Nile River Facts for Kids

A Map of the Nile River
  • 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

19 Nile River Facts for Kids

  1. The Nile River is a very long watercourse in Africa.
  2. The Nile River is most well-known for being the lifeline of Egyptian civilizations for more than 5,000 years.
  3. The Nile River flows through eleven northeastern countries in Africa.
  4. The eleven northeastern Africa countries the Nile River flows through are Burundi, Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.
  5. The two main headwaters of the Nile River are the White Nile and Blue Nile Rivers.
  6. The Nile River drains into the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
  7. The entire length of the Nile River is 4,130 miles.
  8. The Nile River is the second longest River in the world.
  9. There are disputes that the Nile River is longer than the Amazon River, which would make the Nile the longest river in the world. The disputes are based on how the length of a river is measured.
  10. The average depth of the Nile River is between 26 and 36 feet.
  11. The Nile River at its widest point is 1.7 miles wide.
  12. Bamboo (Bambusoideae) plant species can be found along and near the Nile River.
  13. Bamboo is an important source of food for herbivore animals and building material for humans.
  14. The Nile River is home to a wide variety of plants, animals and fish.
  15. The Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) is an apex predator that lives in the Nile River.
  16. The Nile crocodile is estimated to kill hundreds, if not thousands of people a year along the Nile River. The main reason for the attacks is the proximity of human settlements and the Nile crocodile habitat.
  17. The Nile perch (Lates niloticus) is a large freshwater fish native to the Nile River.
  18. The Nile perch is an important food source for people along the Nile River and East Africa. They can reach a length over six feet and weigh over 400 pounds.
  19. Around 95% of the population of Egypt relies on the Nile River as a water source.

Additional Resources on the Nile River