Africa's Greatest River
Africa is a continent of mighty rivers, but one stands above all the rest in length: the Nile. The Nile is not only the longest river in Africa, it is also widely regarded as the longest river in the entire world. For thousands of years it has flowed through the northeastern part of the continent, shaping the land and the lives of the people along its banks.
A River That Flows North
One of the most striking features of the Nile is the direction it flows. Many people assume rivers always flow southward, but the Nile travels the opposite way, running northward across the continent. It begins in the highlands and great lakes of east-central Africa and journeys all the way to the Mediterranean Sea, where it empties into the ocean. Along its enormous course, the Nile passes through or borders eleven different African countries.
Two Rivers That Become One
The Nile is not a single simple stream. It is formed mainly from two great branches that join together. The White Nile is the longer branch, with its waters rising far to the south in the African Great Lakes region. The Blue Nile begins in the highlands of Ethiopia and carries most of the water and rich sediment. These two branches meet near Khartoum, in Sudan, and from there flow on together as the main Nile.
The River That Built a Civilization
The Nile is famous as the river that made ancient Egypt possible. Egypt sits in the middle of a vast desert, yet the Nile created a narrow ribbon of green, fertile land along its banks. Each year the river flooded and left behind rich soil perfect for farming. This gift of water and fertile land allowed one of the greatest civilizations of the ancient world to grow and flourish in a place that would otherwise have been barren desert.
Source
This article was written using information from Wikipedia.