Jump to content

Blue Nile

From Wikipedia
Blue Nile
river
Origin of the watercourseLake Tana Edit
Mouth of the watercourseNile Edit
Lake for watercourse topLake Tana Edit
Drainage basinNile basin Edit
Basin countryEthiopia Edit
CountryEthiopia, Sudan Edit
Coordinate location11°37′14″N 37°24′29″E, 15°37′25″N 32°30′7″E Edit

De Blue Nile be river wey e originate at Lake Tana for Ethiopia iinsyd. E dey travel give approximately 1,450 km (900 mi) thru Ethiopia den Sudan. Along plus de White Nile, e be one of de two major tributaries of de Nile den e dey supply about 85.6% of de water to de Nile during de rainy season.

Course

[edit | edit source]

De distance of de river from ein source to ein confluence, dem variously report am between 1,460 den 1,600 kilometres (910 and 990 mi). Dis uncertainty fi result from de fact dat de impenetrable gorges cut for de Ethiopian Highlands to a depth of sam 1,500 metres (4,900 ft). According to materials wey de Central Statistical Agency publish am, an Ethiopian government agency, de Blue Nile get a total length of 1,450 kilometres (900 mi), of wey 800 kilometres (500 mi) dey insyd Ethiopia.[1]

For Ethiopia insyd

[edit | edit source]

De Blue Nile dey originate at Gish Abay at Sekela for Ethiopia insyd (wey dem bell am de Abay River). De river dey flow generally south before e enter a canyon about 400 km (250 mi) long, about 30 km (19 mi) from Lake Tana, wey be tremendous obstacle give travel den communication between north den south Ethiopia. Dem first refer to de canyon as de "Grand Canyon" for 1968 insyd by a British team dat accomplish de first descent of de river from Lake Tana to de end of de canyon; subsequent river rafting parties bell am de "Grand Canyon of de Nile".[2] De Blue Nile Falls (Amharic: Tis Abay, literally "great smoke"), one of Ethiopia ein biggest tourist attractions, dem dey locate am at de start of de canyon.

De river dey loop across northwest Ethiopia before numerous tributaries feed am between Lake Tana den de Ethiopia–Sudan border. Those for ein left bank top, for downstream order insyd, dey include de Wanqa River, de Bashilo River, de Walaqa River, de Wanchet River, de Jamma River, de Muger River, de Guder River, de Agwel River, de Nedi River, de Didessa River den de Dabus River. Those for de right side top, sanso for downstream order insyd, dey include de Handassa, Tul, Abaya, Sade, Tammi, Cha, Shita, Suha, Muga, Gulla, Temcha, Bachat, Katlan, Jiba, Chamoga, Weter den de Beles.[3]

For Sudan insyd

[edit | edit source]
Satellite image wey White den Blue Niles dey merge

De Blue Nile then dey head northwest into Sudan. E travel give approximately 650 km (400 mi), wey e flow past Er Roseires den e receive de Dinder River for ein right bank top at Dinder. At Khartoum, de Blue Nile dey join de White Nile den, as de Nile, e dey flow thru Egypt to de Mediterranean Sea at Alexandria.

Water flow

[edit | edit source]
Confluence of de Blue den White Nile rivers near Khartoum, de capital of Sudan

De flow of de Blue Nile dey reach maximum volume for de rainy season from June to September insyd, wen e dey supply 80–86% of de water of de Nile proper. De river be a major source of de flooding of de Nile for Egypt insyd dat contribute to de fertility of de Nile Valley den de consequent rise of Ancient Egypt den Egyptian mythology. Plus de completion of de Aswan Dam for 1970 insyd, dem floods stopped occurring for lower Egypt insyd. During de summer monsoon season, de Blue Nile floods erode a vast amount of fertile soil from de Ethiopian Highlands dem carry am downstream as silt, wey e turn de water dark brown anaa almost black.[4]

De Blue Nile dey vital to de livelihood of Egypt: as de most significant tributary of de Nile, e dey contribute ova 85% of de Nile ein streamflow.[5] Though shorter dan de White Nile, 59% of de water dat dey reach Egypt dey originate from de Ethiopian highlands via de Blue Nile. De river sanso be an important resource give Sudan, wey de Roseires Dam den Sennar Dam dey contribute to de 80% of de country ein electricity generation from hydropower. Dem dams sanso help dey irrigate de Gezira Scheme, wey be most famous give ein high-quality cotton, as well as wheat den animal feed crop production for de area insyd.

For November 2012 insyd, Ethiopia begin construction of de Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, a 6000-megawatt hydroelectric dam for de river top. Dem dey expect de dam to be a boost give de Ethiopian economy. Sudan den Egypt, howeva, voice demma concerns ova a potential reduction for water available insyd.[6] Electricity generation begin for February 2022 insyd.[7]

History

[edit | edit source]
Suspension bridge ova de Blue Nile River. E be de only pedestrian cable bridge ova de Blue Nile for Ethiopia insyd.
Blue Nile Gorge for Ethiopia insyd.

De Egyptian dey fear dat Ethiopia fi block de Blue Nile be major factor for de long den complex Ethiopian-Egyptian relationship insyd. While Egypt rely for Ethiopia top give ein waters, Ethiopia depend for de Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria top give patriarchal authority den de appointment of ein metropolitan. Dis interdependence shape events since de 11th century. Give centuries, de threat of blocking de Blue Nile be an effective strategy for dey ensure de appointment of Egyptian metropolitans. Howeva, for practice insyd, neither a diversion nor large-scale use of de river ein waters, dem eva attempt am.[8]

An early crisis emerge during de reign of Zagwe King Gebre Mesqel Lalibela, whom de Egyptians suspect of attempting to divert de river, even though ein kingdom neva extend to de Blue Nile. E be Emperor Amda Seyon I wey first occupy de Blue Nile basin den begin dey spread Christianity der.[9]

De Emperors of de Solomonic dynasty, particularly Dawit II, Yeshaq I, den Zara Yaqob, continue dey assert Ethiopia ein control ova de river as a diplomatic tool. Dem sanso reinforce dis concept for religious terms insyd, wey e identify de Blue Nile plus de biblical Gihon den dey adapt de Tammera Maryam to legitimize demma authority ova de waters. Medieval European myths about a powerful Christian Ethiopia wey e aid for de destruction of Islam insyd further elevate de significance of de Blue Nile for Ethio-Egyptian relations insyd.[10]

De first European dem know to have seen de Blue Nile for Ethiopia insyd den de river ein source be Pedro Páez, a Spanish Jesuit wey reach de river ein source for 21 April 1618 top.[11] Howeva, de Portuguese João Bermudes, de self-described "Patriarch of Ethiopia", provide de first description of de Tis Abay River Falls for ein memoirs insyd wey e publish for 1565 insyd, den any number of Europeans wey live for de Ethiopia insyd for de late 15th century insyd such as Pêro da Covilhã could have seen de river long before Páez, but not reach ein source. De source of de Nile proper sanso reach for 1629 insyd by de Portuguese Jesuit missionary Jerónimo Lobo den for 1770 insyd by de Scottish explorer James Bruce.

Although European explorers contemplate dey trace de course of de Nile from de Blue Nile ein confluence plus de White Nile to Lake Tana, de Blue Nile Canyon discourage all attempts since Frédéric Cailliaud ein attempt for 1821 insyd. De first serious attempt by a non-local to explore dis reach of de river, de American W.W. Macmillan undertake am for 1902 insyd, wey de Norwegian explorer B.H. Jenssen assist am; Jenssen proceed upriver from Khartoum while Macmillan sail downstream from Lake Tana. Howeva, de rapids at Famaka short of de Sudan-Ethiopia border block Jenssen ein boats, den wreck Macmillan ein boats shortly after dem launch am. Macmillan encourage Jenssen to try to sail upstream from Khartoum again for 1905 insyd, but dem force am to stop 500 km (300 mi) short of Lake Tana.[12] Robert Cheesman, wey record ein surprise for dey arrive for Ethiopia insyd for dey find dat de upper waters of "one of de most famous of de rivers of de world, den one wey dem know ein name well to de ancients" dey for ein lifetime insyd "dotted lines mark for de map top", manage to map de upper course of de Blue Nile between 1925 den 1933. He do dis not by dey follow de river along ein banks den thru ein impassable canyon but by dey follow am from de highlands above, wey e travel sam 8,000 km (5,000 mi) by mule for de adjacent country insyd.[13]

For de 1950s den 1960s insyd, several kayakers paddle parts of de canyon. For 1968 insyd, at de request of Haile Selassie, a team of 60 British den Ethiopian servicemen den scientists make de first full descent of de river from Lake Tana to a point near de Sudanese border wey explorer John Blashford-Snell lead am.[14] De team use specially-built Avon Inflatables den modify Royal Engineers assault boats to navigate de formidable rapids. Subsequent rafting expeditions for de 1970s den 1980s insyd generally only cover parts of de river canyon.

For 1999 insyd, writer Virginia Morell[15] den photographer Nevada Wier make de journey by raft from Lake Tana to Sudan, wey e publish a documentary about demma journey afterwards.[16] For 2000, American den National Geographic reader, Kenneth Frantz, see a photo wey Nevada Wier take am give National Geographic wey fi lead am to found de charity Bridges to Prosperity. Dis photo show a bridge broken during World War II, plus 10 men for either side of de broken span top wey dem pull each oda across de dangerous gap by rope. Dis historic bridge was built by Emperor Fasilides in approximately 1660 with Roman bridge technology bring to Ethiopia by Portuguese soldiers during de battle plus de Muslim invaders for 1507 insyd.[17] For both 2001 den 2009 insyd, Bridges to Prosperity volunteers travel from de United States to repair de broken bridge across de Blue Nile den later build a new suspension bridge not susceptible to flood.[18]

For 28 April 2004 top, geologist Pasquale Scaturro den ein partner, kayaker den documentary filmmaker Gordon Brown, becam de first pippoe dem know to navigate de Blue Nile for ein entirety insyd. Though demma expedition include several odas, Brown den Scaturro be de only ones to remain for de expedition top give de entire journey. Dem chronicle demma adventure plus an IMAX camera den two handheld video cameras, wey dem share demma story for de film Mystery of the Nile insyd den for a book of de same title insyd.[19]

For 29 January 2005 top, Canadian Les Jickling den ein teammate New Zealander Mark Tanner complete de first fully human-powered transit of de entire Blue Nile den de Nile for de Sudan den Egypt insyd. Demma journey of ova 5,000 km (3,100 mi) take five months den travel thru Ethiopia, Sudan, den Egypt. Dem recount dat dem paddle thru civil war conflict zones, regions dem know give bandits, den encounter multiple hazards den rapids.[20]

References

[edit | edit source]
  1. ↑ "Climate, 2008 National Statistics (Abstract)" Archived 13 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine, Table A.1. Central Statistical Agency website (accessed 26 December 2009)
  2. ↑ Engelking, Marina; McPherson-Ramirez, Gloria (15 April 2008). Breakthroughs: An Integrated Advanced English Program. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-542738-7 – via Google Books.
  3. ↑ These lists are based on the compilation in G.W.B. Huntingford, Historical Geography of Ethiopia from the first century AD to 1704 (London: British Academy, 1989), p. 34
  4. ↑ "Its Origin, Falls, and Gorge". Dinknesh Ethiopia Tour. Archived from the original on 20 August 2015. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
  5. ↑ Mohamed Helmy Mahmoud Moustafa ElsanabaryElsanabary, Mohamed Helmy Mahmoud Moustafa (2012), Teleconnection, Modeling, Climate Anomalies Impact and Forecasting of Rainfall and Streamflow of the Upper Blue Nile River Basin, Canada: University of Alberta, doi:10.7939/R3377641M, hdl:10402/era.28151
  6. ↑ Ethiopia: Nile Dam Project a Hydropower Hope, but Regional Sore Point, Africa: Thomson Reuters Foundation, 2012, archived from the original on 14 July 2015, retrieved 9 July 2015
  7. ↑ "Ethiopia starts generating power from River Nile dam". BBC News. 20 February 2022.
  8. ↑ Uhlig, Siegbert (2003). Encyclopaedia Aethiopica: A-C. p. 27.
  9. ↑ Uhlig, Siegbert (2003). Encyclopaedia Aethiopica: A-C. p. 27.
  10. ↑ Uhlig, Siegbert (2003). Encyclopaedia Aethiopica: A-C. p. 27.
  11. ↑ R. E. Cheesman, Geographical Journal, 71 (1928), p. 361
  12. ↑ Alan Moorehead, The Blue Nile, revised edition (New York: Harper and Row, 1972), pp. 319f
  13. ↑ Cheesman, pp. 358–374.
  14. ↑ Snailham, Richard. 1970. The Blue Nile Revealed. London: Chatto and Windus.
  15. ↑ "Blue Nile: Ethiopia's River of Magic and Mystery - Bookreporter.com". bookreporter.com. Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 3 May 2018.
  16. ↑ "Blue Nile @ nationalgeographic.com". Ngm.nationalgeographic.com. Archived from the original on 6 October 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  17. ↑ Baynes, Thomas Spencer (1838). "Abyssinia". The Encyclopædia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and General Literature, Volume 1 (Ninth ed.). Henry G. Allen and Company. p. 65.
  18. ↑ "Envisioning a world where poverty caused by rural isolation no longer exists". Bridges to Prosperity. Archived from the original on 12 January 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  19. ↑ Richard Bangs and Pasquale Scaturro, Mystery of the Nile. New York: New American Library, 2005
  20. ↑ "Department - Alumni Association". web.uvic.ca. Archived from the original on 2 February 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
[edit | edit source]
Dem retrieve am from "https://gpe.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blue_Nile&oldid=105061"