Egypt left a far greater legacy to modern medicine than had Mesopotamia. When we look at this ancient culture it is amazing that so much could come from such a small area. The habitable part of the country is essentially the Nile Valley, the Nile Delta, and a few oases. The Nile Valley separates the Arabian and Libiyan/deserts and runs nearly 550 miles from Aswan to Alexandria, with a maximum width of 14 miles and sometimes narrowing to less than 1 mile. Egypt's overall habitable area is only 3.5% of its total land surface, making it roughly the size of Switzerland.