Nile

When you think of the river Nile perhaps the quote which comes to your mind is that of Herodotus the Greek historian who described ancient Egypt as "Gift of the Nile". The Nile is the life giver for Great Egypt whose waters have been sustaining the Egyptians from time immemorial. The ancient civilizations of Egypt depended on Nile for drinking water and irrigation.

The Nile and its tributaries flow through nine countries. Meandering at places, roaring through at others; the turbulent waters of the Nile have captured the imagination of poets and adventurers alike. The White Nile starts in Lake Victoria in Uganda and flows through Sudan. The Blue Nile starts in Ethiopia, and flows through Zaire, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi and joins the White Nile in Sudan. Then the great Nile flows into Egypt and then on to the Mediterranean Sea. It is 4184 miles long from its source to mouth. Though scientists are divided over whether the Amazon or the Nile is the longest river in the world, the Nile is undoubtedly a great river which sustains a large number of people across many countries. If one traverses along the Nile, the variety of cultures that you come across is astounding. You will meet a vast number of different tribes and communities who are different from their physical appearance to their food habits. The only common thing perhaps is that they all have derived their sustenance from the Nile.

Deceptively peaceful at places, fast moving at others, the Nile is extensively used for transportation. There are thousands of people who commute up and down on the Nile by boats, barges, sailboats and ships. Rafting on the rapids of Nile is a thrilling experience. Fishing on the Nile provides livelihood to thousands of people. The fertile black soil the Nile deposits on the banks along its course have immensely benefitted farmers allowing them to grow everything from the famous Egyptian cotton to essential food items to sustain communities.

There are four major dams across the Nile including the Aswan Dam of Great Egypt. The Aswan high dam was completed in 1971 and provides hydro electric power which caters to almost 15% of the electricity needs of Egypt. The Dam has made a huge impact on irrigation and farming in Egypt. The artificial lake created by the dam is 300 miles deep.

Major cities located on the Nile include Cairo, Aswan, and Alexandria in Great Egypt. The cities have grown because of the river. Cruises on the Nile from Cairo stop at various places allowing tourists a glimpse of life on and around Nile. The Nile is home to a variety of animals but the most well known are the crocodiles. The crocodiles of the Nile are on an average about 4 meters in length and slip in to the water gracefully from the banks on which they lounge around lazily.

The Nile aptly named from the Greek word "Nelios" meaning valley, has admirably sustained Great Egypt from the ancient times until today and can also be called known as a "Gift to Egypt from the heavens".