Nile The Longest River

Nile, river in northeastern Africa. It is the longest river in the world. The Nile flows from south to north, a distance of 5,584 km (3,470 mi), from its principal source, Lake Victoria, in east-central Africa. It passes through Uganda, Sudan, and Egypt on its way to the Mediterranean Sea. From its remotest source, a mountain stream in Burundi, the river is 6,695 km (4,160 mi) long.

Many rivers feed the Nile on its route to the sea. These rivers are called tributaries. The Nile and its tributaries drain an area of more than 2.8 million sq km (1.1 million sq mi), or nearly one-tenth of the African continent. The Nile carries an enormous amount of silt—particles of sediment, especially mud and clay. It has deposited much of this sediment to form a broad delta that fans out near the river’s mouth. The Nile empties into the Mediterranean Sea through this delta.

On its way to the Mediterranean, the Nile passes by or through nine countries and a variety of landscapes, including mountain highlands, dense rain forests, muddy swamps, grassy savannas, and barren desert. Trees along the banks include acacias, baobabs, date palms, lotuses, and sycamores. The papyrus plant also thrives along the Nile. The Nile crocodile is a ferocious reptile found in the southern part of the Nile, and hippopotamuses spend much of their days lounging and swimming in the Nile. Elephants cool themselves in the swampy Nile waters of southern Sudan. Perch, tilapia, and other fish swim in the Nile.

The life of Egypt has always been centered on the Nile. A great civilization developed there about 5,300 years ago and flourished for 3,000 years. The Nile made the agricultural civilization of ancient Egypt possible. Each year, when the river overflowed its banks, the floodwaters deposited fertile soil in which farmers could grow crops. Only a narrow ribbon of land along the river was suitable for farming. Beyond this arable land lay desert. The water of the Nile was used for irrigating crops (see Irrigation), and it provided a source of fresh water for animals and people. In addition, the Nile was ancient Egypt’s principal thoroughfare: It served as a water highway for traders and travelers. The heritage of ancient Egypt is preserved along the Nile in the form of pyramids, sphinxes, temples, and underground tombs.