The Nile is the longest river in the world according to the Guinness World Records.
The river flows northward through northeastern Africa before reaching the Mediterranean Sea. Its main tributaries include the White Nile, which rises in the Great Lakes region, and the Blue Nile, which begins at Lake Tana in Ethiopia. They meet at Khartoum in Sudan.
The Nile was central to ancient Egyptian civilization because its seasonal flooding deposited fertile silt along otherwise arid land. Ancient settlements, agriculture, transport, and political power all developed around its valley.
Some modern studies argue that the Amazon may be longer depending on how its source and mouth are measured. The answer therefore depends on the measurement method, but Nile remains the conventional Guinness record-holder and the standard general-knowledge answer.