How the Nile River Works
By: Alia Hoyt
Introduction to How the Nile River Works
Most people will probably never venture down the Nile River. Instead, they choose to live vicariously
through action movies and television shows. That's definitely the safest route, as the Nile came by its
treacherous reputation honestly, thanks to rough rapids, rabid mosquitoes and some very unfriendly, yet
beautiful, wildlife. Despite all of these factors, the Nile has given great opportunities to millions of people
throughout history, and continues to do so to this day.
The exact length of the Nile is difficult to come by, thanks to differing opinions on the river's source and
its complex system of tributaries, creeks and streams. Located in Africa, the most recent and thorough
expedition declared the Nile to be 4,175 miles (6,719 kilometers) in length. Lake Victoria officially
remains the principal source.
What we do know for sure is that it runs south to north through nine African countries: Uganda, Sudan,
Egypt, Zaire, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Burundi. Running south to north may seem
backward to many people, but the flow of a body of water has nothing to do with geographical
orientation. Rather, rivers simply run from high ground to lower ground. High ground in Africa just
happens to be in the south, low ground in the north.
How has the geographical layout of the Nile affected the world around it? What creatures and critters call
the river home? How did the Nile give rise to one of the world's most revered ancient civilizations, and
how does it continue to impact the world today? Read on to find out.
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The Long and Winding River
The Nile boasts a long and complex route, winding its way through nine countries and a myriad of
landscapes, including swamps, savannas, desert, rain forests and mountain highlands. The Nile owes its
great length to the union of two main tributaries: the White Nile and the Blue Nile. The White Nile flows
from the newly established source in Rwanda through the original source of Lake Victoria. When it
reaches Khartoum in the country of Sudan, it joins forces with the Blue Nile, which originates in the
Ethiopian mountains. The Nile's only other large tributary is the Atbara River, which joins the Nile in the
eastern portion of Sudan. Although the White Nile -- the easier portion to navigate -- is considered the
longer section of river, the Blue Nile provides roughly two-thirds of the total water supply to the river.
Both tributaries are named for the color of the water they contribute. At its source, the Blue Nile is bright
blue, then darkens in Sudan where it begins to carry black sediment. The White Nile carries light gray
sediment, turning the water more whitish-gray in color.
After the Blue Nile and the White Nile join forces in Khartoum, the river passes through six cataracts
(rapids) on the way to Aswan. These rapids form when the river encounters igneous rock formations. The
cataracts make it extremely difficult to navigate these sections of the river, effectively creating a natural
boundary. Once the Nile makes its way to Egypt it splits into two branches -- the Damietta on the east and
Rosetta on the west side. This forms the Nile Delta, through which the branches exit Africa and enter the
Mediterranean Sea.
Another interesting characteristic of the Nile's course is the Great Bend, a U-shaped bend in course that
takes place between the Nile Delta and the Sudanese border. This bend causes the river to suddenly flow
west to east, only to then turn around and go back the other way.
A river as mighty as the Nile has obvious effects on the people living nearby. The people of Ancient Egypt
certainly prospered, but how does the Nile factor in? Read the next page to find out.
Circa 1900: The pyramids at Giza on the banks of the River Nile, built by the ancient Egyptians to house
the bodies of their pharaohs.
The Nile's Impact on Ancient Egypt
Although most historians and geographers find it difficult to agree on many aspects of the Nile, including
its length and source, virtually everyone acknowledges that Ancient Egypt could never have existed
without the great body of water. Egypt, known to many as the home of the Great Pyramids, the Great
Sphinx and other marvels of the ancient world, isn't ideally located for advanced civilization. Other than
the Nile, Egypt is surrounded by tons of sand, which isn't exactly conducive to agriculture and other
cornerstones of civilization. Fortunately for the Egyptians, they knew just how to finesse the Nile and its
capabilities to turn what would appear to be a barren wasteland into a thriving empire.
A consistent freak act of nature allowed the Egyptians to harness the capabilities of the Nile River. While
the majority of Egypt was and still is covered with the aforementioned sand, the river basin next to the
Nile boasts wildlife and fertile soils. This is all due to the predictable rise and fall of the Nile's water levels
each year, known as inundation (rise) and relinquishment (fall). During the inundation period, which
takes place sometime around July, water would rise and fill canals made by Egyptian laborers. Sometime
around the end of October, the river would begin to recede, leaving rich silt deposits.
The water that had been collected in the canals and basins during the inundation period was enough to
supply nourishment for the crops for the next year. Crops were harvested in June before the return of the
floods. The cycle somewhat reliably repeated every year, although it sometimes produced more water
than needed, which had negative effects on the crops.
In the early 1900s, several dams were built in southern Egypt in an effort to control the sometimes
overzealous flooding. While the dams were able to control the floods to a manageable level, they also
decreased the amount of sediment deposits, drastically reducing the fertility of the area. Fortunately for
Egyptian farmers, fertilizers are commonplace and they use them to offset the change in land fertility. The
system allowed Egyptian farmers to grow a variety of crops, including staples such as wheat and barley.
In addition to irrigating the crops and fertilizing the soil, the Nile's inundation period also supplied muchneeded drinking water.
The rise and fall of the Nile's life-giving waters inspired the ancient Egyptians to view it as a cycle of
death and rebirth. The Egyptians experienced so much success cultivating the Nile that the area became
densely populated. Because of this, Egyptian society evolved rapidly developing its own systems of
record keeping, accounting and writing (hieroglyphics).
The Nile was not just an agricultural boon for Egypt -- it also was the country's most important roadway,
serving as the main thoroughfare to encourage travel and communication capabilities. This function
helped to connect outlying portions of Egypt to the capital, enabling trade and communication.
A crocodile lurks amid the rushes along the Nile at Murchison Falls in Uganda.
Dangers of the Nile River
One of the most daunting possibilities when touring the Nile River is the prospect of coming face to snout
with a Nile crocodile. Nile crocodiles typically eat fish, although they're known to deviate from that menu.
In fact, they're blamed for the deaths of roughly 200 humans every year. The vicious animal tops out
around 20 feet (6 meters) long and 1,650 pounds (748.4 kg). The animal isn't completely heartless,
though. They're extremely attentive and caring parents to their eggs and young, unlike many other
reptiles who lay eggs and leave them to fend for themselves.
Crocodiles no longer have to share paddling space with hippopotami in the Egyptian portion of the Nile.
The hippopotamus is actually native to the area, going far back enough to have been worshipped by
Ancient Egyptians. Despite a wide reputation as cute, loveable creatures, the typical hippopotamus is
actually quite ferocious and destructive, often known for turning fishing boats upside down and
destroying crops.
The Ancient Egyptians believed the animal possessed spiritual powers, in addition to its obvious physical
strength. Because of this, the animal became well-represented in Egyptian religion and art. The animal no
longer lives in Egypt, although its legacy as a fearsome, destructive creature is unmistakable in the area.
Hippos currently call southern sub-Saharan Africa and east central Africa home.
Although they may be tiny, mosquitoes pose a very real threat to residents and visitors to the Nile River
area. According to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), malaria is a very small
risk in the highly populated and toured areas of Egypt, so travelers to the region aren't even required to
get the malaria vaccine before travel. Mosquitoes and other bugs do still pose other threats, however.
The CDC recommends that travelers to the area take along anti-diarrhea medication, iodine tablets and
water filters to purify drinking water, and antibacterial hand wipes or alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Mosquito and other insect bites can transmit serious diseases.
The Nile Today
Despite Egypt's fairly inhospitable physical environment, it's the second most populated country in Africa
-- thanks in large part to the Nile River. In fact, more than 95 percent of Egypt's population lives on the
banks of the Nile, despite the fact that the area makes up only 5 percent of Egypt's land mass. As such, the
Nile River Valley is one of the most densely populated areas in the world, boasting an average of 3,820
people per square mile.
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