The Nile's Upper Course
Let's start with the White Nile. The White Nile, after Lake Victoria, drops sharply into the Sudd (which is a big swamp of papyrus, elephant grass, and water hyacinth) in the Sudan plateau.In the 1900's, the river channel was cleared because it was often blocked (sudd means "block" in Arabic) by floating vegetation. Through evaporation and seeping into the ground, the river loses a great deal of water when it meaders shallow channels. Soon after this, the river meets the Blue Nile.
The Blue Nile's course is less complicated. It starts at 1,785 m above sea level in Lake Tana. Starting southeastward, the river becomes very wide while crossing the Sudan border and changes direction to the northeast.
It gets most of it's water from heavy rains in summer. Gradually, it drops to the Sudan plateau and joins the White Nile.
Thats where, in Khartoum, the main stream of the Nile begins. The first series of rapids it encounters is about 120 km downstream. Then there is grassland for a while, and the Nile is doing well. This is where the Nile becomes the Middle Course.
The Blue Nile's course is less complicated. It starts at 1,785 m above sea level in Lake Tana. Starting southeastward, the river becomes very wide while crossing the Sudan border and changes direction to the northeast.
It gets most of it's water from heavy rains in summer. Gradually, it drops to the Sudan plateau and joins the White Nile.
Thats where, in Khartoum, the main stream of the Nile begins. The first series of rapids it encounters is about 120 km downstream. Then there is grassland for a while, and the Nile is doing well. This is where the Nile becomes the Middle Course.