One of the world's greatest rivers - the Nile - originates in Uganda and Ethiopia, carries its water from south to north through the sands of the Sahara, forms a vast delta at the confluence of the Mediterranean Sea.The mysterious appearance of a watercourse among the mountains and lakes of East Africa, it was the high-water for a long time the subject of scientific debate.Where is the source of the Nile River?Scientists have debated this topic 2500 years, from the time of Herodotus and Ptolemy.
Mystery of the Nile
Unlike the Titans of Greek scientific thought, modern researchers and tourists have the opportunity to go up the river to its source.Only they are not one, but two that still puzzles travelers.What creek or stream is taken as the source of the Nile River?She belongs to the second place in the world ranking of the longest waterways.
Everything related sources, the channel and the river's mouth, takes a huge scale.Thus, the length from the source to the confluence of the sea is more than 6650 km.It is slightly smaller than the length of the Amazon in South America, which gives Neil the palm.
The source of the Nile River
Origin watercourse challenged African countries of Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.These states are washed by Lake Victoria, in the northern part of the overthrown Riponsky picturesque waterfall.Here in Uganda begins one of the two main tributaries - the White Nile.
Far to the north-east of these places, in Ethiopia, there is a small lake Tana, where the second source of the river Nile - Blue Nile.Merge two branches near the Egyptian city of Khartoum.Then the river carries its waters due north - in the Mediterranean Sea.
main source of the Nile - White and Blue tributaries?
ancient Travelers arriving from the north - from Europe - could not rise upstream to the source of the river.Stormy over abundance of rapids and waterfalls, impassable evergreen forest makes this task almost impossible.The Egyptians worshiped the Nile, portraying him as a creature with a draped head - they were not conducted, which is the source.
About 150 years ago, researchers in Africa D. Livingstone, Speke D., R. Burton and journalist G. Stanley closest approached the age-old mysteries.Since the length of the Nile used to be counted from Lake Victoria.But in a large flow of the river, which can be considered as sources of the Nile.
modern solution to the riddle of the sources of the Nile
scientists chosen as a starting point the beginning of the longest watercourse - p.Rukarara.This sleeve p.Kagera begins south of the equator in the mountains of East Africa, lies at an altitude of over 2,000 meters. The whole river artery, the length of which is included in gazetteers and guides, it looks like a chain of streams of different scale: p.Rukarara where the source of the Nile, → p.Kagera → p.White Nile → p.Nil.
The total length of the river system up to 6670 km.The catchment area is nearly 3.5 million. M2 covered areas of the 9 countries.The indicator characterizes the 5600 km length of the Nile from the lake.Victoria to the Mediterranean Sea.
Nile - one of the 7 natural wonders of Africa
After merging two branches - the White and Blue Nile - the river flows through the great desert of the world.Sands of the Sahara is not only absorbed the source and the mouth of the Nile River in the last century, on the contrary, come to life thanks to permanent watercourses.Even in the times of the Pharaohs of Egypt this fact amazing people.With the full-flowing Nile linked the hopes of a rich harvest of rice, and too strong river floods after heavy rains in the upper reaches of the promised famine ordinary people.
the confluence of the Nile on the Mediterranean coast is also surprised his appearance and origin.For millennia, the river carries the tiniest fragments of rocks from south to north.Sand and clay deposited in the Nile Delta, annually increasing its area.
River cruises on the Nile
Popularity water travel the river is growing every year.Floats are much safer than in the past.Dams blocked the track, created the conditions for a more uniform flow.The water rose and hid many dangerous rapids.Unfortunately, the waterfalls are lower, but the beauty and singularity of this hardly affected.
river cruise In addition, there are more risky forms of recreation on the river - rafting, kayaking and swimming downstream in a canoe.Another entertainment near the beautiful waterfalls in Uganda - bungee jumping (jumping from a height with insurance).On the banks of the Victoria Nile in the area of the waterfall is the eponymous Kabarega National Park.Its inhabitants - African elephants, wildebeest, buffalo, gazelles - more than 76 species of wild animals.
