Nile River travel

A picture of the Nile River with an Egyptian felucca owner silhouetted against the sun as it sets across the evening waters.

The Nile River in Egypt is the second longest in the world, flowing over 6,695km from its source at Uganda’s Lake Victoria, and is the life source around which your holiday will focus if you buy tickets to Egypt.

🌍 The Nile River: Lifeblood of Egypt and Beyond

The Nile River effectively begins as three rivers… the White Nile flows through Uganda, Sudan and Egypt, while the Blue Nile starts in Lake Tana, Ethiopia, and then flows through Zaire, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi.

The Atbara River flows from the Ethiopian highlands and meets the combined White Nile and Blue Nile just north of Khartoum.

Before the Nile enters the Mediterranean Sea, it divides into four smaller tributaries in Egypt’s northern delta region.

The Nile River discharges an average 3.1 million litres (680,000 gallons) of water per second into the Mediterranean.

Egypt and the Nile are a cradle of mankind.

Egyptian history dates back to around 5,000 BC when increasingly dry conditions forced nomadic tribes to the greenery of the Nile Valley.

Arab rule in the Middle Ages brought Islam and the Arabic language.

The British ruled throughout the 19th century but Egypt regained its independence in 1922.

For thousands of years, the Nile delta was flooded annually as a result of August rains in the Ethiopian highlands and runoff from snows melting in the Mountains of the Moon.

These floods deposited heavy layers of fertile silt, allowing intensive irrigated agriculture to support the world’s earliest civilisations.

Dams have been built on the Nile River since 1902. However, the Aswan Dam, which opened in the early 1970s, has dramatically changed the ecology of the Nile and thus the economy of the river and Egypt itself.

Aswan Dam allowed the Egyptian government to produce hydroelectric power, control flooding and minimise droughts, but has dramatically reduced flood sedimentation and increased salinity, forcing farmers to use more chemical fertilisers.

Despite these worsening consequences of human intervention, the Nile River Valley remains home to various wildlife including crocodiles, hippopotamuses, more than 300 species of birds and numerous fish species.

Major cities on the banks of the Nile River include Gondokoro, Khartoum, Aswan, Thebes/Luxor, Karnak, Hurghada, Alexandria, Cairo and Port Said.

Ninety per cent of Egypt’s population lives in the Nile Valley and delta.

The Nile River runs 1,545 kilometres through Egypt, flanked throughout by a narrow valley lined with cliffs. The enormous Lake Nasser sits behind the Aswan High Dam in the far south.

The Nile valley is almost 25 kilometres wide around Cairo and further north the valley spreads to become the incredibly fertile delta, a fan-shaped plain radiating into about 250 kilometres of Mediterranean coastline.

Lower Egypt is the valley south of Cairo and Upper Egypt is the delta north of Cairo.

🏞️ Origins of the Nile

• The Nile River begins as three primary rivers:
  • 🏞️ White Nile: Flows through Uganda, Sudan, and Egypt.
  • 🌊 Blue Nile: Starts at Lake Tana in Ethiopia, flowing through Zaire, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi.
  • 🏞️ Atbara River: Originates in the Ethiopian highlands, joining the White and Blue Nile just north of Khartoum.

🌊 Journey to the Mediterranean

• Before reaching the Mediterranean Sea, the Nile splits into four smaller tributaries in Egypt’s northern delta region.
• It discharges an average of 3.1 million liters (680,000 gallons) of water per second into the sea 🌊.

🕊️ Cradle of Civilization

• The Nile Valley is considered one of the cradles of mankind, with a history dating back to 5,000 BC.
• 🌱 Annual flooding deposited fertile silt, supporting the rise of the world’s first civilizations.

🏗️ Impact of Dams

• Since 1902, dams have altered the Nile’s ecology, most notably the Aswan High Dam (1970s):
  • ⚡ Enabled hydroelectric power production.
  • 🌊 Controlled flooding and minimized droughts.
  • ❌ Reduced sedimentation and increased salinity, leading to heavier reliance on chemical fertilizers.

🐾 Nile’s Wildlife

• Despite ecological changes, the Nile Valley remains home to:
  • 🐊 Crocodiles
  • 🦛 Hippopotamuses
  • 🐦 300+ bird species
  • 🐟 Numerous fish species

🏙️ Major Cities Along the Nile

• 🌍 Gondokoro
• 🌍 Khartoum
• 🌍 Aswan
• 🌍 Luxor (Thebes)
• 🌍 Karnak
• 🌍 Hurghada
• 🌍 Alexandria
• 🌍 Cairo
• 🌍 Port Said

🏡 The Nile’s Role in Egypt

• 🏠 90% of Egypt’s population lives in the Nile Valley or delta.
• The Nile runs 1,545 kilometers through Egypt, bordered by a narrow valley lined with cliffs 🏞️.
• 🌊 Lake Nasser, an enormous reservoir, lies behind the Aswan High Dam.

🌿 Lower vs. Upper Egypt

• 📍 Lower Egypt: The delta region, north of Cairo.
• 📍 Upper Egypt: The valley region, south of Cairo.
• The delta spans 250 kilometers of fertile plain along the Mediterranean coast 🌱.