For over 3,000 years, from around 3100 B.C. to 30 B.C., Ancient Egypt in North Africa was one of the most powerful and influential civilizations in the region. It left behind a plethora of monuments, documents, and works of art that are still being studied by scholars today. Ancient Egypt was closely connected with other parts of the world, bringing in and exporting goods, religions, food, people and ideas. At times ancient Egypt ruled territory outside the modern-day country's border, controlling territory in what is now Sudan, Cyprus, Lebanon, Syria, Israel and Palestine. While Egypt's rulers, language, writing, climate, religion, and borders have all changed over the millennia, the country still exists today. Ancient Egypt maintained close ties with the rest of the world, importing and exporting goods, religions, food, people, and ideas.