Q 01/05

Into which sea does the Nile empty?

A) The Black Sea

B) The Red Sea

C) The Mediterranean

D) The Arabian Sea

Answer · why

C) The Mediterranean

The Mediterranean meets the Nile at a fan of sediment shaped like the Greek letter delta, and every other river delta takes its name from this one.

Q 02/05

Which river rivals the Nile for the title of the longest in the world?

A) Yangtze

B) Amazon

C) Mississippi

D) Yenisei

Answer · why

B) Amazon

The Amazon carries far more water, and a 2007 Brazilian expedition claimed it was longer too; the answer depends on where each river is judged to begi...

Q 03/05

In which direction does the Nile flow?

A) North

B) South

C) East

D) West

Answer · why

A) North

North: the current carried ancient boats downstream towards the delta, while steady winds from the north let them sail back upstream.

Q 04/05

In the Book of Exodus, which baby was hidden in a basket among the Nile's reeds?

A) Isaac

B) Samuel

C) Moses

D) Joseph

Answer · why

C) Moses

Moses was found there by Pharaoh's daughter, who unknowingly paid the baby's own mother to nurse him.

Q 05/05

The two great branches of the Nile meet at which capital city?

A) Khartoum

B) Cairo

C) Juba

D) Addis Ababa

Answer · why

A) Khartoum

Khartoum is where a pale river meets one heavy with soil from the Ethiopian Highlands, and the two streams run side by side in different shades.