{"id":14565,"date":"2023-10-12T22:40:08","date_gmt":"2023-10-12T21:40:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aboutriver.com\/?p=14565"},"modified":"2023-10-12T22:40:08","modified_gmt":"2023-10-12T21:40:08","slug":"whats-the-length-of-the-nile-river","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aboutriver.com\/whats-the-length-of-the-nile-river\/","title":{"rendered":"What’s The Length Of The Nile River"},"content":{"rendered":"
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What is the length of the Nile River?<\/h2>\n

The Nile River is one of the most well-known rivers in the world. It is also the world’s longest river, measuring at over 6,700 kilometers (4,160 miles) in length and spanning 11 countries. The Nile originates from the two major tributaries, the Blue Nile and White Nile, in the East African highlands and flows through Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and Kenya to the Mediterranean Sea.<\/p>\n

This iconic river is considered the lifeblood of the region, as it has nourished the region’s civilizations since ancient times. It also serves as an artery of transportation and trade between Egypt and other countries. Millions of people live along the river’s banks, and it is a vital source of drinking water, irrigation, and power. It is no surprise then, that the length of the river is seen as a source of great pride. <\/p>\n

The Ancient Egyptians<\/h2>\n

The Ancient Egyptians first measured the length of the Nile in the 27th century BC. It was believed to be 5,476 kilometers, or 3,400 miles in length. This data is based on the handwritten notes of Herodotus, an ancient Greek historian who visited Egypt in the 5th century BC. While some of his recordings were exaggerated and his numbers may not have been accurate, geographers largely accepted the length of the Nile as he stated for the next 1,500 years. <\/p>\n

In 1854, John Hanning Speke and Richard Francis Burton were two British explorers who together surveyed 4,250 miles of the Nile from Khartoum in Sudan to Cairo. This data allowed them to better calculate irrigation and depth measurements along the river. Shortly after in 1862, British explorers James Grant and Samuel Baker settled on what is now considered to be the modern-day length of the Nile of 6,690 kilometers (4,160 miles).<\/p>\n

Controversy<\/h2>\n