The river cuts many small channels through the delta plain. Moving Earth and Water. In July 2019 a small Greek templ… Worksheet. The Nile Delta is situated in the middle of the Egyptian Mediterranean coastline of approximately 1,000 km. The Starting Point. The Nile Delta is situated in the middle of the Egyptian Mediterranean coastline of approximately 1000 km. The hippopotamus became extinct in the region during the last 200 years. This occurs where a river enters an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, or (more rarely) another river that cannot carry away the supplied sediment.The size and shape of a delta is controlled by the balance between … Unfortunately, the Nile crocodile is said to be extinct in these regions. Nile, longest river in the world, c.4,160 mi (6,695 km) long from its remotest headstream, the Luvironza River in Burundi, central Africa, to its delta on the Mediterranean Sea, NE Egypt. A river delta is a landform created by deposition of sediment that is carried by a river as the flow leaves its mouth and enters slower-moving or stagnant water. Sewage, agricultural pesticides and industrial activities also cause water pollution in branches of the Nile and its lakes. Nile River, Arabic Baḥr Al-Nīl or Nahr Al-Nīl, the longest river in the world, called the father of African rivers. After majoring in physics, Kevin Lee began writing professionally in 1989 when, as a software developer, he also created technical articles for the Johnson Space Center. Artifacts belonging to ancient sites have been found on the delta's coast. The Nile River delta was also an ideal growing location for the papyrus plant. [25], The delta's coastline has also undergone significant changes in geomorphology as a result of the reclamation of coastal dunes and lagoons to form new agricultural land and fish farms as well as the expansion of coastal urban areas.[26]. The Nile delta is a very important farming area in Egypt. Nile River Map - Nile River History. Nile Delta The Nile Delta is one of the fascinating places in Egypt. One such defunct distributary is Wadi Tumilat. Nile Delta Facts Nile Delta Quick Facts. The delta's limited mammal fauna includes the red fox and Egyptian mongoose. A river may even alter its course when sand barriers, channels and marshes form in its delta. Alexandria is the largest city in the delta with an estimated population of more than 4.5 million. In it, travelers encountered history and a way of life that had remained the same for its inhabitants for many centuries, despite the continuous changes in its geology. Deltas have a fairly flat section called a delta plain that is above water. Food shortages resulting from climate change could lead to seven million "climate refugees" by the end of the 21st century. Only 100–200 mm (4–8 in) of rain falls on the delta area during an average year, and most of this falls in the winter months. From north to south, the delta is approximately 160 km (99 mi) in length. With an area of around 22,000 square kilometers (8,494 square miles), the Nile Delta is Egypt's main oil and gas producing region. Fish found in the delta include the flathead grey mullet and soles. To the north-west are three other coastal lakes or lagoons: Lake Burullus, Lake Idku and Lake Mariout. There are various theories regarding the starting location of this ancient … Worksheet. Here are 12 interesting facts about the River Nile. The Nile waters flow at an average volume of 300 million cubic meters (79.2 billion gallons) per day, according to Travelling Along Rivers, a Dutch bilingual travel magazine. Only 100 … Outside of major cities, population density in the delta averages 1,000/km2 (2,600/sq mi) or more. At 1 m (3 ft 3 in) sea level rise, an estimated 887 thousand people could be at risk of flooding and displacement and about 100 km2 (40 sq mi) of vegetation, 16 km2 (10 sq mi) wetland, 402 km2 (160 sq mi) cropland, and 47 km2 (20 sq mi) of urban area land could be destroyed,[23] flooding approximately 450 km2 (170 sq mi). Climate. In modern day, the outer edges of the delta are eroding, and some coastal lagoons have seen increasing salinity levels as their connection to the Mediterranean Sea increases. The Nile Valley and the Delta. The length of the Nile River is approximately 6650 kilometres (4132 miles). The Delta used to flood annually, but this ended with the construction of the Aswan Dam. The delta is sometimes divided into sections, with the Nile dividing into two main distributaries, the Damietta and the Rosetta,[4] flowing into the Mediterranean at port cities with the same name. Nile River Facts “Egypt is the Gift of the Nile” is an old saying passed spontaneously through the minds of most people all over the world without paying attention or realizing its real meaning.To achieve the meaning of this saying, you have to recognize what is the Nile River? The low-lying Nile Delta area in particular is vulnerable to sea level rise associated with global warming. In addition to agriculture, the delta's ecosystems and tourist industry could be negatively affected by global warming. The Nile flows north for about 6,650 kilometers (4,132 miles), … Scientists have suggested that higher sea levels and extreme weather could impact the Nile's delta negatively as global temperatures climb. People have lived in the Nile Delta region for thousands of years, and it has been intensively farmed for at least the last five thousand years. Alexandria, Port Said, and other towns and villages exist along the coastal … With cooler temperatures and some rain, the Nile Delta region becomes quite humid during the winter months. In the past, the delta had several distributaries, but these have been lost due to flood control, silting and changing relief. The Nile is the longest river in the world. The planet's longest river, the Nile, has a mouth that forms a famous triangle called the Nile Delta. The Delta has a hot desert climate (Köppen: BWh) as the rest of Egypt, but its northernmost part, as is the case with the rest of the northern coast of Egypt which is the wettest region in the country, has relatively moderate temperatures, with highs usually not surpassing 31 °C (88 °F) in the summer. The Suez Canal is east of the delta and enters the coastal Lake Manzala in the north-east of the delta. River deltas are special because they contain the … Deltas become complex over time as sediments build up in different areas. Ancient Egyptians used the papyrus plant in many ways, such as making cloth, boxes, and rope, but by far its most important use was in making paper. Some scholars such as Aristotle have written that the delta was constructed for agricultural purposes due to the drying of the region of Egypt. The Nile delta, or Lower Egypt, covers an area of 9,650 square miles (25,000 sq km). Nile crocodiles and hippopotamus, two animals which were widespread in the delta during antiquity, are no longer found there. Lush green fields blanket northern Egypt's Nile Delta, but the country's agricultural heartland and its vital freshwater resources are under threat from a warming climate. Nile Delta – After flowing through Cairo the River Nile enters a delta region, a triangular-shaped lowland where the river fans out into two main distributaries: the Rosetta and the Damietta. The Upper Nile plant is the Egyptian lotus, and the Lower Nile plant is the Papyrus Sedge (Cyperus papyrus), although it is not nearly as plentiful as it once was, and is becoming quite rare.[20]. Other animals found in the delta include frogs, turtles, tortoises, mongooses, and the Nile monitor. The delta was a major constituent of Lower Egypt, and there are many archaeological sites in and around the delta. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}30°54′N 31°7′E / 30.900°N 31.117°E / 30.900; 31.117, The Nile Delta (Arabic: دلتا النيل‎ Delta an-Nīl or simply الدلتا ad-Delta) is the delta formed in Lower Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. The burial site contained the remains of animals, amulets and scarabs carved from faience, round and oval pots with handles, flint knives, broken and burned pottery. 1. Nile Delta Facts: Lesson for Kids. The Rosetta Stone was found in the delta in 1799 in the port city of Rosetta (an anglicized version of the name Rashid). It is home to over 50 percent of Egypt’s population of 80 million. A Sharqiya criminal court sentenced on Wednesday two policemen to eight years in prison for beating an auto-rickshaw driver to death in Egypt's Nile Delta. All burials included skulls and skeletons in the bending position and were not very well-preserved. Other large cities in the delta include Shubra El Kheima, Port Said, El Mahalla El Kubra, Mansura, Tanta, and Zagazig. [6] Artifacts belonging to ancient sites have been found on the delta's coast. Although traditionally considered the longest river in the world, the starting point of the river is disputed often, and many people consider the Amazon River to be the longest in the world. Spread over 25,000 kilometres, the densely populated Nile Delta is the breadbasket of Egypt, accounting for two-thirds of the country’s agricultural production and home to 40 million people. The Nile Valley and the Delta, the largest oasis on the face of the earth, were created by the world’s second longest river and seemingly inexhaustible resources.. The Nile Delta is roughly 500 km (310 mi) wide and 800 km (500 mi) long; the coastline as it meets the Mediterranean is 225 km (140 mi) long. The Nile is considered to be an "arcuate" delta (arc-shaped), as it resembles a triangle or flower when seen from above. The Nile River transports large quantities of rich dirt and earth, also known as _____. The Nile Delta forms part of these 10 governorates: Delta produced by the Nile River at its mouth in the Mediterranean Sea, "Mysterious temple discovered in the ruins of sunken ancient city", "Divers Find Remains of Ancient Temple in Sunken Egyptian City", "Subaquatic Temple and Countless Treasures Discovered in Egypt's Sunken City of Heracleion", "Archaeologists discover a sunken ancient settlement underwater", "Ancient Egypt: Underwater archaeologists uncover destroyed temple in the sunken city of Heracleion", "3,500-Year-Old Tombs Unearthed in Egypt's Nile Delta - Archaeology Magazine", "Ancient tombs and prehistoric burials found in Nile Delta - Ancient Egypt - Heritage", "Global Warming Threatens Egypt's Coastlines and the Nile Delta", "Egypt's Nile Delta falls prey to climate change", "Egypt fertile Nile Delta falls prey to climate change", Adaptationlearning.net: UN project for managing sea level rise risks in the Nile Delta, List of countries where Arabic is an official language, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nile_Delta&oldid=996378050, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with dead external links from January 2016, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 26 December 2020, at 05:51. Crocodiles. As the name “Nile crocodile” suggests, the reptile was originally found as far north as the Mediterranean coast in the Nile Delta and extended across to the Middle East side of the Red Sea in Israel and Syria. Millions of birds traveling between Africa and Europe pass through the delta region. The River Nile is 4,132 miles (6,648km) in length. If the polar ice caps were to melt, much of the northern delta, including the ancient port city of Alexandria, could disappear under the Mediterranean. Saltwater and freshwater species make up the Nile Delta's aquatic fauna. Topsoil in the delta can be as much as 21 m (70 ft) in depth. People have lived in the Nile Delta region for thousands of years, and it has been intensively farmed for at least the last five thousand years. It rises south of the Equator and flows northward through northeastern Africa to drain into the Mediterranean Sea. A case study of the coastal recession at the Nile Delta for Edexcel A Level Geography. Haq. It originates near the equator and flows nearly 7000 km northward. The delta was a major constituent of Lower Egypt, and there are many archaeological sites in and around the delta. Deltas. [22] This effect is exacerbated by the lack of sediments being deposited since the construction of the Aswan Dam. The Nile Delta The Delta is formed by the division of the branches of the River Nile as it flows south through the Valley formed by the Nile in Upper Egypt. Located in North Africa, it flows through 11 countries, including Kenya, Congo, Sudan, Uganda, and Egypt, before it eventually drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is now eroding. The delta is made up mainly of alternating layers of silt and sand, laid down by the Nile over the past 10 thousand years or so. The Nile Delta Flooded Savanna ecoregion extends along the River Nile from the Aswan High Dam, 1,100 km downstream to the mouth of the Nile as it enters the Mediterranean Sea. The Rosetta Stone was found in the delta in 1799 in the port city of Rosetta (an anglicized version of the name Rashid). From west to east, it covers some 240 km (150 mi) of coastline. [24] Some areas of the Nile Delta's agricultural land have been rendered saline as a result of sea level rise; farming has been abandoned in some places, while in others sand has been brought in from elsewhere to reduce the effect. Without the topographic channel that leads the Nile through the desert, Egypt will be a full desert; the Nile flows about 1,600 kilometers across Egypt and flows north from the Egyptian … A 30 cm (12 in) rise in sea level could affect about 6.6% of the total land cover area in the Nile Delta region. The delta is about 175 km long and 260 km wide (Hughes and Hughes 1992). Best-case projections show that significant parts of the delta could lie underwater causing major losses for farmers in the area. Trade. New sections of delta … Unfortunately, the dam restricts the spread of fertile sediments that occur annually through floods. The dam also contributes to erosion in the delta region along the Mediterranean coast. There are now only two main branches, due to flood control, silting and changing relief: the Damietta (corresponding to the Phatnitic) to the east, and the Rosetta (corresponding to the Bolbitine)[18] in the western part of the Delta. Several hundred thousand water birds winter in the delta, including the world's largest concentrations of little gulls and whiskered terns. The river branches spread out in a V-shaped fan and make their way towards the Mediterranean through Lower Egypt. The Delta shoreline consists of sandy and silty shores of greatly varying lateral configurations, depending on where the old branches of the Nile had their outlets. It has two main tributaries (branches). Copyright 2021 Leaf Group Ltd. / Leaf Group Media, All Rights Reserved. Found in northeast Africa, the Nile has long been recognised as the longest river in the world … In addition to providing flood control, it helps reduce drought and generate hydroelectric power. In July 2019 a small Greek temple, ancient granite columns, treasure-carrying ships, and bronze coins from the reign of Ptolemy II, dating back to the third and fourth centuries BC, were found at the sunken city of Heracleion, colloquially known as Egypt's Atlantis. Most of Egypt's habitable land is within the Nile Delta and along the Nile River. [7][8][9][10][11][12], In January 2019 archaeologists led by Mostafa Waziri working in the Kom Al-Khelgan area of the Nile Delta discovered tombs from the Second Intermediate Period and burials from the Naqada II era. The Nile Delta is approximately 100 miles (161 km) long from north to south, and it spreads out along about 150 miles (241 km) of E… The River Nile is the longest river in the world. The Nile Delta and its coastal zone are populated regions in Egypt and contain a variety of development activities. The Delta begins approximately 20 km north of … You'll also find one of the planet's most important bird migration routes in the Nile Delta. The Delta begins slightly down-river from Cairo.[3]. The High Aswan Dam, completed in 1970, brought important benefits to the Nile Delta. Print. Although such an engineering feat would be considered equivalent to a wonder of the ancient world, there is insufficient evidence to determine conclusively whether the delta is man-made or was formed naturally.[5]. At the coastline, it stretches 150 miles (241 km). About 39 million people live in the Delta region. The rivers join to form the Nile at Khartoum, in Egypt. Introduction to the location of the Delta; Importance of the Delta for the region; Risks facing the Delta; Human actions and Physical factors affecting the Delta; Links to wider reading and an introductory video; Independent learning task on a summary handout The Nile flows northward and drains c.1,100,000 sq mi (2,850,000 Part of the great desert belt, the Nile Delta region is warm, with Cairo experiencing average... Wildlife in the Delta. The northern section of the river flows through an area which is almost entirely desert, providing fertility and a source of water. They are the White Nile, which begins in Burundi, and the Blue Nile, which begins in Ethiopia. Winter temperatures are normally in the range of 9 °C (48 °F) at nights to 19 °C (66 °F) in the daytime. They also uncovered a devastated historic temple (the city's main temple) underwater off Egypt's north coast. It is one of the world's largest river deltas—from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in the east, it covers some 240 km of Mediterranean coastline—and is a rich agricultural region. [2] From north to south the delta is approximately 160 km (99 mi) in length. With a rich and diverse cultural history, the Nile Delta is one of northern Africa's most fertile regions -- people have farmed it for thousands of years. Today this urban Texas cowboy continues to crank out high-quality software as well as non-technical articles covering a multitude of diverse topics ranging from gaming to current affairs. Most of the Nile Delta's hazardous waste comes from chemical plants. The Nile is one of the most famous rivers in the world. The Lower Nile (North) and the Upper Nile (South) have plants that grow in abundance. Measuring from the north to south, the Nile Delta’s total length is about 100 miles (161 km). [21], Egypt's Mediterranean coastline experiences significant loss of land to the sea, in some places amounting to 90 m (100 yd) a year. Other birds making their homes in the delta include grey herons, Kentish plovers, shovelers, cormorants, egrets and ibises. Nevertheless, environmental damage to the delta is not currently one of Egypt's priorities. Deltas form when silt and sediments accumulate at the mouths of large rivers. It is about 100 miles (160 km) long from Cairo to the Mediterranean, with a coastline stretching some 150 miles (240 km) from Alexandria to Port Said. The investigations were conducted by Egyptian and European divers led by the underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio. The … The word delta gets its name from the fact that the Greek letter delta looks like the triangular area at the mouth of the Nile. It doesn't rain much in the region, but when it does, rainfall occurs in the winter. It is believed to … It takes approximately three months for the waters near the town of Jinja, Uganda (the point where the Nile leaves Lake Victoria), to reach the Mediterranean Sea. Those human activities which provide income and source of life to many also generate constraints to Nile Delta region. [1] It is one of the world's largest river deltas—from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in the east, it covers 240 km (150 mi) of Mediterranean coastline and is a rich agricultural region. The delta experiences its hottest temperatures in July and August, with a maximum average of 34 °C (93 °F). The Nile delta is situated in northern Egypt, where the river Nile reaches the Mediterranean Sea. It's the longest river on Earth. Climate and Environment. These channels are called distributaries. These dimensions put the Delta into the lists of the world’s largest Delta’s. These distributaries are named after the coastal towns where they depart the mainland. [13][14], Records from ancient times (such as by Pliny the Elder) show that the delta had seven distributaries or branches, (from east to west):[4]. The Nile Delta (Arabic: دلتا النيل) is the delta formed in Northern Egypt (Lower Egypt) where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. Since the delta no longer receives an annual supply of nutrients and sediments from upstream due to the construction of the Aswan Dam, the soils of the floodplains have become poorer, and large amounts of fertilizers are now used. [19], During autumn, parts of the Nile River are red with lotus flowers. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: Deltas, University of Michigan: Human Impacts on the Nile River: Natural Impacts, Sustainable Agriculture Reviews; Eric Lichtfouse, The Nile: Origin, Environments, Limnology and Human Use; Edited by Henri J. Dumont, Google: Freshwater Ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar: A Conservation Assessment; Michele L. Thieme, Robin Abell, Neil Burgess, Bernhard Lehner, Eric Dinerstein, David Olson, World Wildlife Federation: Nile Delta Flooded Savanna | Ecoregions, Coastal Zone Management Imperative for Maritime Developing Nations; Edited by B.U. Part of the great desert belt, the Nile Delta region is warm, with Cairo experiencing average January temperatures of 12 degrees Celsius (53.6 Fahrenheit) and average July temperatures of 31 degrees Celsius (87.8 Fahrenheit). The Nile Delta has a Mediterranean climate, characterized by little rainfall. To ancient sites have been found on the delta include the flathead grey mullet soles... Of large rivers major losses for farmers in the delta is situated the... Species make up the Nile crocodile is said to be extinct in the delta 's limited mammal fauna the. That higher Sea levels and extreme weather could impact the Nile delta is situated in the Nile is! 39 million people live in the delta was a major constituent of Egypt. 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