Nile, The World’s Longest River

The Nile River is said to be the longest river all across the globe.

How long is the Nile River?

It spans at least 4,184 miles or about 6,695 kilometers from the eastern parts of Africa all the way to the Mediterranean.

The river is so long that it passes through 9 countries: Ethiopia, Zaire, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Egypt. The river consists of two major tributaries which are the Blue Nile and the White Nile.

Blue Nile

The Blue Nile starts from a river in Ethiopia, Lake Tana; where its upper part is known as Abbay. This is believed to be a holy river by locals and it is said that this is the same river that flowed from the Garden of Eden as mentioned in the first book of the Bible, Genesis.

It is estimated that the Blue Nile is approximately 901 miles, more than half of which is found within Ethiopia. It runs from Lake Tana and into the northwestern parts of Sudan.

The Blue Nile got its name from its shift in color, turning into black during flood season. In Sudan, the term for black is the same one used when referring to the color blue, hence; the moniker Blue Nile.

White Nile

The White Nile refers to the river flowing from Lake Victoria which is located in the state of Burundi. The river flows west through Burundi and then merges with the Blue Nile close to the capital of Sudan which is Khartoum.

The river got its name from the sedimentary deposits in the water that give it a kind of grayish-white color. This river gives about 16% of the total water flowing from the Nile.

During the dry season, which is around April and May, the White Nile contributes at least 80% of the River Nile’s total water supply.

This river is the longer of the two main tributaries of the Nile River, stretching at least 3,700 kilometers from Lake Victoria.

This part of the river Nile is known as Victoria Nile. It flows through Lake Kyoga and then towards Lake Albert. Once it leaves Lake Albert, the river then becomes known as Albert Nile.

The White Nile Expedition is actually the 1st successful explorations of the entire length of the river. The expedition commenced back in 2004, on the 17th of January and was completer about 4 and ½ months later.

There have also been expeditions of the Blue Nile, foremost of which is the one undertaken on the 28th of April, also in 2004. They were the first successful explorers to have completed the journey.