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Nile, longest river in the world, located in northeastern Africa. From its principal
source, Lake Victoria, in east central Africa, the Nile flows north through
Uganda, Sudan, and Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea, a distance of 5584 km (3470
mi). From its remotest headstream in Burundi, the river is 6,695 km (4,160 mi)
long. The river basin covers an area of more than 3,349,000 sq km (more than
1,293,000 sq mi).At 4,132 miles (6,650 km.), the Nile River is the longest river
in the world. It has its origins in Burundi, south of the equator, and flows
northward through northeastern Africa, eventually flowing through Egypt and
finally draining into the Mediterranean Sea. Three principal streams form the
Nile. In Ethiopia's highlands, water flows from the Blue Nile and the Atbara.
Headstreams of the White Nile flow into Lake Victoria and Lake Albert. The Nile
River basin is immense and occupies an area about one-tenth of the continent
of Africa. It includes portions of Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Zaire, Kenya,
Uganda, Ethiopia, The Sudan, and Egypt. It is estimated to drain an area of
1,293,000 square miles (3,349,000 sq. km.)The Nile receives its name from the
Greek Neilos, which means a valley or river valley. The river flowed northward
and flooded the lands in Egypt, leaving behind black sediment. As a result the
ancient Egyptians called the river Ar or Aur (black). The Greeks and Egyptians
also gave the land its oldest name Kem or Kemi, which also translates into black.
The river's water and the fertile soil along its banks created the perfect setting
for the evolution of the civilizations that existed in the ancient world. The
ancient peoples that lived along the river's banks cultivated the art of agriculture
and were one the first to utilize the plow. Throughout the year, the Nile serves
as a constant source of water. This enables farming along its banks in spite
of the high temperatures that occur. In those regions, especially The Sudan,
where there is enough rainfall to support cultivation, the high temperatures
evaporate enough of the water making irrigation necessary. In addition to its
vital role in agriculture, its waterways also play a major role in transportation.
During seasonal flooding it enables transportation to those areas where road
access is not possible. During the 20th century, dependence on the waterways
as a sole source of transportation has been reduced as facilities for air, rail
and highways have expanded.
III. Economic Importance Print section Irrigation along much of the river supports
the growth of agricultural products such as cotton, wheat, sorghum, dates, citrus
fruits, sugarcane, and various legumes. Local communities fish its waters. Ferries
and barges navigate between Aswan and Qina in Egypt, between the third and fourth
cataracts in northern Sudan, from Juba to Kusti in southern Sudan, and on Lakes
Nasser and Victoria. Principal river ports are Luxor and Aswan in Egypt and
WadiHalfa', Dunqulah, Kuraymah, Kusti, Malakal and Juba in Sudan. Tourism is
important around ancient Egyptian sites near the river, such as Al Karnak and
the pyramids at Giza. To raise water levels for irrigation in the late 19th
century, several dams were built across the Egyptian Nile, the most important
being at Qina, Asyut, and north of Cairo. The first dam on the Nile, the Aswan
Dam, was built in 1902 and heightened in 1936. The Sennar Dam was built across
the Blue Nile south of Khartoum following World War I (1914-1918) to provide
irrigation water for Sudanese cotton plantations. Hydroelectric dams were constructed
at Jabal al Awliya' on the White Nile (1937), Owen Falls in Uganda (1954), and
Rosaries on the Blue Nile (1962). The Aswan High Dam, completed in 1970, impounds
one of the world's largest reservoirs, Lake Nasser. Annual summer flooding of
the Nile once deposited rich sediment along its banks, creating fertile farmland.
However, the dams now control the flooding, drastically reducing sedimentation
and fertility. The dams' environmental impact has been profound, as stretches
of the river above the dams have become clogged with silt, and decreased flooding
has led to increased erosion and greater salt content in the soil and water
of the delta. Local communities and ancient sites in Egypt and Sudan were either
submerged or relocated because of the dams.