In fact, all rivers follow the second rule of plumbing, even those that flow backward. Of the rivers that flow backward, or south to north, the Nile River is the most famous, the world’s longest an incredible distance of 4,150 miles! Locally, in Florida, the St. Johns River flows backwards.
What direction does the Nile river flow and why?
The Nile flows north because north is downhill. The land falls away towards the north, thus the river flows north until it reaches the Mediterranean Sea at the Nile Delta. Direction of flow of a river is determined by elevation of the drainage basin, not geographical (North, South etc.) Further detail about this can be seen here.
What are facts about the Nile River?
Nile River Facts
- River Name: Nile River
- Location: Africa (northeastern)
- Total Length: 4,130 miles
- Average Depth: 26 and 36 feet
- Main Outlet: Mediterranean Sea
- Known for: Being the lifeline to civilization in Egypt
Where does the Nile River begin and end?
The Nile River flows from south to north through eastern Africa. It begins in the rivers that flow into Lake Victoria (located in modern-day Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya), and empties into the Mediterranean Sea more than 6,600 kilometers (4,100 miles) to the north, making it one of the longest river in the world.
Why does the Nile river flow north?
The Nile flows ‘north’ because that is the direction of ‘downhill’ from the places where the waters of the upper Nile first begin moving above ground. And the Amazon flows EAST, and the Mississippi flows SOUTH and every river in the world flows DOWNHILL from its origins, no matter where it is.
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Why does the Nile river flow opposite?
Lake Victoria, a major source of the Nile, is located at a much higher elevation than Egypt. The Nile River flows south to north for the same reasons that any other river flows: the northern section of the continent is lower in elevation than the southern portion.
Does the Nile flow 2 ways?
The White Nile, which is the longer of the two, begins at Lake Victoria in Tanzania and flows north until it reaches Khartoum, Sudan, where it converges with the Blue Nile. The Blue Nile begins near Lake Tana in Ethiopia. The Nile River empties into the Mediterranean Sea in northern Egypt.
What is the only river that flows backwards?
The Chicago RiverIllinois is home to the only river in the world that flows backwards. The Chicago River, known mainly for the different colors it is dyed to celebrate different events and holidays, has been a hallmark of Chicago since the earliest days of the city.
Has any river flowed backwards?
Chicago River Mouth As the city grew, fear of disease spread, and officials decided to permanently reverse the river's flow, sending its polluted water to the Mississippi River instead. A 28-mile-long canal was built between the Chicago River and the rivers that drain into the Mississippi.
What is the only river that flows uphill?
Antarctica river There's a river that flows uphill beneath one of Antarctica's ice sheets, according to Robin Bell, a professor of geophysics at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory in New York.
What are 10 facts about the Nile river?
Some scientists believe that River Nile is longer than the Amazon River which is 3,997 miles long.River Nile passes through 9 African Countries. ... River Nile was sacred to ancient Egyptians. ... The annual floods make the banks of the River Nile very fertile. ... There are two other Nile Rivers.More items...•
What river defies gravity?
In a rare moment, Samy Jacobsen and his sister Helen Wang noticed a thin column of water whirling along Beinisvørð, the highest sea cliff in Suðuroy, Faroe Islands. Upon close observation, the duo realised that the twirling water column was moving upwards, defying gravity.
Can a river flow in 2 directions?
The Mekong River swells so much that the Tonle Sap River is actually forced to flow backward, northward away from the sea. It's the only river in the world that goes both ways.
What river runs both ways?
The Hudson Estuary: A River That Flows Two Ways.
What is the only river that flows south to north?
The Nile River, the world's longest, flows south to north.
What are the 2 sources of water for the Nile river?
It is fed by two main river systems: the White Nile, with its sources on the Equatorial Lake Plateau (Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Zaire and Uganda), and the Blue Nile, with its sources in the Ethiopian highlands. The sources are located in humid regions, with an average rainfall of over 1000 mm per year.
Which way does the Blue Nile flow?
The Blue Nile originates at Lake Tana in Ethiopia (where it is called the Abay River). The river flows generally south before entering a canyon about 400 km (250 mi) long, about 30 km (19 mi) from Lake Tana, which is a tremendous obstacle for travel and communication between north and south Ethiopia.
Is the Nile river the only one that flows north?
There are countless examples of rivers flowing northward. Some of the most famous are the world's longest river the Nile, along with Russia's Ob, Lena, and Yenisey Rivers. The Red River in the U.S. and Canada and Florida's St. Johns River also flow north.
What two rivers flow into the Nile?
The Nile has two major tributaries – the White Nile and the Blue Nile. The White Nile is traditionally considered to be the headwaters stream. However, the Blue Nile is the source of most of the water of the Nile downstream, containing 80% of the water and silt.
Where is the Nile River?
The Nile River’s basin spans across the countries of Egypt, Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bur...
What is the historical significance of the Nile River?
The Nile River was extremely important to settlement patterns in Egypt. The soil surrounding the Nile is very fertile, unlike the arid landscape ty...
How long is the Nile River?
The Nile River is approximately 4,100 miles long and was historically thought to be the longest river in the world. There is plenty of debate surro...
What is the name of the Nile?
In the Odyssey, the epic poem written by the Greek poet Homer (7th century bce ), Aigyptos is the name of the Nile (masculine) as well as the country of Egypt (feminine) through which it flows. The Nile in Egypt and Sudan is now called Al-Nīl, Al-Baḥr, and Baḥr Al-Nīl or Nahr Al-Nīl. The Nile River basin, which covers about one-tenth of the area ...
What river flows through the Nile River?
Nile River basin and its drainage network Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. The Nile is formed by three principal streams: the Blue Nile (Arabic: Al-Baḥr Al-Azraq; Amharic: Abay) and the Atbara (Arabic: Nahr ʿAṭbarah), which flow from the highlands of Ethiopia, and the White Nile (Arabic: Al-Baḥr Al-Abyad), the headstreams of which flow ...
What is the name of the longest river in Africa?
Nile River, Arabic Baḥr Al-Nīl or Nahr Al-Nīl, the longest river in the world, called the father of African rivers. It rises south of the Equator and flows northward through northeastern Africa to drain into the Mediterranean Sea. It has a length of about 4,132 miles (6,650 kilometres) and drains an area estimated at 1,293,000 square miles (3,349,000 square kilometres). Its basin includes parts of Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Sudan, and the cultivated part of Egypt. Its most distant source is the Kagera River in Burundi.
What was the role of the Nile River in the development of civilizations?
The Nile River basin, which covers about one-tenth of the area of the continent, served as the stage for the evolution and decay of advanced civilizations in the ancient world. On the banks of the river dwelled people who were among the first to cultivate the arts of agriculture and to use the plow.
What countries are in the Nile River?
The Nile River’s basin spans across the countries of Egypt, Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania. The Nile is composed of two tributaries: the White Nile and the Blue Nile. The White Nile, which is the longer of the two, begins at Lake Victoria in Tanzania ...
Why is the Nile River important to Egypt?
The Nile River was extremely important to settlement patterns in Egypt. The soil surrounding the Nile is very fertile, unlike the arid landscape typical in the rest of the country. The Nile is also featured in a number of Egyptian myths. It became so important to life and culture that it earned the nickname “the father of African rivers.”.
Where is the Roman Kiosk?
The Roman Kiosk of Trajan (left) on Agilkia island in the Nile River, near Aswān, Egypt.
Is it safe to walk down the Nile River?
Most people will probably never venture down the Nile River. Instead, they choose to live vicariously through action movies and television shows. That's definitely the safest route, as the Nile came by its treacherous reputation honestly, thanks to rough rapids, rabid mosquitoes and some very unfriendly, yet beautiful, wildlife. Despite all of these factors, the Nile has given great opportunities to millions of people throughout history, and continues to do so to this day.
Which country runs south to north?
What we do know for sure is that it runs south to north through nine African countries: Uganda, Sudan, Egypt, Zaire, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Burundi. Running south to north may seem backward to many people, but the flow of a body of water has nothing to do with geographical orientation. Rather, rivers simply run from high ground to lower ground. High ground in Africa just happens to be in the south, low ground in the north. The Amazon River runs neck-and-neck with the Nile in terms of length, trading the title of world's longest river. A 2007 study put the Amazon in first at 4,225 miles (6,800 kilometers), about 65 miles (105 kilometers) longer than the Nile [source: National Geographic ].
Why do rivers reverse their flow?
A number of rivers are known to have reversed the direction of their flow, either permanently or temporarily, in response to geological activity, weather events, climate change, or direct human intervention.
Which river reverses its flow with the tide?
All tidal sections of rivers reverse their flow with the tide about twice a day, by definition. The Hudson and the Saint John River are just examples.
