River flowing through Egypt and Sudan, which has its sources in Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Burundi. The Nile, as defined starting with the Kyaka river in Burundi, is 6,671 km long, and has a surface area of a total of 3,350,000 km?(5 times the area of France). The discharge is around 3,1 million litres per second.
The ancient name of the Nile, was Iteru. The annual flood was personified by the god Hapy, who was associated with fertility and regeneration.
The Nile can be divided into three zones, starting in the south: The first consists of tributaries to the two streams of the White Nile and the Blue Nile which join near Khartoum in Sudan. The second zone is the stretch between Khartoum and Cairo. The third and last zone is the Nile Delta, where the Nile divides into several branches and artificial canals. The main rivers are Rosetta (Rashid) and Damietta (Dumyat) are the main ones. The Nile Delta is the widest habitable area of the Nile, and it even includes several lakes, like Manzala, Buruillus and Edku.
The width of the Nile north from Aswan in Egypt it's most important stretch in terms of inhabitants and economy is 2.8 km in average. The greatest width is at Edfu, with 7.5 km, the smallest at Silwa Gorge, near Aswan, with 350 metres.
Modern times have added more division lines, like the two dams at Aswan. There are also minor dams in Sudan, aiding agriculture and protecting against large floods.