The River Nile is the largest river in the world.

It
is generally associated with Egypt, but only
22% of the Nile runs through Egypt! Most of
Egypt is desert but where-ever the Nile runs a
fertile green valley is created. And this is how
one of the oldest civilisations started: Ancient
Egypt! The Egyptians used this green area to
do farming and cropping, basically that is what
they lived on; wheat, veg, maybe some fruit
and fish from the river. Can you imagine life
with-out any sweets, cake or chocolate?

This is a
Nile boat

As well as using
the valuable water
from the Nile. The
Egyptians used the
river to travel
along and to
transport goods.

This is the Nile crocodile,

did you know that a bird
called the Egyptian plover
cleans this croc's teeth?

This is a map
of the river
passing
through
Egypt

The River Nile is one of the longest rivers in the world and it
flows northwards from the mountains of Tanzania for over
6,000km on its way to the Mediterranean Sea. For more
than 6,000 years the river has made it possible for people
to live in Egypt. Today, 50 million people live within a few
miles of the river and completely depend on its water. The
river is home to many fish and provides a valuable source
of food. The ancient Egyptians invented a number of
different ways to bring water from the Nile up onto dry land.
The shaduf and wooden water wheels were designed
thousands of years ago to enable farmers to water their
crops, and such methods are still used by farmers today.
The Romans introduced the sakia 2,300 years ago and
they are still used today to raise water from underground
wells. Some farmers now use electrical pumps to take
water from the Nile onto farmland. Crops grown along the
Nile and fish caught in the river provide food for the people
of Egypt. With a growing population there is an pressure
rising on these resources.