Facts about the River Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in north-eastern Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world It is 6,853 km (4,258 miles) long.
The Nile is an “international” river as its water resources are shared by eleven countries, namely, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Congo-Kinshasa, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt. In particular, the Nile is the primary water source of Egypt and Sudan.
The Nile has two major tributaries, the White Nile and Blue Nile.
The White Nile is considered to be the headwaters and primary stream of the Nile itself. The Blue Nile, however, is the source of most of the water and silt.
The White Nile is longer and rises in the Great Lakes region of central Africa, with the most distant source still undetermined but located in either Rwanda or Burundi.
It flows north through Tanzania, Lake Victoria, Uganda and South Sudan. The Blue Nile begins at Lake Tana in Ethiopia and flows into Sudan from the southeast.
The two rivers meet near the Sudanese capital of Khartoum.
The northern section of the river flows north almost entirely through the Sudanese desert to Egypt, then ends in a large delta and empties into the Mediterranean Sea.
Egyptian civilization and Sudanese kingdoms have depended on the river since ancient times. Most of the population and cities of Egypt lie along those parts of the Nile valley north of Aswan, and nearly all the cultural and historical sites of Ancient Egypt are found along riverbanks.
For much more about how the Nile has served the people of Egypt for Centuries and how it continues to benefit them catch up with the CCTV crew in conjunction with the Egyptian state television on our special series about the Nile.
‘THE NILE,THE RIVER OF LIFE’
10GMT & 17GMT, 1st MAY-7th May
A 7-day TV series co produced by CCTV Africa and Egyptian State Television.
Live from Aswan and Cairo along the Nile, we bring you a variety of stories on how the Nile has transformed people’s lives. What fond memories do you have of the River Nile?
Tune in on DStv channel 409, Zuku 567 and StarTimes 123 for this special coverage by CCTV Africa.
