49:
618:
610:
667:, who records his surprise on arriving in Ethiopia at finding that the upper waters of "one of the most famous of the rivers of the world, and one whose name was well known to the ancients" was in his lifetime "marked on the map by dotted lines", managed to map the upper course of the Blue Nile between 1925 and 1933. He did this not by following the river along its banks and through its impassable canyon but by following it from the highlands above, travelling some 8,000 km (5,000 mi) by mule in the adjacent country.
520:
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658:'s attempt in 1821. The first serious attempt by a non-local to explore this reach of the river was undertaken by the American W.W. Macmillan in 1902, assisted by the Norwegian explorer B.H. Jenssen; Jenssen proceeded upriver from Khartoum while Macmillan sailed downstream from Lake Tana. However, Jenssen's boats were blocked by the rapids at
710:
in approximately 1660 with Roman bridge technology brought to
Ethiopia by Portuguese soldiers during the battle with the Muslim invaders in 1507. In both 2001 and 2009, Bridges to Prosperity volunteers travelled from the United States to repair the broken bridge across the Blue Nile and later built a
732:
On 29 January 2005, Canadian Les
Jickling and his teammate New Zealander Mark Tanner completed the first fully human-powered transit of the entire Blue Nile and the Nile in the Sudan and Egypt. Their journey of over 5,000 km (3,100 mi) took five months and traveled through Ethiopia, Sudan,
638:
who reached the river's source on 21 April 1618. However, the
Portuguese João Bermudes, the self-described "Patriarch of Ethiopia," provided the first description of the Tis Abay River Falls in his memoirs published in 1565, and any number of Europeans who lived in Ethiopia in the late 15th century
561:
The Blue Nile is vital to the livelihood of Egypt: as the most significant tributary of the Nile, it contributes over 85% of the Nile's streamflow. Though shorter than the White Nile, 59% of the water that reaches Egypt originates from the
Ethiopian highlands via the Blue Nile. The river is also an
718:
On 28 April 2004, geologist
Pasquale Scaturro and his partner, kayaker and documentary filmmaker Gordon Brown, became the first known people to navigate the Blue Nile in its entirety. Though their expedition included several others, Brown and Scaturro were the only ones to remain on the expedition
395:
in
Ethiopia (where it is called the Abay River). The river flows generally south before entering a canyon about 400 km (250 mi) long, about 30 km (19 mi) from Lake Tana, which is a tremendous obstacle for travel and communication between north and south Ethiopia. The canyon was
697:
In 1999, writer
Virginia Morell and photographer Nevada Wier made the journey by raft from Lake Tana to Sudan, publishing a documentary about their journey afterwards. In 2000, American and National Geographic reader, Kenneth Frantz, saw a photo taken by Nevada Wier for
662:
short of the Sudan-Ethiopia border, and
Macmillan's boats were wrecked shortly after they had been launched. Macmillan encouraged Jenssen to try to sail upstream from Khartoum again in 1905, but he was forced to stop 500 km (300 mi) short of Lake Tana.
593:, a 6000-megawatt hydroelectric dam on the river. The dam is expected to be a boost for the Ethiopian economy. Sudan and Egypt, however, voiced their concerns over a potential reduction in water available. Electricity generation began in February 2022.
396:
first referred to as the "Grand Canyon" in 1968 by a
British team that accomplished the first descent of the river from Lake Tana to the end of the canyon; subsequent river rafting parties called it the "Grand Canyon of the Nile". The
374:
has been variously reported between 1,460 and 1,600 kilometres (910 and 990 mi). This uncertainty might result from the fact that the river flows through a series of virtually impenetrable gorges cut in the
706:. This photo showed a bridge broken during World War II, with 10 men on either side of the broken span pulling each other across the dangerous gap by rope. This historic bridge was built by Emperor
654:
Although
European explorers contemplated tracing the course of the Nile from the Blue Nile's confluence with the White Nile to Lake Tana, the Blue Nile Canyon has discouraged all attempts since
534:
The flow of the Blue Nile reaches maximum volume in the rainy season from June to September, when it supplies 80–86% of the water of the Nile proper. The river was a major source of the
851:
679:, a team of 60 British and Ethiopian servicemen and scientists made the first full descent of the river from Lake Tana to a point near the Sudanese border led by explorer
987:
643:
could have seen the river long before Páez, but not reached its source. The source of the Nile proper was also reached in 1629 by the Portuguese Jesuit missionary
383:, an Ethiopian government agency, the Blue Nile has a total length of 1,450 kilometres (900 mi), of which 800 kilometres (500 mi) are inside Ethiopia.
444:
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and Egypt. They recount that they paddled through civil war conflict zones, regions known for bandits, and encountered multiple hazards and rapids.
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to navigate the formidable rapids. Subsequent rafting expeditions in the 1970s and 1980s generally only covered parts of the river canyon.
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Teleconnection, Modeling, Climate Anomalies Impact and Forecasting of Rainfall and Streamflow of the Upper Blue Nile River Basin
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404:: Tis Abay, literally "great smoke"), one of Ethiopia's biggest tourist attractions, is located at the start of the canyon.
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season, the Blue Nile floods erode a vast amount of fertile soil from the Ethiopian Highlands and carry it downstream as
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443:. Those on the right side, also in downstream order, include the Handassa, Tul, Abaya, Sade, Tammi, Cha, Shita, Suha,
1227:
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The Blue Nile then heads northwest into Sudan. It travels for approximately 650 km (400 mi), flowing past
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Suspension bridge over the Blue Nile River. It is the only pedestrian cable bridge over the Blue Nile in Ethiopia.
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The river loops across northwest Ethiopia before being fed by numerous tributaries between Lake Tana and the
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In the 1950s and 1960s, several kayakers paddled parts of the canyon. In 1968, at the request of
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The Encyclopædia Britannica: A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and General Literature, Volume 1
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The first European known to have seen the Blue Nile in Ethiopia and the river's source was
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8:
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in Egypt that contributed to the fertility of the Nile Valley and the consequent rise of
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to a depth of some 1,500 metres (4,900 ft). According to materials published by the
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Men pull each other across the Blue Nile by rope prior to the building of a new bridge
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338:. It travels for approximately 1,450 km (900 mi) through Ethiopia and
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20:
1156:"Envisioning a world where poverty caused by rural isolation no longer exists"
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858:, Table A.1. Central Statistical Agency website (accessed 26 December 2009)
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411:. Those on its left bank, in downstream order, include the Wanqa River, the
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in 1970, these floods stopped occurring in lower Egypt. During the summer
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camera and two handheld video cameras, sharing their story in the film
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1079:"Blue Nile: Ethiopia's River of Magic and Mystery - Bookreporter.com"
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Ethiopia: Nile Dam Project a Hydropower Hope, but Regional Sore Point
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392:
347:
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19:"Abbay" redirects here. For district in Oromia Region, Ethiopia, see
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contribute to the 80% of the country's electricity generation from
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Historical Geography of Ethiopia from the first century AD to 1704
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1046:, revised edition (New York: Harper and Row, 1972), pp. 319f
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401:
894:
These lists are based on the compilation in G.W.B. Huntingford,
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for the entire journey. They chronicled their adventure with an
60:
979:
940:
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Engelking, Marina; McPherson-Ramirez, Gloria (15 April 2008).
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and supplies about 85.6% of the water to the Nile during the
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1140:(Ninth ed.). Henry G. Allen and Company. p.
1009:"Ethiopia starts generating power from River Nile dam"
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871:
Breakthroughs: An Integrated Advanced English Program
783:
589:
In November 2012, Ethiopia began construction of the
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935:Elsanabary, Mohamed Helmy Mahmoud Moustafa (2012),
471:
Satellite image of where White and Blue Niles merge
523:Confluence of the Blue and White Nile rivers near
1305:
558:, turning the water dark brown or almost black.
455:, Bachat, Katlan, Jiba, Chamoga, Weter and the
849:"Climate, 2008 National Statistics (Abstract)"
625:
586:and animal feed crop production in the area.
16:Major river flowing across Ethiopia and Sudan
1134:Baynes, Thomas Spencer (1838). "Abyssinia".
1111:. Ngm.nationalgeographic.com. Archived from
578:, which is most famous for its high-quality
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934:
888:
702:which would lead him to found the charity
59:
933:Mohamed Helmy Mahmoud Moustafa Elsanabary
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279:1,548 m/s (54,700 cu ft/s)
257:325,000 km (125,000 sq mi)
911:. Dinknesh Ethiopia Tour. Archived from
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562:important resource for Sudan, where the
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435:, the Agwel River, the Nedi River, the
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1184:. New York: New American Library, 2005
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898:(London: British Academy, 1989), p. 34
1180:Richard Bangs and Pasquale Scaturro,
647:and in 1770 by the Scottish explorer
1205:from the original on 2 February 2018
1162:from the original on 12 January 2013
1109:"Blue Nile @ nationalgeographic.com"
574:. These dams also help irrigate the
811:
366:The distance of the river from its
13:
23:. For Mississippi politician, see
14:
1350:
1221:
1195:"Department - Alumni Association"
990:from the original on 14 July 2015
729:and in a book of the same title.
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1089:from the original on 8 June 2011
683:. The team used specially-built
47:
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591:Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
1334:International rivers of Africa
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909:"Its Origin, Falls, and Gorge"
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842:
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198: • coordinates
120: • coordinates
1:
835:
546:. With the completion of the
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346:, it is one of the two major
87:Physical characteristics
1068:. London: Chatto and Windus.
621:Blue Nile Gorge in Ethiopia.
391:The Blue Nile originates at
237: • elevation
163:2,560 m (8,400 ft)
159: • elevation
7:
1055:Cheesman, pp. 358–374.
874:. Oxford University Press.
822:
804:'father of streams'
784:
736:
462:
249:1,450 km (900 mi)
185: • location
107: • location
53:Blue Nile River in Ethiopia
10:
1355:
984:Thomson Reuters Foundation
743:List of rivers of Ethiopia
715:not susceptible to flood.
626:Early European exploration
596:
491:, the Blue Nile joins the
381:Central Statistical Agency
275: • average
241:373 m (1,224 ft)
32:Blue Nile (disambiguation)
29:
18:
1158:. Bridges to Prosperity.
1064:Snailham, Richard. 1970.
884:– via Google Books.
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854:13 November 2010 at the
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1319:Tributaries of the Nile
748:List of rivers of Sudan
1233:Paddling the Blue Nile
1066:The Blue Nile Revealed
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945:University of Alberta
704:Bridges to Prosperity
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483:on its right bank at
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409:Ethiopia–Sudan border
1027:Geographical Journal
681:John Blashford-Snell
536:flooding of the Nile
30:For other uses, see
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1182:Mystery of the Nile
1033:(1928), p. 361
1015:. 20 February 2022.
726:Mystery of the Nile
700:National Geographic
377:Ethiopian Highlands
288:Basin features
216: /
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1324:Rivers of Ethiopia
656:Frédéric Cailliaud
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544:Egyptian mythology
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479:and receiving the
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1256:12.000°N 37.250°E
1115:on 6 October 2012
953:10.7939/R3377641M
915:on 20 August 2015
881:978-0-19-542738-7
823:an-Nīl al-ʾAzraqu
820:
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795:Mormor or Abbayaa
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713:suspension bridge
527:, the capital of
505:Mediterranean Sea
342:. Along with the
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301:Mediterranean Sea
220:15.642°N 32.505°E
142:11.002°N 37.225°E
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812:النيل الأزرق
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634:, a Spanish
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564:Roseires Dam
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495:and, as the
481:Dinder River
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417:Walaqa River
406:
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356:rainy season
323:
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309:River system
36:
1259: /
1199:web.uvic.ca
671:Present day
649:James Bruce
477:Er Roseires
441:Dabus River
433:Guder River
429:Muger River
425:Jamma River
387:In Ethiopia
348:tributaries
293:Progression
223: /
145: /
100:Gilgel Abay
1308:Categories
1166:27 January
1119:27 January
919:11 October
836:References
632:Pedro Páez
572:hydropower
568:Sennar Dam
515:Water flow
509:Alexandria
493:White Nile
372:confluence
344:White Nile
254:Basin size
211:32°30′18″E
208:15°38′31″N
178:Nile River
133:37°13′30″E
130:11°00′07″N
114:, Ethiopia
1339:Lake Tana
1314:Blue Nile
817:romanized
779:romanized
708:Fasilides
548:Aswan Dam
393:Lake Tana
332:Lake Tana
324:Blue Nile
266:Discharge
73:Countries
1286:Ethiopia
1247:037°15′E
1209:1 August
1203:Archived
1160:Archived
1087:Archived
1013:BBC News
988:archived
986:, 2012,
852:Archived
737:See also
639:such as
525:Khartoum
489:Khartoum
463:In Sudan
439:and the
336:Ethiopia
190:Khartoum
77:Ethiopia
68:Location
1272:Portals
1244:12°00′N
819::
802:
781::
774:ጥቁር አባይ
770:Amharic
597:History
552:monsoon
503:to the
402:Amharic
370:to its
350:of the
192:, Sudan
994:9 July
980:Africa
941:Canada
878:
808:Arabic
660:Famaka
636:Jesuit
580:cotton
485:Dinder
453:Temcha
431:, the
427:, the
423:, the
419:, the
415:, the
368:source
362:Course
269:
246:Length
112:Sekela
96:Source
1298:Water
1093:3 May
791:Oromo
754:Notes
584:wheat
529:Sudan
501:Egypt
487:. At
457:Beles
449:Gulla
340:Sudan
328:river
326:is a
173:Mouth
81:Sudan
1211:2018
1168:2013
1121:2013
1095:2018
996:2015
921:2015
876:ISBN
800:lit.
721:IMAX
711:new
566:and
556:silt
542:and
497:Nile
445:Muga
352:Nile
322:The
315:Nile
297:Nile
957:hdl
949:doi
507:at
334:in
1310::
1201:.
1197:.
1142:65
1085:.
1081:.
1031:71
1029:,
1011:.
982::
978:,
955:,
947:,
943::
939:,
814:,
810::
797:,
793::
776:,
772::
651:.
511:.
459:.
451:,
447:,
358:.
299:→
79:,
1274::
1213:.
1170:.
1144:.
1123:.
1097:.
959::
951::
923:.
400:(
34:.
27:.
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