The Nile is the African river that flows north into the Mediterranean Sea through Egypt.
The Nile system is formed principally by the White Nile and the Blue Nile. The White Nile rises in the Great Lakes region of East Africa, while the Blue Nile begins at Lake Tana in Ethiopia. They meet at Khartoum, Sudan, before the river continues north through Egypt.
For thousands of years, the river's seasonal waters supported agriculture and dense settlements in an otherwise dry landscape. Ancient Egyptian civilization developed along its valley and delta, where fertile soil accumulated after inundation.
The Aswan High Dam, completed in the 1970s, greatly reduced natural flooding and created Lake Nasser. Although sources debate exact measurements depending on how tributaries are counted, the Nile is conventionally described as the world's longest river. The Amazon is generally considered the largest by water discharge.