A term for that part of the Nile Valley in southern Egypt, generally referring to places between Luxor and Aswan. It thus consists of the entire Nile River valley from Cairo south to Lake Nasser (formed by the Aswan High Dam). This division also includes what some scholars term Middle Egypt (from Lisht to Panopolis). In late predynastic times, Upper Egypt was a political entity separate from Lower Egypt (the delta region), until Menes (fl 2900 BC) joined them.