The Nile was at the core of ancient Egyptian civilisation; yet many in antiquity could only speculate as to its source.
It flows through lush tropical rainforests teeming with banana trees, coffee shrubs, and bamboo before reaching more arid savannas upstream. Its floodplain is home to dense populations of peasant farmers; while three species of crocodiles also make an appearance.
1. It is the longest river in the world
The Nile drains an area covering 1,293,056 square miles (5,349,000 square kilometers), providing essential water resources to millions living along its banks. It serves as irrigation, drinking water, fishing and hydroelectric power sources. Furthermore, it serves as a transport route for both people and goods – in Egypt alone 95% of residents reside within five miles of this iconic river.
The Nile can fluctuate drastically due to rainfall-fed runoff that feeds it from Ethiopia’s Lake Tana through Sudan and into Egypt. Heavy rain has already started flooding this year’s Nile, sending waters as far upstream as Aswan but taking months before reaching Cairo; once they do so they will quickly recede during November-December.
Although the Nile is notoriously unpredictable when it comes to its water levels, it remains relatively steady over time due to how its gradient is maintained, according to a new study published in Eos journal. Researchers discovered that its drainage path had almost unchanged since Oligocene era 30 million years ago; they suggest this might be caused by mantle material mirroring its course.
The Nile is home to an abundance of aquatic species, from Nile perch and Nile catfish, catfish barbels elephant-snout fish and lungfish to three monitor lizard species reaching up to 1.8 meters (6 feet). Additionally, its banks host herds of grazing antelope and gazelles while its waters provide ideal conditions for water-based activities like sailing boating and river steaming.
2. It is the world’s largest freshwater river
The Nile River is the world’s longest freshwater river with an approximate length of 6,650 kilometers (4,132 miles). The water from this legendary river serves to irrigate many agricultural communities throughout its course while simultaneously being an important source of electricity and power generation for Egypt itself.
Nile River water is abundant with nutrients that support cultivation, making cultivation possible in areas with limited rainfall. This is especially valuable in areas with lower precipitation where irrigation from the Nile helps irrigate land and increase crop yields. Millions of people rely on its food supply while providing habitats for wildlife including green turtles (loggerhead), leatherback turtles (leatherback) and Ls Plata dolphins.
Nile River serves as a key migration route for millions of bird species each year, stopping over in its delta and surrounding wetlands on their journey between Palearctic and Afrotropical regions. Furthermore, this stretch of water is home to hippopotomus and Nile crocodiles – both are found there too!
Ancient Egyptians farmed their crops on the rich floodplain of the Nile River, depending on its periodic flooding to deliver nutrient-rich soil and create a stable climate. At times, its size allowed sailing ships and river steamers to navigate it safely.
Today, 95% of Egyptians reside within a few miles of the Nile River. Its canals irrigate farms and cities while its waters provide drinking water, fishing opportunities, hydroelectricity power generation, hydroelectric damming as well as transportation routes for thousands of years – even during Cairo summers, many residents take advantage of private speed boats, water taxis or ferries to navigate around traffic on its busy streets.
3. It is the world’s largest river delta
The Nile is most well known for its distinctive delta, which takes the form of the Greek letter D. To geologists, a delta is defined as an area of sediment deposited at a river’s mouth where it meets an existing body of water; geographers refer to this feature as deltas; it covers almost 5,500 square miles globally and was formed due to heavy summer rains and melting snowfall in Ethiopian mountains that would fill Blue Nile to capacity before overflowing into White Nile and flooding Sudan and Egypt with its waters.
Flood pulses were so strong that they caused the river to rise and fall in an unpredictable series of cataracts, or rapids, believed by ancient Egyptians to be caused by gods, leading them to dedicate many myths around these phenomena. Craters were also responsible for keeping the Nile unnavigable even at its height of civilization.
When the Nile floods, it deposits vast quantities of sediment – comprising of sand, clay and mud – along its path, creating the delta. Fast-moving waters from the Nile carry this sediment directly to its shore where layers will build over time.
As the Nile floods, it encourages an abundance of aquatic vegetation. One such plant is Papyrus: an aquatic flowering sedge which forms tall reeds in shallow waters. Ancient Egyptians made use of papyrus to make paper (from which our English word comes) as well as mats, cords, sails and rafts.
4. It is the world’s largest river in terms of volume
At its height in the 1st century CE, the Nile was over twice its current length. Back then, heavy summer rains and melting snow from Ethiopia’s mountains would cause floods that washed away thousands of tons of silt into fertile soil for agriculture and left behind an intricate system of lakes, rivers, canals and other waterways that eventually formed the delta we know today.
The Nile is the world’s largest river by volume, carrying significantly more water than any other river in existence. It covers 10.3% of Africa’s surface area and spans 10 countries in Africa.
River is a massive river, yet not as deep as you might expect; its maximum depth only accounts for one third of its width, and usually moves at a slow rate.
As a result, its gradient is relatively low, leading to floods during rainy seasons but rapid drying-off after each dry spell. When floodwaters come gushing downriver during floodplain floods, vast quantities of aquatic vegetation such as tall grasses and sedges begin to thrive in abundance. When these break off and drift downstream they clog the main channel and prevent navigation through navigable channels.
North of Cairo, the Nile enters the Delta region, an open triangular lowland. Strabo’s ancient Greek geographer recorded seven distributaries in this section. Aswan Dam marks its return to historic course with two branches draining directly to Mediterranean Sea – Rosetta to the west and Damietta to the east.
5. It is the world’s oldest river
The Nile River has existed for millions of years. Additionally, it’s one of the world’s longest rivers at over 6,800 kilometers (4,000 miles). As an essential natural resource in northeast Africa for people, plants, and animals alike.
This river is well known for its fertile soil, making cities and villages easy to construct along its course. This fertile environment is created by flood waters covering the land with silt from annual flooding events, providing nutrients rich soil that supports city development. Furthermore, this river serves as home for large animal species like hippopotamuses and elephants.
Anciently, the Nile River was an essential source of water for agriculture and power generation. The annual flooding helped fertilize land so crops like wheat and barley could flourish on it; furthermore it provided drinking water, drinking fountains and papyrus reeds that were used for making paper and cloth products.
Today, the Nile River remains an invaluable resource for Egypt and other northeast African countries, providing irrigation, drinking water, fishing opportunities, hydroelectricity power generation and hydroelectricity generation. Furthermore, the river serves as an essential habitat for fish and wildlife alike – its shores home many types of species found nowhere else on Earth.
The Nile River in northeast Africa offers great fishing opportunities and has long been considered a sport among its people. Home to freshwater fish species such as Nile perch – which can grow up to weigh over 79 kilograms (175.5 pounds), birds such as pelicans and herons can often be seen fishing here as well. Unfortunately, pollution from human waste and agricultural chemicals threatens its existence.