How fertile is the Nile Delta?

How fertile is the Nile Delta?

The Nile River is the father of African rivers and the longest river in the world. With a length of some 6650 km, it rises south of the equator and flows northwards through northeastern Africa, draining into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile Delta, in fact, ranks among the world’s most fertile farming areas.

What is so special about the Nile river Delta?

The area of the Nile Delta is about 20.000 km2. The Nile Valley and the Nile Delta rank among the world’s most fertile farming areas and are surrounded by a highly arid environment. Consequently, the delta is densely populated. Some 50% of the Egyptian polulation (exclusive of Cairo) lives in the Nile Delta.

Why is the Nile Delta Green?

That’s why the rest of Egypt looks like a brown desert, but the Nile Delta looks like a green paradise. This flow of water and sediment is the reason why ancient Egyptians called the Nile their home. They couldn’t live far out in the desert, but could grow crops and livestock through the delta where the river flowed.

Why is the Nile delta so popular?

The Nile Delta is the opening of the Nile, the longest river in the world, as it reaches the Mediterranean Sea. Since the Nile brings both water and rich sediment, the Delta has been a perfect area to grow food for thousands and thousands of years.

Why does the Nile not flood anymore?

The Nile used to flood once every year during the inundation season, what the Egyptians called Akhet, between June and September. Now, the Nile doesn’t flood anymore because of the construction of the Aswan dam in the 1960’s (see page 11).

Why is Nile Delta Green?

Why was the Nile Delta important to Egypt?

The river’s fertility allowed the Egyptians to thrive despite the arid surrounding desert. It has always delivered the necessary water to transform the desert into a lush garden, where produce such as tomatoes, potatoes, sugar cane, rice and even cotton are grown. The Nile Delta, in fact, ranks among the world’s most fertile farming areas.

What kind of climate does the Nile Delta have?

Climate. 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.

Where does the Nile River drain into the Mediterranean Sea?

Nile Delta. The Nile Delta at night as seen from the ISS in October 2010. 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.

What are the distributaries of the Nile River?

The delta is sometimes divided into sections, with the Nile dividing into two main distributaries, the Damietta and the Rosetta, flowing into the Mediterranean at port cities with the same name. In the past, the delta had several distributaries, but these have been lost due to flood control, silting and changing relief.