The length question
The Nile is the longest river in Africa. At about 6,695 kilometres long, for a long time people said it was the longest river in the world. Now, this is not so certain. The Amazon might be a little longer. Scientists said in 2007 they had found a new source for the Amazon that made it 6,800 kilometres long.
The Nile is an important river that has had a big influence on history. The Egyptians built their civilisation on the banks of the Nile. Every year, the river flooded and provided water and rich black soil - sediment. This helped the Egyptians grow crops. The river banks were also home to reeds called papyrus. The Egyptians used this to write on.
White and blue
The source is the start of a river. It is hard to decide where the source of a river is. Rivers have many sources. But most people agree that the source of the Nile is Lake Victoria. It is the largest lake in Africa.
At the northern end of it is a waterfall called the Ripon Falls. This marks the beginning of the Nile's long journey to the Mediterranean Sea.