The Nile River is the longest river
in the world. On this page of
Interesting Africa Facts we list
many facts about this amazing
African river. In this list you will
find information on such things as
where the river begins and ends,
why it has been so important
through out history, and the
significance of the river especially to those who live along it. This
information is written for both kids and adults.
Click here for a great selection of Amazon.com books about the
Nile River.
Basic Nile River Facts List
It is the longest river in the world. It is approximately 4,160
miles (6,670 km) long.
The Nile river flows from the high mountains in the middle
regions of Africa north to the Nile delta.
Near the Mediterranean Sea the river splits into two branches,
the Rosetta Branch (to the west) and the Damietta (to the east).
Both flow into the Mediterranean Sea.
There are two major branches of the Nile; they are the White
Nile and the Blue Nile. The White Nile originates in East Africa,
and the Blue Nile originates in Ethiopia. The two branches join
at Khartoum (the capital city of Sudan located in North East
Africa).
The two major sources of the river are Lake Victoria which
feeds the White Nile branch, and Lake Tana which feeds the
Blue Nile branch.
The rivers average discharge is approximately 300 million
cubic meters per day.
There are nine countries the Nile and its tributaries flow
through. These countries are Egypt, Zaire, Tanzanian, Rwanda,
Uganda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Kenya.
The Nile basin (the land area drained by the river) is very
large. It includes areas in Tanzania, Congo, Kenya, Burundi,
and Rwanda.
Interesting Nile River Facts List
The name of the river (Nile) is derived from the Greek word
"neilos" which means "river".
Ancient Egypt may have never become one of the greatest
civilizations in history if it had not been for the Nile. Ancient
Egypt relied on agriculture for its wealth and power.
The Ancient Egyptians called the river Ar or Aur which means
"black". They named it this because the annual flood left black
sediment along the river banks.
There are several major cities that are located along the edge of
the Nile. These cities are Cairo, Thebes/Luxor, Khartoum,
Gondokoro, Aswan, and Karnak.
Many parts of the Niles banks are teeming with Crocodiles.
They are the largest crocodiles in Africa.
Numerous animals live in and around the river they include
Nile crocodiles, Nile monitors, frogs, mongooses, turtles,
tortoises, hippopotamus, wildebeest, baboons, and over three
hundred species of birds.
The fertile soil and water supplied by the Nile enabled ancient
civilizations in Egypt to form and flourish. Before stopped by
dams the Nile would overflow every year leaving deposits of
rich soil along the banks.
The river serves as a major source of transportation. This is
especially true during the flood season when road
transportation in many areas along the river is impossible.
Major dams built on the Nile include the Aswan High Dam,
Roseires Dam, Owen Falls Dam, and Sennar Dam.
