River Nile is considered the longest river of the world although there is a controversy revolving it. The Amazon in South America is the longest river according to some sources. This river in Africa ends in an outsized delta that pours into the Mediterranean Sea.
Nile has two main tributaries namely the White Nile and the Blue Nile. White Nile is much longer comparatively while the other takes credit for having a lion’s share of Nile’s water and fertile soil. Great Lakes region of central Africa is where White Nile originates and it continues to flow all the way down to Tanzania, Lake Victoria, Uganda and southern Sudan whereas Blue Nile begins at Lake Tana in Ethiopia surging into Sudan from the east. Khartoum is the meeting point for both the rivers. You can find all of these if you intricately go through the world map.
The Nile has made a significant contribution in the growth of ancient Egyptian civilization. River Nile was an eternal source of sustenance. The fertile lands and the occasional flooding or yearly inundation of Nile was certainly a blessing in disguise for the people of Egypt. This made them grow wheat and crops around the Nile.
Reeds, called papyrus, were raised at the banks of the Nile. The Egyptians fabricated these into papers and boats to cruise along the river. The Nile was also a major source of food in form of fishes and birds for the Egyptians. You shouldn’t be surprised; this river is home to countless crocodiles. The initiation of the water game in the name of water buffalo came into being. It just goes without saying that water in whichever way was more than essential both for people and the livestock. And water as a means of transport is something that speaks for itself.
Egypt’s stability no doubt stands tall in history. In fact, Cairo the capital of Egypt is one of the oldest living cities of the world. Truth be told, Nile’s fertility has much to do with it. You must also know that wheat; a chief crop in the Middle East was also traded. With trading system on a high, Egypt was extending political relationships with other nations of the world. All of this and much more contributed to a stable economy of Egypt.
Whether it was politics or social life or spiritual dimension, river Nile was omnipresent in each aspect. Interestingly, God Hapi and the Pharaoh were believed to have control over the flooding of the Nile River. The river flooded each year between June and September, a season, which the Egyptians called akhet meaning inundation.
River Nile continues to serve the people of Egypt even today. It thoroughly compensates for the unfriendly regions of the Sahara. The fertile lands have helped Egypt to thrive agriculturally. With the erection of the Aswan High Dam, the summer floods have been brought into halt. It has also fostered hydroelectricity.
River Nile is unquestionably the be-all and end-all of Egypt.