Nile Delta
The Nile Delta (
Geography
From north to south, the delta is approximately 160 km (100 mi) in length. From west to east, it covers some 240 km (150 mi) of coastline. The delta is sometimes divided into sections, with the Nile dividing into two main distributaries, the Damietta and the Rosetta,[4] flowing into the Mediterranean at port cities with the same name. In the past, the delta had several distributaries, but these have been lost due to flood control, silting and changing relief. One such defunct distributary is Wadi Tumilat.
The Suez Canal is east of the delta and enters the coastal Lake Manzala in the north-east of the delta. To the north-west are three other coastal lakes or lagoons: Lake Burullus, Lake Idku and Lake Mariout.
The Nile is considered to be an "arcuate" delta (arc-shaped), as it resembles a triangle or flower when seen from above. Some scholars such as Aristotle have written that the delta was constructed for agricultural purposes due to the drying of the region of Egypt.[5]
In modern day, the outer edges of the delta are eroding, and some coastal lagoons have seen increasing salinity levels as their connection to the Mediterranean Sea increases. Since the delta no longer receives an annual supply of nutrients and sediments from upstream due to the construction of the Aswan Dam, the soils of the floodplains have become poorer, and large amounts of fertilizers are now used. Topsoil in the delta can be as much as 21 m (70 ft) in depth.
History
People have lived in the Nile Delta region for thousands of years, and it has been intensively farmed for at least the last five thousand years. The delta was a major constituent of Lower Egypt, and there are many archaeological sites in and around the delta.
In January 2019 archaeologists led by
Ancient branches of the Nile
Records from ancient times (such as by Ptolemy) reported that the delta had seven distributaries or branches, (from east to west):[4]
- the Pelusiac
- the Tanitic
- the Mendesian
- the Phatnitic or Phatmetic (later the Damietta)
- the Sebennytic
- the Bolbitine (later the Rosetta)[13]
- the )
George of Cyprus list[16]
- Alexandrian (Schedia canal)
- Colynthin (Canopic)
- Agnu (Rosetta)
- Parollos (Burullus)
- Chasmatos (Baltim)
- Tamiathe (Damietta)
- Tenese (Tinnis)
Modern Egyptologists suggest that in the Pharaonic era there were at a time five main branches:[17][18]
- the Pelusiac
- the Sebennytic
- the Canopic
- the Damietta
- the Rosetta
The first three have dried up over the centuries due to
Population
About 39 million people live in the Delta region. Outside of major cities, population density in the delta averages 1,000/km2 (2,600/sq mi) or more.
Wildlife
During autumn, parts of the Nile River are red with lotus flowers. The Lower Nile (North) and the Upper Nile (South) have plants that grow in abundance. The Upper Nile plant is the Egyptian lotus, and the Lower Nile plant is the Papyrus Sedge (Cyperus papyrus), although it is not nearly as plentiful as it once was, and is becoming quite rare.[20]
Several hundred thousand water birds winter in the delta, including the world's largest concentrations of little gulls and whiskered terns. Other birds making their homes in the delta include grey herons, Kentish plovers, shovelers, cormorants, egrets and ibises.
Other animals found in the delta include frogs, turtles, tortoises, mongooses, and the Nile monitor. Nile crocodiles and hippopotamus, two animals which were widespread in the delta during antiquity, are no longer found there. Fish found in the delta include the flathead grey mullet and soles.
Climate
The Delta has a
Sea level rise
Egypt's Mediterranean coastline experiences significant loss of land to the sea, in some places amounting to 90 m (100 yd) a year. The low-lying Nile Delta area in particular is vulnerable to
The delta's coastline has also undergone significant changes in
Governorates and large cities
The Nile Delta forms part of these 10
Large cities located in the Nile Delta:
References
- ISBN 978-1-4020-9726-3.
- ISBN 978-3-319-56124-0.
- ^ Zeidan, Bakenaz. (2006). The Nile Delta in a global vision. Sharm El-Sheikh., archived from the original on 10 July 2020, retrieved 10 July 2020
- ^ ISBN 978-977-416-614-3.
- OCLC 38826202.
- ^ Location of the site, Kafr Hassan Dawood On-Line, with a map of early sites of the delta.
- ^ "Mysterious temple discovered in the ruins of sunken ancient city". www.9news.com.au. 26 July 2019. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
- ^ History, Laura Geggel 2019-07-29T10:37:58Z (29 July 2019). "Divers Find Remains of Ancient Temple in Sunken Egyptian City". livescience.com. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Santos, Edwin (28 July 2019). "Archaeologists discover a sunken ancient settlement underwater". Nosy Media. Archived from the original on 17 August 2019. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
- ^ EDT, Katherine Hignett On 7/23/19 at 11:06 AM (23 July 2019). "Ancient Egypt: Underwater archaeologists uncover destroyed temple in the sunken city of Heracleion". Newsweek. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "3,500-Year-Old Tombs Unearthed in Egypt's Nile Delta - Archaeology Magazine". www.archaeology.org. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
- ^ "Ancient tombs and prehistoric burials found in Nile Delta - Ancient Egypt - Heritage". Ahram Online. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
- ^ Hayes, W. 'Most Ancient Egypt', p. 87, Journal of Near Eastern Studies, 23 (1964), 73–114.
- ^ e.g. at Callisthenes Alexander 1.31.
- ^ e.g. in Ptolemy, Geography.
- ^ Cooper, John Peter (2008). The Medieval Nile: Route, navigation and landscape in Islamic Egypt. p. 34.
- British Museum Press. p. 83.
- ISBN 1438109970, p. 98.
- ^ City Population website, citing Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics Egypt (web), accessed 11 April 1908.
- . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ^ Nile Delta Facts
- ^ "Global Warming Threatens Egypt's Coastlines and the Nile Delta". EcoWorld. 25 September 2009. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
- S2CID 207139887.
- ^ "Egypt's Nile Delta falls prey to climate change". 28 January 2010.
- ^ "Egypt fertile Nile Delta falls prey to climate change". Egypt News. 28 January 2010. Archived from the original on 9 February 2011. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
- .
External links
Nile Delta.
- "Nile Delta flooded savanna". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
- Adaptationlearning.net: UN project for managing sea level rise risks in the Nile Delta
- "The Nile Delta". Keyway Bible Study. Archived from the original on 2 August 2010.