The Nile and its basin

The Nile basin includes parts of 11 countries, although regional organizations differ in membership: the Nile Basin Initiative has ten member states, while Eritrea participates as an observer. The southernmost headwater associated with the Nile river system is in Burundi, south of the Equator; water from the White Nile and the main river system ultimately flows north and empties into the Mediterranean Sea. Calling this simply “the source of the Nile” compresses a complex network of tributaries and lakes.