The First Intermediate Period of Egypt (2181-2040 BCE) is the era that followed the Old Kingdom (circa 2613-2181 BCE) and preceded the Middle Kingdom (2040-1782 BCE) periods of Egyptian history. The name was given to the era by 19th-century Egyptologists, not by the ancient Egyptians. Stable eras of Egyptian history, with a strong central government, are referred to as "kingdoms," while eras of political strife or instability are known as "intermediate periods".
This is a companion discussion topic for the original content at https://www.worldhistory.org/First_Intermediate_Period_of_Egypt/.