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The River Nile is the longest river i the world. It measures 6,650 kilograms. It drains about 3.4 square kilometres. Most people in Egypt live along the banks of the River Nile.

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The main source of the River Nile is the White Nile. In Sudan, the White Nile spreads out in an enormous swamp, called the Sudd. From this point on, the river is called the River Nile. In the past, summer rains and melting snows in Ethiopia caused the River Nile to flood its banks every autumn. The floods left behind water and mud that made it possible for farmers to grow crops along the banks of the River Nile.

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The Egyptians control the flow of the water in the River Nile. The biggest dam is the Aswan High Dam. It holds floodwater back in a huge reservoir called Lake Nasser. People who live along the River Nile no longer have to deal with the flooding of their homes and land. Small canals were built to carry the water to fields and villages.

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Much of the Lake Nasser evaporates in the hot sun. The fertile mud that spread over the fields when the river flooded are now at the bottom of Lake Nasser. Without the fertile mud from the floods, farmers would have to use chemical fertilisers. The soils in the delta are also becoming more salty because less freshwater is flowing in the River Nile.

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Most of the towns and cities in Egypt and Sudan are near the banks of the River Nile. For the people who live in these towns and cities, the river is still vital means of transporting people and goods, especially in the flood season when road transport is difficult. Boats and small ships can travel to most of the River Nile.