True or false: The ancient Egyptian desert facilitated travel and trade.

False.

The ancient Egyptian desert did not facilitate travel and trade in the sense that desert conditions were harsh and difficult to traverse. The desert's extreme temperatures, lack of water, and challenging terrain made overland travel perilous. However, it is worth noting that the desert did create natural barriers which offered protection for the Egyptian civilization from foreign invasions.

Ancient Egypt was largely dependent on the Nile River for travel and trade. The Nile was the lifeline of Egyptian civilization, providing a relatively easy and efficient means of transport for goods and people. Boats were the primary mode of transportation for carrying crops such as grain, papyrus, and other goods up and down the river. Trade routes did exist across the desert, most notably the caravan routes used for trading luxury goods like incense, myrrh, and gold with neighboring regions. These desert routes would have been utilized by specially trained caravanners and were far from easy to use for regular travel and trade. The deserts surrounding Egypt acted as natural defenses against invasions, helping to protect the civilization strategically. The harsh desert conditions discouraged foreign armies and also proved challenging for large-scale migrations, thereby contributing to Egypt's long-term stability and cultural continuity.