One of the greatest rivers of the world - the Nile - originates in the territory of Uganda and Ethiopia, carries its waters from south to north through the sands of the Sahara, forms an extensive delta when it flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The mysterious appearance of the watercourse among the mountains and lakes of East Africa, its high water content have long been the subject of scientific debate. Where is the source of the Nile River? Scientists argued on this topic for 2500 years, since the time of Herodotus and Ptolemy.
Riddle of the Nile
In contrast to the ancient Greek titans of scientific thought, modern researchers and tourists have the opportunity to climb upstream to the very source. Only not one, but two, which still puzzles travelers. What rivulet or brook is mistaken for the source of the Nile? She holds second place in the world ranking of the longest watercourses.
Everything related to the sources, channel and mouth of the river, takes on a huge scale. So, the length from the source to the point of discharge into the sea is more than 6650 km. This is slightly less than the length of the Amazon in South America, to which the Nile gives way.
Source of the Nile River
The origin of the watercourse is disputed by the African countries of Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda. These states are washed by Lake Victoria; in its northern part, the picturesque Ripon Falls falls. Here, on the territory of Uganda, one of the two main tributaries, the White Nile, begins.
Far north-east of these places, in Ethiopia, there is a small lake, Tana, where the second source of the Nile River is located - the Blue Nile. Two arms merge near the Egyptian city of Khartoum. Further, the river carries its waters strictly to the north - to the Mediterranean Sea.
The main source of the Nile is the White or Blue tributaries?
Travelers of antiquity arriving from the north - from Europe - could not climb upstream to the source of the river. The rapid current, the abundance of rapids and waterfalls, impenetrable evergreen forests made this task almost unsolvable. The Egyptians deified the Nile, portraying it as a creature with a draped head - they did not know where the source was.
About 150 years ago , African researchers D. Livingston, D. Speke, R. Burton and journalist G. Stanley came closer to solving a centuries-old riddle. Since then, the length of the Nile has been counted from Lake Victoria. But large rivers flow into it, which can be considered the source of the Nile.
The modern solution to the mystery of the source of the Nile
Scientists have chosen for the starting point the beginning of the longest watercourse - p. Rukarara. This sleeve p. The kagera begins south of the equator among the mountains of East Africa, lies at an altitude of over 2000 m. The entire river artery, the length of which is included in geographic guides and guides, looks like a chain of watercourses of various sizes: Rukarara, where the source of the Nile is located, → p. Kagera → r. White Nile → p. Nile.
The total length of this river system reaches 6670 km. The catchment area reaches almost 3.5 million m 2 , covers parts of the territories of 9 countries. The indicator 5600 km characterizes the length of the Nile from Lake. Victoria to the Mediterranean Sea.
Nile - one of the 7 natural wonders of Africa
After combining the two branches - the White and Blue Nile - the river flows through the greatest desert in the world. The Sands of the Sahara not only did not absorb the source and mouth of the Nile River over the past centuries, on the contrary, come to life thanks to the constant watercourse. Even in the time of the pharaohs of Egypt, this fact was amazing for the population. Hopes for a rich rice crop were associated with the deep Nile, and too strong floods of the river after heavy rains in the upper reaches promised hunger for ordinary people.
The confluence of the Nile on the Mediterranean coast also surprises with its view and origin. For thousands of years, the river carries the smallest fragments of rocks from south to north. Sand and clay are deposited in the Nile Delta, increasing its area annually.
River Nile Cruises
The popularity of water travel on the river is growing every year. Swimming has become much safer than in antiquity. The dams that blocked the channel created conditions for a more uniform flow. Water rose and hid many dangerous rapids. Unfortunately, the waterfalls became lower, but their beauty and unusualness almost did not suffer from this.
In addition to the river cruise, there are more risky types of recreation on the river - rafting, kayaking and canoeing downstream. Another attraction next to the beautiful waterfalls in Uganda is bungee jumping (high jump with insurance). On the shores of Victoria Nile in the area of Kabarega Falls is the eponymous national park. Its inhabitants - African elephants, wildebeest, buffalo, gazelles - more than 76 species of wild animals.