The Nile: One of the World's Longest Rivers

The Nile is traditionally considered the world’s longest river, and its length is often given as about 6,650 km. The ranking is not entirely settled: a river’s length depends on which headwater is chosen, where its mouth is defined, and how the winding channel is measured. The Amazon is therefore also argued to be the longest under some measurements. The Nile crosses several natural regions of northeastern Africa; its water and fertile floodplain have supported agriculture and societies in the region for millennia.