The Nile is the river that flows through Egypt and is traditionally regarded as the world’s longest river. It runs for roughly 6,650 kilometres, although measurements and definitions can produce different rankings when compared with the Amazon.
The Nile has two major tributaries: the White Nile, whose farthest headwaters are associated with the Great Lakes region of East Africa, and the Blue Nile, which rises in Ethiopia. They meet at Khartoum in Sudan. From there, the combined river flows north through Egypt before reaching the Mediterranean Sea.
For thousands of years, the Nile’s annual flooding supported agriculture and helped ancient Egyptian civilization develop in an otherwise arid landscape. The Aswan High Dam, completed in 1970, greatly reduced natural flooding while creating Lake Nasser and providing hydroelectric power. The river’s delta remains one of Egypt’s most densely populated regions.