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

It reaches the sea near Alexandria after forming a large delta north of Cairo.

Q 02/05

How long is the Nile, according to the 2009 satellite measurement of its longest watercourse?

A) 5,600 km

B) 4,500 km

C) 6,700 km

D) 7,088 km

Answer · why

D) 7,088 km

That makes it the longest river in the world, though it carries far less water than the Amazon or Congo.

Q 03/05

In which direction does the Nile flow?

A) North

B) South

C) East

D) West

Answer · why

A) North

It rises in the African Great Lakes region and runs to the Mediterranean, which confused early Europeans used to rivers running the other way.

Q 04/05

The Nile's two major tributaries are named for which two colours?

A) Grey and brown

B) White and blue

C) Green and yellow

D) Red and black

Answer · why

B) White and blue

The White Nile is longer, but the Blue Nile brings more than twice as much water.

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

The two streams are visibly different colours where they join, one pale with quartz sediment and one dark with Ethiopian clay.