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Weekend Getaways

What Course Does the Nile River Stream?

The Nile River is called one of many largest rivers on this planet, and it’s definitely the longest one in Africa. Taking a look at a map of the river, some folks could consider that this river’s headwaters are within the Mediterranean Sea. Nonetheless, that’s not the case as a result of this river doesn’t movement south. What path does the Nile River movement? We’ll reply this query and others in regards to the origin of this well-known and important river.

What Course Does the Nile River Stream?

The Nile River flows by Cairo earlier than reaching the Mediterranean Sea.

AlexAnton/Shutterstock.com

The Nile River flows north from its supply. This river flows over 4,100 miles earlier than it reaches the Mediterranean Sea, the placement of the Nile Delta. The Nile River has been one of the crucial vital our bodies of water in Africa for 1000’s of years. Its means to assist life in a considerably inhospitable a part of the world helped Historical Egypt change into a serious energy on this planet.

In truth, a substantial amount of the inhabitants in Egypt and different international locations is positioned alongside the Nile, within the surrounding areas, and in locations the place the river has been dammed.

Now that we all know the Nile River flows from south to north, we will have a look at the place the river begins and see the superb journey this physique of water takes.  

What Nations Does the Nile River Stream By?

Lake Moeris Egypt
The Nile River is without doubt one of the most vital our bodies of water in Egypt, and its waters created Lake Moeris.

Bassant Meligy/Shutterstock.com

The Nile River flows over 4,000 miles from begin to end. The water’s course could be very complicated, with some uncertainty in regards to the river’s headwaters nonetheless persisting regardless of a number of expeditions over a few years.

The river’s drainage basin is present in 11 totally different international locations all through the northeastern portion of Africa.

The Nile River flows by:

  1. Burundi
  2. The Democratic Republic of the Congo
  3. Egypt
  4. Ethiopia
  5. Kenya
  6. South Sudan
  7. Sudan
  8. Rwanda
  9. Tanzania
  10. Uganda
  11. Eritrea

The Nile River flows in every of those international locations to some extent. A few of them are areas containing small tributaries, whereas others host the Nile River’s largest sources.

What Are the Nile River’s Tributaries?

Nile River
The Nile River, after its confluence in Khartoum, Sudan.

iStock.com/Phototreat

The 2 principal tributaries of the Nile River embrace the White Nile and the Blue Nile. The White Nile is over 2,000 miles lengthy, however it contributes far much less water to the Nile River than the Blue Nile.

The White Nile begins on the Kagera River, a physique of water that flows by elements of Burundi and Rwanda earlier than feeding into Lake Victoria. From Lake Victoria, the river flows by Uganda and into Lake Albert earlier than flowing north by South Sudan and Sudan. In Sudan, the White Nile meets the Blue Nile.

The Blue Nile begins at Lake Tana in Tanzania, and that lake is fed by the Lesser Abay River. The river flows south from Lake Tana after which west earlier than turning to movement northwest in Sudan. The Blue Nile can present as a lot as 80% of the Nile River’s complete water movement all through the wet season.

The White Nile and the Blue Nile attain a confluence at Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, forming the Nile River and flowing northward to the Nile Delta within the Mediterranean Sea. After all, many smaller tributaries exist alongside the huge size of this river, each for the primary tributaries and the Nile River.

Why Does the Nile River Stream North?

Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria, a serious supply of the Nile, is positioned at a a lot greater elevation than Egypt.

Stefan Haider/Shutterstock.com

The Nile River flows south to north for a similar causes that some other river flows: the northern part of the continent is decrease in elevation than the southern portion. The White Nile begins round Lake Victoria, a physique of water positioned over 3,700ft above sea stage.

The origin of the Blue Nile is present in Lake Tana, an space positioned in a mountainous area with a floor elevation of over 5,800ft!

The river outflows close to Cairo, a metropolis solely 75ft above sea stage. As you possibly can see, the huge change in elevation from south to north favors the water flowing north general. Nonetheless, when you have a look at a map of the tributaries and the primary Nile River, it’s clear that the river turns a number of occasions because it winds round mountains.

Do Any Different Rivers Stream North?

marsh vs swamp
The Ob River additionally flows north till it reaches its outflow.

Dmitriy Kandinskiy/Shutterstock.com

We’ve answered the query, what path does the Nile River movement? It flows from south to north. Nonetheless, a false impression persists that the overwhelming majority of rivers run from north to south. Nonetheless, that’s not the case with the Nile River and lots of others.

Though the Mississippi River in the USA runs south, different rivers in North America and around the globe movement north just like the Nile River, for instance, the New River, the oldest river in the USA, additionally flows north from North Carolina, by Virginia, and into West Virginia.

Additionally, the Mackenzie River in Canada’s Northwest Territory flows north into the Arctic Ocean. The Ob River in Russia does the identical factor, too.

Many rivers on this planet movement north, however not all of them do. Main rivers may be discovered flowing in each path as a result of modifications in elevation and the terrain surrounding an space.

What Rivers Are Longer than the Nile?

Amazon river
The Amazon River presently measures longer than the Nile River.

iStock.com/gustavofrazao

The Nile River has a long-standing “feud” with the Amazon River. Researchers have insisted at totally different occasions that the Nile River is longer than the Amazon River and vice versa. At the moment, the Amazon River is believed to be longer than the Nile River, as a 2013 research positioned probably the most distant supply of the Amazon River over 4,300 miles away from its outlet.

Likewise, the Yangtze River can be in competition for one of many longest rivers on this planet, however it doesn’t crack the 4,000-mile mark, based on acknowledged sources.

With new expeditions in search of the furthest reaches of the Nile River, the rivalry is more likely to be renewed in coming years. The Nile River might begin edging in the direction of the Amazon River’s complete size!

All in all, the Nile River is a really important and enormous physique of water. Realizing its sources and path of movement might help dispel some myths about rivers normally and this one particularly.

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