The Nile River is undoubtedly one of the most important water sources in the world and has an extremely rich history dating back thousands of years. Without the Nile the ancient Egyptian civilization would never have existed. Egypt is basically a bag of sand and not much else, except that it is crossed by the Nile River, on its way to the Mediterranean Sea. The ancient Egyptians lived along the Nile River and this provided them with abundant water, food (fish) and the opportunity to develop agriculture along its banks. The Nile River was also used for transportation and trade with other regions because traveling by land was more difficult than floating on the river. The ancient Egyptians were at the mercy of seasonal floods and drought, but learned to work within the natural river system and weather cycles (Carnegie Museum of Natural History). Modern people, however, were more interested in conquering nature, rather than living in harmony with it. When we think of the Nile River, we usually think of ancient Egypt, but the Nile River actually flows through 11 countries now that South Sudan has become an independent nation. pg.2/Streets It is 6,600 km long and the Nile River basin is home to 160 million people. Due to high fertility rates, this number is expected to double in the next 25 years (United Nations Environment Programme). This means that there will soon be 320 million people to support in the Nile River basin. Population Egypt itself currently has a population of approximately 87 million people and a total fertility rate of 2.87 (Central Intelligence Agency). Egypt's population is expected to reach 100 million in 2025 and nearly 126 million in 2050 (Population Reference Bureau). This is a m...... middle of paper ......b. 2014. Web. 07 May 2014. Night lights. Digital image. NASA, October 28, 2010. Web. May 3, 2014."Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae." UNESCO World Heritage Centre. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, nd Web. 04 May 2014."Population Reference Bureau." Population reference office. Np, nd Web. 03 May 2014.Pottinger, Lori. “Environmental impacts of large dams: African examples.” International rivers. NP, 1 October 1996. Web. 04 May 2014. The fight for the Nile. Al Jazeera, 2011. Web. 3 May 2014. United Nations Environment Programme. Environment, sustainable development and the Nile River basin. Np: United Nations Environment Program and Case Study 1. United Nations Environment Programme. Network. May 3, 2014."The World Factbook - Egypt." Central intelligence agency. Central Intelligence Agency, nd Web. 03 May 2014.