III.

Economic Importance of the Nile

Irrigation along much of the Nile supports agriculture in the river basin. Nearly all the food produced in Egypt is watered by the Nile, and much of the country’s population lives in the river valley. Irrigation from waters of the Nile is extensive in Sudan, as well, especially in a fertile area between the Blue Nile and the White Nile known as the Gezira (Arabic for “island”). Farmers in the Nile valley grow products such as cotton, wheat, sorghum, dates, citrus fruits, sugarcane, and various legumes. Communities along the river catch tilapia, Nile perch, and other freshwater fish in its waters.

As a result of the Aswān High Dam, which was completed in 1970, the Nile no longer floods its banks each summer, swollen by heavy spring rains in the Ethiopian highlands. The dammed waters are stored in Lake Nasser and released gradually to enable farmers to irrigate their crops year-round. However, the nutrient-rich sediments carried by the Nile now collect behind the dam and no longer enrich the soil of the Nile valley and the Nile delta. The soil has become less fertile as a consequence, and farmers must now use fertilizer.

Ferries and barges carry people across the Nile at various points in Egypt and Sudan as well as across Lakes Nasser and Victoria. Sightseeing boats and cruise ships transport tourists to ancient Egyptian sites along the river, especially to the pyramids at Giza, the temples at Luxor and Al Karnak near ancient Thebes, and the temple of Abū Simbel south of Aswān. However, the Nile no longer serves as a major transportation route. Trucks and railroads carry most of the cargo in Egypt and Sudan, and most of the Nile River ports have shut down or fallen into disrepair. Efforts were under way in the early 2000s to improve port facilities along the Nile in northern Egypt.

The Nile is also a source of hydroelectric power (see Waterpower), although the river’s potential as a source of electricity has yet to be fully exploited. Dams to provide hydroelectricity (and control flooding) have been constructed along the Nile in Egypt, Sudan, and Uganda. Additional hydroelectric projects are planned.