About The Nile River: The Nile flows northward through northeastern Africa, a highly unusual direction for a major river. For thousands of years its yearly floods brought rich soil to its banks, allowing ancient Egyptian civilization to flourish in the middle of the desert. The Cradle of Ancient Egypt — Nearly all of ancient Egyptian life, farming, and trade depended on it.

Location: Northeastern Africa, flowing north · Length: 6,650 km (4,132 mi) · Source: Lake Victoria & the Ethiopian Highlands · Mouth: The Nile Delta, Mediterranean Sea · Countries: Egypt, Sudan, Uganda & 8 more · River Basin: ~3.3 million km² (1.3 million mi²) · Wildlife: Nile crocodiles & hippos · Major Cities: Cairo, Khartoum & Aswan · World Rank: Historically ranked the longest river on Earth