Nile

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Nile

Nile (pronounced: /naɪl/), from the Greek 'Neilos', which possibly derives from the Semitic Nahal, meaning river.

The Nile is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa, and is commonly regarded as the longest river in the world, though some sources cite the Amazon River as the longest. The Nile, which is 6,650 km (4,130 mi) long, is an "international" river as its drainage basin covers eleven countries, namely, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Republic of the Sudan, and Egypt. In particular, the Nile is the primary water source of Egypt and Sudan.

Etymology

The English name Nile and the Arabic names en-Nîl and an-Nîl both derive from the Latin Nilus and the Ancient Greek Νεῖλος. Beyond that, however, the etymology is disputed. One possible etymology derives it from a Semitic Nahal, meaning "river". The standard English names "White Nile" and "Blue Nile" to refer to the river's headwaters derive from Arabic names formerly applied only to the Sudanese stretches which meet at Khartoum.

Related Terms

  • River: A large natural stream of water flowing in a channel to the sea, a lake, or another river.
  • Africa: The world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases.
  • Egypt: A country in the northeast corner of Africa, whose territory in the Sinai Peninsula extends beyond the continental boundary with Asia.
  • Sudan: A country in Northeast Africa. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, Libya to the northwest, Chad to the west, the Central African Republic to the southwest, South Sudan to the south, Ethiopia to the southeast, Eritrea to the east, and the Red Sea to the northeast.
  • Amazon River: The largest river by discharge volume of water in the world, and by most accepted definitions it is the second longest river in the world, after the Nile.

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