5 Interesting Facts about the Nile River

Egypt is a land of marvellous historical monuments and stunning natural beauty. With palaces, mosques, temples, and citadels in one hand; the sprawling Sahara Desert and cobalt Nile River present a stunning backdrop. From time immemorial River Nile has been the real backbone of Egyptian civilization in terms of agriculture, industries, settlements, and socio-economic development.

Egypt had been and still is getting benefitted from the river, that flows almost through its center. Hence, it is aptly known as the ‘Gift of Nile. Nowadays the river is most popular for its extravagant Nile Cruises for half a day or full day or overnight duration. There are various agencies offering luxurious Nile cruises and the most popular and best places to visit in Nile Cruises tour are Aswan, Luxor or Valley of Kings to stunning views of Lake Nasser and relicts of Ancient Nubia.

First and foremost, let’s take a quick rundown on why Egypt is called the ‘Gift of Nile’. Like a huge snake, the Nile River glides through some of the driest deserts of Sahara region and carves out a luxuriant valley, which the ancient Greeks named as Egypt. The bank of Nile had been the seat of one of the most ancient civilizations of the World. However, from time immemorial, Nile had been beneficial to Egypt is many ways. Every year, Nile used to overflow its bank, creating a fertile valley of dark soil, which was conducive to agriculture.

Egyptians were able to cultivate a wide array of indigenous crops and also non-native crops such as a diversity of cereals, vegetables, grains, and fruits. Hence, Nile aided Egypt in flourishing their economy by showcasing immense development in agriculture. At the point when the river water withdrew, they left behind residues of rich soil. Crops could be grown in this dark, rich soil. The Nile gave diverse blessings to the vinatge Egyptians. Papyrus, used for everything, grew in abundance along its banks. The Nile supplies water for cooking, fishing, boating, and bathing. Nowadays, the river offers large varieties of Nile Cruises, which is an integral part of tourism in Egypt.

5 most interesting facts about the River Nile are:

1.    The word Nile is derived from the Greek word ‘Neilos’ which literally translates into ‘river valley’.

2.    The Nile is the longest river in Africa and disputed the longest river in the World, with the total length being 6,695 kilometers.

3.  The Nile River keeps flowing down the center of ancient Egypt, up to the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile delta is located at the south and it flows up to 4,000 miles, to meet the Mediterranean Sea.

4.    The Nile river valley or basin is huge and expansive and comprises of parts of Kenya, Congo, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi.

5.    River Nile was formed by two major tributaries; namely White Nile and the Blue Nile. The White Nile is considered to be the headwaters and the chief stream of the Nile. The Blue Nile, nevertheless, is the source of most of the water and riverrine deposit.