The Nile River flows through Egypt and Sudan. It is regarded as the longest river in the world. The White Nile and the Blue Nile are the two major tributaries of the river Nile. The civilization in Egypt especially Cairo has developed in the fertile basins of Nile. Important cultural and historical sites of Egypt and Cairo are found along this river. Cairo, the capital of Egypt is a city situated on the banks of the meandering Nile.
Facts about Nile River
The length of White Nile from its source to mouth is 6695 kilometer. The name 'Nile' has been derived from the Greek work 'Nelios', which means river valley. Nile River's average discharge of water is about 300 million cubic meters per day. The White Nile and the Blue Nile, two major tributaries of the main river originates from Lake Victoria in Uganda and Lake Tana in Ethiopia respectively. As one of the longest rivers in the world, The Nile flows across nine countries. White Nile flows through Uganda, Sudan and Egypt whereas, the Blue Nile flows through Ethiopia, Zaire, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi. Major cities of the world have developed and thrived on the fertile basins of Nile.
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Cairo, Gondokoro, Khartoum, Aswan and the town of Alexandria are cities found along this river. The major dams on the Nile are Roseires Dam, Sennar Dam, Aswan High Dam and the Owen Falls Dam.
Geography of Nile River
The journey of river Nile can be divided into three distinct zones. The first zone consists of tributaries to the two streams of White Nile and Blue Nile. These two tributaries join near Khartoum in Sudan. The stretch between Khartoum and Cairo is the second zone. The third zone is the fertile Nile Delta, where the river branches off into numerous small tributaries, distributaries and artificial canals and finally flows into the Mediterranean Sea.
In Egypt, this legendary river is considered to be only source of sustenance. The annual floods inundate the fertile plains of Egypt, which in turn is cultivated to provide food for the general population. The river Nile played a vital role in the progress and development of ancient Egyptian civilization and also the development of Cairo, the capital of Egypt, along its banks.
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