Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

The Nile river is the source of life for Africa. The Nile got its name from the Greek word “Nelios” that means River Valley. There are two parts of the Nile, named the White Nile and the Blue Nile. There are two different names because there are two different sources. The source of the White Nile is Lake Victoria, in Uganda. The source of the Blue Nile is Lake Tana, Ethiopia. The length of the Nile is 6695 km (4184 miles) making it the longest river in the world. The Nile and its stems (tributaries) flow through 9 different countries, Uganda, Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia, Zaire, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi. The Nile river was the source of life for the Ancient Egyptian empire. The importance of the river in the Ancient Egyptian’s lifestlye is evident in history and is reflected in their religion, writings, art, politics, and lifestlye. The river shaped nearly every aspect of their sucessful empire. Without the Nile, there would not have been an Ancient Egypt. The yearly flooding of the Nile enriched the soil, making farming extremely possible on the enriched soil of the Nile’s banks. So as one can see, the Nile is one of the most important rivers in the world.