The Nile is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa which flows into the Mediterranean Sea. It has historically been considered the longest river in the world, though this has been contested by research suggesting that the Amazon River is slightly longer. Of the world’s major rivers, the Nile is one of the smallest, as measured by annual flow in cubic meters of water. About 6,650 km long, its drainage basin covers eleven countries: the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt. In particular, the Nile is the primary water source of Egypt, Sudan and South Sudan.

The Nile is an important economic driver supporting agriculture and fishing. It has two major tributaries, the White Nile and the Blue Nile. The White Nile is traditionally considered to be the head waters stream. However, the Blue Nile is the source of most of the water of the Nile downstream, containing 80% of the water and silt. The White Nile is longer and rises in the Great lakes’ region. It begins at Lake Victoria and flows through Uganda and South Sudan. The Blue Nile begins at Lake Tana in Ethiopia and flows into Sudan from the southeast. The two rivers meet at the Sudanese capital of Khartoum.