Nile River: Quick Facts

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The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

Oct. 16, 2026

Did You Know?

Tourists can go white water rafting on the Nile River in Uganda.
Ancient Egyptians worshipped a god of the Nile named Hapi.
The Rosetta Stone was discovered near Rosetta (Rash+d), a town located along the Nile River.
In 2013, a British journalist walked the length of the Nile in nine months.

Photos and Videos

Map of the Nile River basin showing the river's full course from its sources in East Africa through Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea. The map highlights physical features including elevation, irrigated areas, swamps, sand areas, intermittent streams, dams, waterfalls, rapids, and canals, as well as major lakes and cities along the drainage network.

Roman Kiosk, Nile River

Murchison Falls

Aerial view of Juba, the capital of South Sudan, with the city on the left and the wide, winding Nile River flowing through green landscape on the right.

Blue Nile Falls cascades over a wide cliff surrounded by lush green vegetation, with mist rising and sunlight streaming through clouds in Ethiopia.

Calm blue waters of Lake Nasser with a floating platform in the foreground and rocky desert shoreline with a small building in the background, Egypt.

Illustration of a Nile perch (Lates niloticus), a large freshwater carnivorous fish with a silvery body, prominent dorsal fin, and rounded tail, reaching up to 6 feet in length.

A Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) lies on sandy ground surrounded by sparse grass and vegetation.

Journey of the Nile: The longest river in the world

Experience the magic of the Nile on a historic steamboat

A river flows through a grassy area.

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Topics

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