Prior to the unification of Egypt, there were two regions: Lower and Upper Egypt. These regions were made up of nomos, which were nothing more than divisions of government. Each nomo possessed his chief deity and worshiped thousands of gods, had his leaders, his temples, his priests, and was very organized.
To make better use of the waters of the Nile River, the nomos had to collaborate mutually to build irrigation canals that would ensure effective agriculture. Over the years, these alliances began to become an "internal mini-unification," which later resulted in the formation of the unified Egyptian state.