The River Nile

The River Nile is about 6,670 km (4,160 miles) in length and is the longest river in Africa and in the world. Although it is generally associated with Egypt, only 22% of the Nile’s course runs through that country.
The River Nile runs through Egypt, creating a fertile green valley across the desert.
It was by the banks that one of the oldest civilizations in the world began. The ancient Egyptians lived and farmed along the Nile, using the soil to produce food for themselves and their animals.

Interesting Facts about the River Nile:
The Nile River is the longest river in the world.
The Nile flows into the Mediterranean Sea.
The largest source of the Nile is Lake Victoria.
The Nile has a length of about 4,160 miles (6,695 kilometres).
Its average discharge is 3.1 million litres (680,000 gallons) per second.
The Nile basin is huge and includes parts of Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Congo (Kinshasa), Kenya.
The name Nile comes from the Greek “neilos”, which means valley.
The Ancient Egyptians called the river Ar or Aur (black) because of the colour of the sediment left after the river’s annual flood.

Why did the Ancient Egyptians live near the River Nile?
Most Egyptians lived near the Nile as it provided water, food, transportation and excellent soil for growing food.
Why was the Nile River so important to the Ancient Egyptians?
Ancient Egypt could not have existed without the river Nile. Since rainfall is almost non-existent in Egypt, the floods provided the only source of moisture to sustain crops.
Every year, heavy summer rain in the Ethiopian highlands, sent a torrent of water that overflowed the banks of the Nile. When the floods went down it left thick rich mud (black silt) which was excellent soil to plant seeds in after it had been ploughed.
The ancient Egyptians could grow crops only in the mud left behind when the Nile flooded. So they all had fields all along the River Nile.

What else did the Nile provide for the Ancient Egyptians?
Reeds, called papyrus, grew along side the Nile. The Egyptians made paper and boats from the reeds. Find out about Egyptian Writing
The Nile also gave the ancient Egyptians food. They used spears and nets to catch fish. They would also use the nets to catch birds that flew close to the surface of the water.
Another way the Nile helped the ancient Egyptians was in trade. The Nile was the quickest and easiest way to travel from place to place.

What was the area next to the River Nile called?
This area was known as the Black Land. Further away from the river was the Red Land, a region of inhospitable desert.
When did the Nile flood?
The River Nile flooded every year between June and September, in a season the Egyptians called akhet - the inundation.
Why did the Nile Flood?
Melting snow and heavy summer rain in the Ethiopian Mountains sent a torrent of water causing the banks of the River Nile in Egypt to overflow on the flat desert land.
Why does the Nile not flood now ?
The construction of the Aswan Dam in the 1960's meant that from 1970 the annual flood was controlled.