The River Nile – Africa
River Nile is Africa’s longest river and disputed the longest river in the world. It is a major north-flowing river in northeast Africa flowing into the Mediterranean Sea with a total length of about 6,650 km long between the region of Lake Victoria, and the Mediterranean Sea.
It spans across the African great lakes through the Sahara Desert before emptying into the Mediterranean Sea.
River Nile’s drainage basin covers and spans 11 countries, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Republic of Sudan, and Egypt. River Nile is one of the most famous rivers on the planet.
- One may ask, who owns the Nile?
The Nile flowing in 11 nations doesn’t mean that every country owns it. Only Egypt and its neighbor Sudan have any rights to its waters.
Where does the Nile start from? The Nile has got two major tributaries. The White Nile and the Blue Nile. The White Nile. The name White Nile comes from coloring due to clay carried in the water and Nile starts from Lake Victoria in Tanzania flowing north through Uganda to Khartoum Sudan where it converges with the Blue Nile. White Nile is considered to be the headwaters and the primary stream of the Nile.
The Blue Nile is longer of the two and it rises in the great lakes region of central Africa. From Lake Tana in Ethiopia flowing into Sudan from the southeast. The Blue Nile is the major tributary of the Nile.
These two rivers meet in the north of Sudan in the capital city Khartoum. The northern section of the river flows north almost entirely through the Sudanese desert to Egypt and ends in a large delta flowing to the Mediterranean Sea. However, the White Nile flows steadily all year while the Blue Nile fits most of its work into a few months each summer.
- Historical importance
The Nile has been of great use to Egyptian and Sudanese people from ancient times. Settlement patterns, cities, and most population of Egypt lie along the Nile valley north of the Aswan and nearly all the cultural and historical sites of ancient Egypt are found along the river banks. The Nile played a big role in the civilization of Egypt.
The soils around the Nile are very fertile due to overflowing which happened annually and used to deposit new layers of silt unlike the arid soils of Egypt. It became so important in Egypt and it earned the nickname “the father of African rivers”. River Nile today continues to serve as a source of irrigation, as well as an important transportation and trade route.
Wildlife around river Nile
River Nile has got a variety of animal species that live in and around the river. These animals are attracted by Nile’s freshwater. It claims many fish species, bird species. hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses, Nile crocodiles, softshell turtles, river snakes among others.
Plantlife is also found along the banks of the river. River plants like the bamboo, banana plant, papyrus among others. Fish such as tiger fish, Nile perch, lungfish among others also live in the Nile river.
Birds around River Nile includes white faced whistling ducks, Egyptian goose, ruddy shelduck, common pochard, ferruginous duck, tufted duck, Garganey, northern shoveler, gadwall, Eurasian wigeon, mallard, red-billed teal, northern pintail, comb duck, African pygmy goose, little grebe, black necked grebe, African colored dove, laughing dove, Egyptian nightjar, marabou, African open bill, woolly necked stock, saddle billed stock, European white stock, great white pelicans, pink backed pelicans, Eurasian bitterns, black crowned night heron, squacco heron, cattle egret, grey heron, black headed heron, goliath heron, great egret, little egret, purple egret, African sacred ibis, hadada ibis, glossy ibis, Eurasian spoonbill, long tailed cormorant, great cormorant, African darter, Egyptian plover, black winged stilt, African jacana, common sandpiper, green sandpiper, osprey, black winged kite, Egyptian vulture, brown snake eagle, white backed vulture, ruppell’s vulture, lappet faced vulture, lesser spotted eagle among many others which makes river Nile a top birding destination.
- Activities on River Nile
White water rafting, tubing on the Nile, jet boating, bungee jumping, Kayaking, swimming, horse riding, quad biking among others have made this iconic river a top destination for tourists.
The Murchison Falls on the River Nile
Africa Wildlife Safari Ideas by Mega Wild Safaris – Book at a Discount
The 4 days Murchison Falls Safari Uganda Wildlife Tour takes you to Murchison falls National Park which is the largest park in Uganda. Here you find the rushing waters of the Nile forced through a 7-meter narrow gorge forming the Murchison falls, which have fascinated the world for centuries. On the way to Murchison falls national park, we make a stopover at Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary – track Rhinos.
While in the park – gaze in wonder at the herds of giraffes on the game drive, families of Elephants while on the launch trip to the bottom of the falls. Look out for the Nile crocodiles basking in the sun and Schools of Hippos. We end with chimpanzee trekking in Budongo forest which is partly located in Murchison falls national park. Book This Trip
This 6 Days Wildlife Safari in Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safaris Tour combines gorilla trekking in Bwindi Forest with a wildlife safari in Queen Eilzabeth National Park. The 6 Days Wildlife Safari in Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safaris Tour starts with a visit to Queen Eilzabeth National Park, Uganda’s largest protected area home to a wide range of flora and fauna.
Wild animals that can be seen in this park include some of the big five such as elephants, buffaloes and lions; as well as giraffes, antelopes, crocodiles, hippos etc. The 6 Days Wildlife Safari in Uganda Gorilla Trekking Safaris Tour takes you further through the Albertine Rift to Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, home to more than half of the remaining total population of the mountain gorillas. Book This Trip
