O RiverNile configures itself as one of the largest water sources in the world, with an extension of almost 7000 m, is extremely important on the African continent. Historically, several societies have made and use the Nile, they are 10 countries where your course passes and several cities that have their economic and social activities linked to it.
The Great River, as it is called by the Egyptians, takes on other etymologies, from other peoples, thus, too Its economic and usage characteristics are diverse. In its course, there are cataracts and dams and economic activities such as the agriculture, livestock, supplying cities, tourism and fishing, and energy generation electric. The Nile configures itself as the biggest and most important river on the African scene and the world today.
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General information about the Nile River
- Length: considering the source of the Nile south of Uganda, its length reaches 6850 km, but there is controversy about its official size, some scholars point out, for example, the length of 6670 km. Modern remote sensing techniques are being used by researchers in hydrography to reach a consensus on this data.
- Position: the position of the Nile is north–south, rising in the Great Lakes plateau region, with its main source in Uganda and its mouth in the mmediterranean air, in Egypt.
- Source: the Nile has its main sources in the Great Lakes region — Lake Victoria in Uganda and Lake Tana in Ethiopia. A source in Rwanda is being considered to integrate the river, which could be the farthest, further south.
- Average flow: the Nile has a flow ratelittle, despite being one of the main rivers of the world, 3100 m³/s. By way of comparison, the Amazons has an average annual flow of 209,000 m³/s.
- Mouth: the mouth of the Nile is the largest in the world, and the meeting of this river with the sea forms the largest delta in the world. The delta mouth is similar to a triangle, in the case of the Nile River, it is about 160 km long and about 250 km wide.
- basin area: the Nile is a river that occupies an area of 3,349,000 km², reaching the territory of 10 countries, and is found in the northeast of the çcurrent TheAfrican.
- Delta: it is a type of river mouth, occurs in areas of Pwoolen, because its shape is similar to the root of a plant, where the river meets the sea. the mouth in delta it is similar to a triangle, in the case of the Nile River, it is about 160 km long and about 250 km wide.
- countries: because it is one of the biggest watersheds of the world, the Nile passes through 10 countries, namely: Burundi, Ethiopia, Egypt, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
Etymology
In addition to having significant importance for economic and social aspects, the Nile River has its etymological formation linked to several cultures of ancient peoples. The name Nile has its origins related to the Egyptians, Greeks and Hebrews.
The name of this river is associated with different cultures and meanings. The Egyptians called him Iteru (rtw), which means "big River”, because it has a voluminous, extensive and wide watercourse, later on, this word would take on another form, bigger. To the Arabs, the river was known for nahrun, “river”, and nile, “black”. For Sanskrits, nil means “blue” or any reference to that coloration.
Therefore, the name of this important river carries the symbology of being big, blue, bulky and of great power, as it was what he represented historically to the peoples who inhabited his bed.
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Nile Characteristics
- Bowl: the Nile originates from the junction of rivers White Nile, Blue Nile and Atbara. It is a bowlexorrheic (discharges into the sea or ocean), with a perennial course (has water all year round). The Nile is darker in color, as it has a high content of organic matter, also known as humus.
- falls: are considered waterfalls, waterfalls or waterfalls. As it is a river with considerable territorial extension and its source is on the plateau of the Great Lakes, it is common to have cataracts (waterfalls), considering that the relief it's busy. Along the course of the Nile, there are several existing waterfalls, but two stand out: Aswan, in Egypt, and Khartoum, in Sudan.
- dams: along the course of the Nile, there are some dams. The most important of these is in the Egyptian city of Aswan. At the end of the 19th century, the first dam in Aswan was created, which was flooded between 1911 and 1934. Between the 1950s and 1970s, the Aswan dam, about 8 km from the first dam. Currently its function is the generation of energy, but its flood areas have already been linked to the fertilization of nearby lands for the development of agriculture.
Importance of the Nile
The Nile River has been extremely important since the Antique, as historically it was part of the development of several civilizations in its surroundings. For being present in the region of ddesert of the sahara, also exercised central role in agricultural development, because in the areas close to its margin there were fertile lands or places where irrigation was possible. Furthermore, activities of livestock they also began to emerge based on it, considering that it was then possible to have food for animals and humans.
the river too was considered sacred in Antiquity by Egyptian societies and played a fundamental role in the formation of various civilizations and other cities later. The first towns and villages come from this logic.
When considering the various cities along its stretch, which covers 10 countries, we note that one of the main functions of this river is economic, in activities such as the tourism, fishing and navigation, developed in various areas of its margins. Another relevant aspect is related to supply, as the Egyptians counted on the river as water source for its people and transport of goods to other localities or societies.
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River Nile currently
Currently the Nile River has fundamental importance in the life of various societies., African peoples and ethnicities. It is a watercourse that is part of riverine societies and the economy of the countries through which it circulates.
There are, based on it, economic activities such as Agriculture and Livestock, held in the Nile Valley, tourismecological, considering your biodiversity and the natural landscapes, and supply from cities near its course. In this sense, the navigation tourism or for the transport of people, goods or goods.
Finally, the electric power generation through the creation of dam and power plant areas hydroelectric plants, responsible for the creation and distribution of energy to several cities in northeast Africa.
