The Nile is the river that flows through Egypt and empties into the Mediterranean Sea.
The river runs northward through northeastern Africa. Its two principal tributaries are the White Nile, which begins in the Great Lakes region, and the Blue Nile, which rises in Ethiopia. They meet at Khartoum in Sudan before the combined river continues toward Egypt.
For thousands of years, the Nile’s seasonal flooding deposited fertile silt along otherwise arid land. Ancient Egyptian agriculture, settlements, and political power developed around this narrow green corridor. The river’s delta became one of the most productive regions in the eastern Mediterranean.
The Nile’s flooding is now regulated by major dams, especially the Aswan High Dam, completed in 1970. The dam created Lake Nasser and provides hydroelectric power, but it also reduced the natural delivery of silt to downstream fields. The Nile remains central to Egypt’s population, transport, farming, and history.