Where does the Nile begin?
The Nile begins at the Ruvyironza River of Burundi. Burundi is a country in the middle of Africa. The Ruvyironza River is one of the upper branches of the Kagera River. From there, the Nile flows all the way up to the Nile Delta in northern Egypt where it drains into the Mediterranean Sea.
Which countries does the Nile run through?
When we think about the Nile, most of us picture Egypt, but the Nile runs through many African countries. It flows through Burundi, Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, Eritrea, Congo, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Egypt. It’s 4,132 miles (6,650km) long.
The White Nile and the Blue Nile
The Nile has two branches (or tributaries) which meet to form one big river. One branch is called the White Nile which starts in South Sudan. The other branch is the Blue Nile which starts in Ethiopia. The branches merge together in the city of Khartoum in Sudan and from there flow towards Egypt.
Why was the Nile so important to the Egyptians?
One of the main reasons the Nile was so important to the Egyptians was that it provided fertile land to farm on.
Every year the Nile flooded and all the nutrient-rich soil carried in the water would spread across the river banks. This soil was like thick, black mud and it was perfect for growing crops!
Most of Egypt was hot and dry, so the only place crops could grow was by the Nile. The mud was also used to make bricks to build walls, homes and buildings. It gave the Egyptians water to drink, food to eat and a way to travel from one place to another.
What is the Aswan Dam?
Sometimes when the Nile flooded there was so much water that it killed all the crops. Other times it didn’t flood enough and there wasn’t enough water to grow any crops. To help control the water levels, the Aswan High Dam was built in 1970. It helps control the flow of the river to provide drinking water, irrigate farms and generate electricity.
Did you know?
- The Nile got its name from the Greek word 'Neilos' which means river valley.
- Around 40 million people live in the Nile Delta region.
- The famous Rosetta Stone was found in the Nile Delta in 1799 in the city of Rosetta. The stone has played an important role in understanding Egyptian hieroglyphs (the Egyptian form of writing).
- The Egyptians built their calendars around the Nile River. They had three seasons which were called Akhet, where the river would flood, Peret, the growing season, and Shemu, the harvest season.
