1. inundation

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The New Oxford American Dictionary defines "inundation" as "flooding." In Egypt, the annual inundation of the Nile River left "life-renewing soil" (1) for the Egyptians to plant their crops in. The Ethiopian Highlands, which are near the "horn" of Africa, would experience rainstorms every year from June to mid-September. "That rain washed the rich volcanic topsoil into the Blue Nile River, which was then carried thousands of kilometres along the Nile through Sudan and Egypt and deposited along its banks and in the über-fertile Nile Delta" (2). The Nile's inundation was "relatively reliable" and the floodplain was "very fertile," so Egyptian agriculture became "the most secure and productive in the Near East" (3). However, the flooding could also have a negative effect when they destroyed buildings near the river or drowned the year's crops.

Izzy Andrews

Sources:

1) Manual p123

2) http://marktanner.com/niletrip/importance-of-nile-river-floods.html#sthash.tGFq3Lp4.dpuf

3) http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/nile_01.shtml