The Nile — Lifeline of Egypt

Without the Nile, there would be no Egypt. The longest river in the world (6,650 km, of which 1,550 km are in Egypt) created the fertile alluvial land through its annual floods, on which the pharaonic civilization emerged. 97% of Egypt's population live on the narrow 4% of the land that the Nile irrigates — a green strip through the desert.

The Aswan High Dam (completed in 1970) ended the annual floods and enabled year-round agriculture. The downside: the nutrient-rich Nile silt now settles in Lake Nasser, coastal erosion in the Nile Delta has increased, and the ecological balance has been altered. The Nile remains Egypt's greatest geopolitical challenge — the dispute with Ethiopia over the GERD (Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam) is one of the world's most pressing water conflicts.