Nubia

Nubia, a region of somewhat vague extent, stretching from Egypt on the N. to Kordofan anu Abyssinia on the S., and embracing the Nile Valley and the country on either side of the Red Sea on the E. and the Sahara Desert on the W. Assouan, in lat. 24Q N., is the N. limit, and the S. may be fixed at about 14° so as to include Khartoum and Upper Sennaar; the latter districts form part of the Egyptian Soudan, but this name is now applied to the whole of the territory properly known as Nubia. In general Nubia consists of an irregular strip of fertile land from a quarter of a mile to four miles wide, formed by the windings of the Nile, around which on all side's are deserts, the Great Nubian Desert on the E. being of rocky and stony character, whilst that of Bayudah on the W., within the great bend of the Nile, resembles a sandy steppe, with a scanty growth of mimosas or sedgy grass in favourable spots. The general barrenness is relieved only by an occasional wad.y or oasis except in S.E., where is a fertile district, watered by the Atbara. Elsewhere there is little vegetation beyond the mimosa, palm, and senna plant.