The Nile River flows northward from its sources in East Africa to the Mediterranean Sea.
Key points:
- Source and gradient: The river’s main sources—the White Nile (originating near Lake Victoria) and the Blue Nile (originating in the Ethiopian Highlands)—are at higher elevations in the south and east, while the northern Nile passes into the flatter Nile Valley toward the Mediterranean. Gravity drives the flow from higher to lower elevations, producing a predominantly northward course.
- Geographic path: From its headwaters in the East African highlands, the Nile runs roughly north through Sudan and into Egypt, culminating in the Nile Delta at the Mediterranean Sea.
- Common misconception: Rivers generally flow downhill; the Nile’s northward direction is due to regional topography, not because north is a universal river-direction standard. The river’s trajectory follows the land’s slope rather than a fixed cardinal rule.
