What makes the nile river so special

Today, the river continues to serve as a source of irrigation, as well as an important transportation and trade route.

Blue Nile. Also called linseed. Nile River. White Nile. Media Credits The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. Media If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer.

Text Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Interactives Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. Related Resources. Ancient Egypt. View Collection. Anatomy of the Nile. View Video. Understanding Rivers. View Article. Nile Perch. So grab your passport, suncream and shades, and check out our fascinating Nile river facts …. From there, the river continues to flow north through Egypt and, finally, into the Mediterranean Sea.

Around 5, years ago, the Ancient Egyptians relied on the Nile for fresh water , food and transportation. It also provided them with fertile land to farm on… 6 But how did the Nile allow the Ancient Egyptians to farm on dry desert land? They constructed networks of earthen banks to form basins, and dug channels to direct floodwater water into the basins, where it would sit for a month until the soil was saturated and ready for planting. To predict whether they faced dangerous floods or low waters that could result in a poor harvest, the ancient Egyptians built nilometers —stone columns with markings that would indicate the water level.

In addition to nurturing agriculture, the Nile provided ancient Egyptians with a vital transportation route. As a result, they became skilled boat and ship builders who created both large wooden craft with sails and oars , capable of traveling longer distances, and smaller skiffs made of papyrus reeds attached to wooden frames.

Artwork from the Old Kingdom , which existed from to B. Boats were so important to the Egyptians that they buried deceased kings and dignitaries with boats that sometimes were so well-constructed that they could have been used for actual travel on the Nile.

The Nile influenced how Egyptians thought of the land in which they lived, according to Haney. Without the rich soil and clean waters that the river brought to the dry desert, Ancient Egypt would not have survived, and this extremely important civilization would have never happened.

With its large amount of resources, fish, and animals , it is no wonder people value the longest river in the world so much! Famous rivers. Please email or share this article! Email Pin FB.