Nile River main page
Made by: Shelby Alger, Miranda Rouille, Bethany Trainque Ecological (Bethany)
Fish of the Nile:
Xenomystus nigri
African Knifefish
Schilbe mystus
African butter catfish
Ecological Problems:
There are three major threats to the remaining habitats and species. Salinity may continue to increase in the delta from infiltration by seawaters as the delta face erodes and as erosion opens the existing lagoons to the sea. Wetlands and other migrating birds will increasingly be hunted and trapped to provide a food source for local populations, and for sale to other countries. Inappropriate sites for windmills for electricity generation could cause considerable mortality in migrating birds.
Pollution is a problem for the Nile River. As development in agriculture, industry, and urbanization have increased with the increase in population. In cities, the water that goes down the drains goes to a treatment plant before it goes back into nature. But, treatment plants can be expensive, so in poor cities by the Nile, waste water just gets dumped into the river.
Also, runoff from agriculture puts pollutants into the water. Pollutants like salts, nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen, and pesticides can be found in the runoff. Although pollution is a big concern in the Nile, most of water is healthy and free of toxins. It is omly in "black zones" that the water becomes unhealthy.
Animals of the Nile River:
One animal that lives in the Nile River is the Nile Crocodile. The Nile Crocodile has not been seen in many years, but has recently began making a comeback. The skin on the crocodile, unlike most reptiles, is grown with the animal, not shed. Even though crocodiles look like alligators, they are different because they have a longer, narrower snout and their fourth tooth sticks out from their lower jaw. The adults can reach lengths of over 10 feet and can weigh up to 1500 pounds. The crocodile's eyes and nostrils are on top of its head so it can see and breathe while the rest of it is underwater. Crocodiles swim mostly with their tails. On land, they use their legs to move around. Nile Crocodiles have been known to run at 30 miles an hour.
Thousands of birds live along the Nile River. Some of these birds include: Pied Kingfishers, Little Green Bee-Eaters, and the Nile Valley Sunbird.
Pied Kingfishers feed entirely on fish. They dive into the water and catch them with their long beaks. Over the past few years, the population of Kingfishers has increased because they can fish easier with the clear waters of the Nile.
Little Green Bee-Eaters are little, green, and they eat bees. Little Green Bee-Eaters are not the only species of Bee-Eaters living in Egypt, but they are the only species that are native to Egypt.
The Nile Valley Sunbird eats flower nectar, like a hummingbird, unlike most birds in Egypt, which are birds of prey, which eat other animals. It is royal blue and purple all over, except for the bright yellow patch on its stomach.
Cultural (Shelby)
The amazing Nile gets its name from the Greek Neilos meaning great river. The Nile river played an extremely important role in civilization, life and history of the Egyptian nation. The rivers ability to produce extremely fertile soil, which made it easy for cities and civilizations to spring up alongside the banks of the Nile. The fertile soil contributed to the annual spring floods, when the Nile river overflows onto the banks. The river Nile flooded every year between June and September, in a season the Egyptians called akhet meaning the inundation. Hapi was the Nile god. Honoring a god is very important, so when the flood came the Egyptians would thank Hapi for bringing fertility to the land. Around 105 million people live along the nile, most of these in egypt. the NIle has been the source of civilization for more then 5,000 years. Some of the major dams on the Nile are the Roserires dam, Senner dam, Aswan high dam, and the Owen falls dam. the length of the nile from the white Nile source to mouth is 6695km (4189 miles). 6 million BCE: The earliest we know of a river through Egypt; scientists name it Eonile. This river ran through a canyon with walls that could be up to 3,000 metres high. There are indications that the Mediterranean Sea did not exist in this period. The source of Eonile is not known. 5 million: The waters of the Mediterranean Sea rises, filling up a basin reaching as far as modern Aswan. This brings an end to Eonile. 4 million: A second river starts flowing through Egypt, by modern scholars referred to as Paleonile. Its sources are believed to have been in equatorial Africa. 1.8 million: Dramatic climatic changes, causing the end of a water stream flowing north. Desertification in North Africa casues the emoty river canal to be filled with sand. 1.5 million: The third river, the Protonile, starts flowing through Egypt, creating many interwoven channels. The Protonile ran to the west of the modern Nile, through the region known today as Western Desert. 500,000: The Prenile replaces the Protonile, running further to the east, and starts carving out the river valley existing today. Its discharge was the largest ever for any of the Niles, before and since. 150,000 The Prenile starts to dry out. 30,000: The Neonile starts flowing through Egypt, basically following the same course as the modern Nile, but with a higher elevation. 8,000: The Neonile has carved itself down to the present elevation, and we can start talking about the Nile as we know it today. 1902: The Aswan Dam opens, allowing better control with the flow and flooding of the Nile through Egypt. 1960: The Aswan High Dam opens, allowing Egypt even better control with the flow all through the year, but removing the valuable silt which normally enriched the soil. A very important hydroelectric power plant is constructed here.
Geophysical (Miranda)
Length: (From White Nile source to Mouth in Egypt) 4184
Countries: The Nile and its tributaries flow through nine countries. The White Nile flows through Uganda, Sudan, and Egypt. The Blue Nile starts in Ethiopia, Zaire, Kenya, Tanzanian, Rwanda, and Burundi.
Cities: The major cities that are located on the edge the Nile and The White Nile are: Cario, Gondokoro, Khartoum( where the White and the Blue Nile meet) Aswan, Thebes/Luxor, Karnak, and the town of Alexandria.
Sources: The White Nile: Lake Victoria, Uganda.
The Blue Nile: Lake Tana, Ethiopia.
Made by: Shelby Alger, Miranda Rouille, Bethany Trainque
Ecological (Bethany)
Fish of the Nile:
Xenomystus nigri
African Knifefish
Schilbe mystus
African butter catfish
Ecological Problems:
There are three major threats to the remaining habitats and species. Salinity may continue to increase in the delta from infiltration by seawaters as the delta face erodes and as erosion opens the existing lagoons to the sea. Wetlands and other migrating birds will increasingly be hunted and trapped to provide a food source for local populations, and for sale to other countries. Inappropriate sites for windmills for electricity generation could cause considerable mortality in migrating birds.
Pollution is a problem for the Nile River. As development in agriculture, industry, and urbanization have increased with the increase in population. In cities, the water that goes down the drains goes to a treatment plant before it goes back into nature. But, treatment plants can be expensive, so in poor cities by the Nile, waste water just gets dumped into the river.
Also, runoff from agriculture puts pollutants into the water. Pollutants like salts, nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen, and pesticides can be found in the runoff. Although pollution is a big concern in the Nile, most of water is healthy and free of toxins. It is omly in "black zones" that the water becomes unhealthy.
Animals of the Nile River:
One animal that lives in the Nile River is the Nile Crocodile. The Nile Crocodile has not been seen in many years, but has recently began making a comeback. The skin on the crocodile, unlike most reptiles, is grown with the animal, not shed. Even though crocodiles look like alligators, they are different because they have a longer, narrower snout and their fourth tooth sticks out from their lower jaw. The adults can reach lengths of over 10 feet and can weigh up to 1500 pounds. The crocodile's eyes and nostrils are on top of its head so it can see and breathe while the rest of it is underwater. Crocodiles swim mostly with their tails. On land, they use their legs to move around. Nile Crocodiles have been known to run at 30 miles an hour.
Thousands of birds live along the Nile River. Some of these birds include: Pied Kingfishers, Little Green Bee-Eaters, and the Nile Valley Sunbird.
Pied Kingfishers feed entirely on fish. They dive into the water and catch them with their long beaks. Over the past few years, the population of Kingfishers has increased because they can fish easier with the clear waters of the Nile.
Little Green Bee-Eaters are little, green, and they eat bees. Little Green Bee-Eaters are not the only species of Bee-Eaters living in Egypt, but they are the only species that are native to Egypt.
The Nile Valley Sunbird eats flower nectar, like a hummingbird, unlike most birds in Egypt, which are birds of prey, which eat other animals. It is royal blue and purple all over, except for the bright yellow patch on its stomach.
Cultural (Shelby)
The amazing Nile gets its name from the Greek Neilos meaning great river. The Nile river played an extremely important role in civilization, life and history of the Egyptian nation. The rivers ability to produce extremely fertile soil, which made it easy for cities and civilizations to spring up alongside the banks of the Nile. The fertile soil contributed to the annual spring floods, when the Nile river overflows onto the banks. The river Nile flooded every year between June and September, in a season the Egyptians called akhet meaning the inundation. Hapi was the Nile god. Honoring a god is very important, so when the flood came the Egyptians would thank Hapi for bringing fertility to the land. Around 105 million people live along the nile, most of these in egypt. the NIle has been the source of civilization for more then 5,000 years. Some of the major dams on the Nile are the Roserires dam, Senner dam, Aswan high dam, and the Owen falls dam. the length of the nile from the white Nile source to mouth is 6695km (4189 miles).
6 million BCE: The earliest we know of a river through Egypt; scientists name it Eonile. This river ran through a canyon with walls that could be up to 3,000 metres high. There are indications that the Mediterranean Sea did not exist in this period. The source of Eonile is not known.
5 million: The waters of the Mediterranean Sea rises, filling up a basin reaching as far as modern Aswan. This brings an end to Eonile.
4 million: A second river starts flowing through Egypt, by modern scholars referred to as Paleonile. Its sources are believed to have been in equatorial Africa.
1.8 million: Dramatic climatic changes, causing the end of a water stream flowing north. Desertification in North Africa casues the emoty river canal to be filled with sand.
1.5 million: The third river, the Protonile, starts flowing through Egypt, creating many interwoven channels. The Protonile ran to the west of the modern Nile, through the region known today as Western Desert.
500,000: The Prenile replaces the Protonile, running further to the east, and starts carving out the river valley existing today. Its discharge was the largest ever for any of the Niles, before and since.
150,000 The Prenile starts to dry out.
30,000: The Neonile starts flowing through Egypt, basically following the same course as the modern Nile, but with a higher elevation.
8,000: The Neonile has carved itself down to the present elevation, and we can start talking about the Nile as we know it today.
1902: The Aswan Dam opens, allowing better control with the flow and flooding of the Nile through Egypt.
1960: The Aswan High Dam opens, allowing Egypt even better control with the flow all through the year, but removing the valuable silt which normally enriched the soil. A very important hydroelectric power plant is constructed here.
Geophysical (Miranda)
Length: (From White Nile source to Mouth in Egypt) 4184Countries: The Nile and its tributaries flow through nine countries. The White Nile flows through Uganda, Sudan, and Egypt. The Blue Nile starts in Ethiopia, Zaire, Kenya, Tanzanian, Rwanda, and Burundi.
Cities: The major cities that are located on the edge the Nile and The White Nile are: Cario, Gondokoro, Khartoum( where the White and the Blue Nile meet) Aswan, Thebes/Luxor, Karnak, and the town of Alexandria.
Sources: The White Nile: Lake Victoria, Uganda.
The Blue Nile: Lake Tana, Ethiopia.