The Nile River Overview

The Nile River

• The Nile River is the longest river in the world, stretching over 4,000 miles (6,436 km) from its source in central Africa to its mouth at the Mediterranean Sea.
• The Nile splits into two branches before reaching the Mediterranean, forming a triangular region known as the Nile Delta.
• The Nile Delta is referred to as Lower Egypt, while the area upstream to the south is known as Upper Egypt.
• Ancient Egyptians called the annual flooding of the Nile a "miracle" due to its life-sustaining benefits.
• The Nile's summer floods, caused by heavy rains in central Africa, peaked in early autumn in Egypt, leaving behind a deposit of rich fertile soil that extended several miles on both sides of the river.
• The Egyptians named this fertile land the "Black Land," contrasting it with the surrounding barren "Red Land" deserts.
• The Nile's fertile land allowed Egyptian farmers to grow a surplus of food, contributing to Egypt's prosperity.
• The Nile River served as a unifying factor in ancient Egyptian history, facilitating transportation and communication throughout the land.
• Sailboats were propelled southward by north winds and northward by the Nile's current.