The Nile River flows through Cairo, Egypt.
The Nile runs northward through northeastern Africa and empties into the Mediterranean Sea. Its principal modern tributaries are the White Nile, which rises in the Great Lakes region of East Africa, and the Blue Nile, which begins at Lake Tana in Ethiopia. The two meet at Khartoum in Sudan.
For thousands of years, the river’s seasonal flooding supported agriculture in Egypt. Ancient communities built their settlements along the narrow fertile valley and delta, surrounded by desert. The river remains central to Egypt’s population, farming, transport, and history.
The Nile’s exact status as the world’s longest river has been debated because measurements depend on how its source and mouth are defined. That debate does not change its importance to Cairo: the Egyptian capital stands on the river’s banks, with the Nile Delta beginning north of the city.