desert

Answer 1

You can approach this problem by first considering what you know about why the geography of the Nile was politically important in Ancient Egypt, and then examining each of the answers to see if they make sense in the context of the question. This is a type of question that could have more than one correct answer, if it allows you to choose more than one.

Here's my go at the question:

In general, the geography of Ancient Egypt being mainly a single large river surrounded by desert was important because the river provided a source of fresh water, rich soil for farming, and reliable transportation, while the desert made invasion of the country from the east or west difficult and concentrated resources near the river, meaning control of the river would provide the rulers of Ancient Egypt reliable influence over the vast majority of people living in the region.

Answer A doesn't quite make sense because deserts are not usually rich in food resources. Deserts have animals and plants, but these are found in much lower abundance than most other types of environments. The deserts of Ancient Egypt were rich in mining resources because of their mountains, but they were not a major source of food, especially compared to the area immediately around the Nile River.

B isn't a terrible choice because the desert would make the Ancient Egyptian state more difficult to access from the east and west, but the Nile is a vast waterway that empties into the Mediterranean, and water is a highly desirable resource in a desert environment, so anyone who could find the Nile could find pretty much all of Ancient Egypt. Civilizations that have a geography that hides them from other states tend to be those based in very remote or difficult-to-reach regions from all sides, like in high-elevation mountain valleys or the middle of dense forests.

C isn't a bad answer and would probably be a bit more accurate than B. The deserts bracketing the Nile are harsh and would be difficult to move an army through, and indeed, Ancient Egypt tended to get invaded from the north and south rather than the east and west when attacked by large armies. Attacks would be concentrated near either the head or the mouth of the river, and many of the interior cities would have been relatively easy to defend.

D is largely true; the Nile was a vital travel way across short and long distances throughout Ancient Egypt.

E is also not a terrible answer. There were certainly nomadic peoples living in and around Ancient Egypt who could survive in the desert for long periods of time, but for people accustomed to the constant access to the Nile and its reliable flooding, the desert would have been a difficult place to live. Limited ability to leave for other countries could have made the population of Ancient Egypt easier for the governing class to manage. The limited spread of the population outward also would have made communication more efficient given how close the river was to everything, facilitating management of cities and the general population.

Of these possible answers, D is probably the most unambiguously correct, but if you were able to select more than one option, I would probably also choose C, E, and B as well. A is the only answer that is clearly incorrect.