Where is the River Nile?

The Nile river is situated in the continent of Africa. When the word River Nile is mentioned, the first thing that comes to people’s mind is Egypt, however, this is just but a small segment of the river. It passes through 11 different countries!

How long is the River Nile?

The Nile river was once believed to be the lengthiest river on the planet at 6,695 km long, but recent studies have indicated that the Amazon river, located in South America, is a bit longer. There have been numerous disputes concerning the real source of the Nile (where the Nile begins). Many people have now come to an agreement that the furthermost distance from the mouth (the end) of the Nile is the little streams in Burundi that flow into Lake Victoria.

There are three different segments of the Nile River:

• The White Nile is a branch of the Nile. This implies that it flows into the main Nile. It originates from Lake Victoria.
• The Blue Nile is another branch of the Nile. It originates from Lake Tana situated in Ethiopia.
• The Blue Nile and White Nile join in Sudan to forge the main River Nile.

What is the River Nile like?

The Nile river runs from the South to the North. It originates from the high ground and runs downhill northwards to the Mediterranean Sea. There are numerous renowned waterfalls found along the Nile river, including the Murchison Falls situated in Uganda and Blue Nile Falls situated in Ethiopia.

After the Blue Nile and White Nile converge in Sudan, the main river has a sequence of six rapids referred to as cataracts.

By the time it reaches the capital of Egypt, Cairo, the river runs too slowly to hold the sediment along with it. The sediment eventually settles on the river bed and creates a landform referred to as a delta. The V-shaped landform seen on the mouth is the Nile Delta.

Why is the River Nile important?

More than 300 million individuals are dependent on the River Nile for survival. In Egypt, about 95% of the country’s 102 million populous reside along the River Nile banks and use the water for farming, washing, drinking, and a range of other applications. The Nile Delta contains the most fertile land and is attributed to all the sediment deposited. This suggests that several of Egypt’s largest and most prominent cities and towns have grown on the delta. Almost half of all persons who reside in Egypt reside in the delta area. Were it not for the Nile, Egypt would be an arid area, which would have made it uninhabitable.

The ancient Egyptians and the River Nile

It is because of the Nile that ancient Egyptians were able to forge one of the first civilizations on the planet. The majority of historical sites from ancient Egypt are situated along the River Nile banks. The ancient Egyptians used the Nile to grow crops, cook, wash, transport, as drinking water for animals and people and a host of other uses. Very soon the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) opening will be held. It has announced it will finally open its doors in 2023 and when it debuts, the complex will be home to the largest, most complex collection of ancient treasures and artefacts in the world.

The Nile flooded annually between June and September. After the flood subsided, it would leave thick, black muddied soil that was perfect for growing crops. It was all due to the yearly floods that the ancient Egyptians were able to thrive and survive.

The River Nile today

The yearly flooding does not occur these days due to the Aswan High Dam. This was constructed in 1970 to assist in regulating the River Nile flooding. There was loads of water when the flooding occurred which was great for crops.