KHAMIT Khamit is translated to mean "land of black." During the time of the ancient Egyptians, the lands surrounding the Hapi (Nile) river were very dark and rich in minerals and nutrients. That made the Nile Valley a very lush and fertile territory, which its inhabitants called Khamit. It was later renamed Egypt after foreign invaders conquered and occupied the territory. The ancient Egyptians were referred to as the Khamu. They trace their origins to the interior, southern lands of Africa — specifically, to a territory referred to as Kush. Both regions shared strong cultural ties. The Khamu believed themselves decendents of these people, and they expressed it in their art and writings. Although Khamit as a civilization made a profound cultural influence on the Middle East and the southern region of Africa, it made its greatest impact on the Western world, much of it via contact and trade with their neighbors, the Greeks. Khamitic influence is evident even today in the form of religion, philosophy, mathematics, physics, law, medicine, astronomy, date calendars, modes of attire, and dietary practices. Indeed, one need only look at a one-dollar U.S. currency note to see the wonderous symbols used in Khamit's ancient days. Much of the United States' capital city is designed in the spirit of Egyptian architecture, celebrating its grandeur and majesty.