Nile River
in AfricaThe dispute about whether Nile is the longest or Amazon has gone on for decades now. The River Nile, however, is traditionally considered the longest river in the world. Along with the Kagera, its length is a whooping 6,853 kilometers. The Kagera forms the upper headwaters of the Nile and flows into Lake Victoria. The source of the Nile is sometimes considered to be Lake Victoria, but this is a point of ambiguity. The water of River Nile is shared between no less than eleven countries, earning it the reputation of an international river. This has lead to constant water disputes between these countries. For the countries of Egypt and Sudan, especially, Nile is the main source of water and therefore the lifeline of millions. The two major tributaries of the Nile are the White Nile and the Blue Nile. This river drains into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile River derives its name from the ancient Egyptian language word for ‘great river’, which it certainly is, so the naming is apt. A complete navigation of the whole length of the world’s longest river could only be undertaken in 2004.