Classroom lesson · The White Nile · 🇸🇸 South Sudan

The White Nile

The mighty river that flows through South Sudan to Egypt

The wide White Nile river flowing past riverbanks with palm trees

Photo · Wikimedia Commons

What is it?

The White Nile is one of the two great branches of the Nile River - one of the longest rivers in the world. It begins far to the south in Lake Victoria and flows northward all the way through South Sudan, into Sudan, and onwards to Egypt where it reaches the Mediterranean Sea. In South Sudan, the White Nile is wide, busy with boats, and full of fish.

Tell me more

Rivers do not just carry water - they carry life. Fishermen in South Sudan go out on the White Nile in wooden canoes every morning, pulling in Nile tilapia and catfish. Tilapia is a flat, silvery fish that is absolutely delicious grilled fresh on the riverbank.

The White Nile is also home to one of Africa's largest hippopotamus populations. Hippos spend the day cooling off in the river - you can spot their enormous ears and nostrils sticking above the surface. At night, they walk onto land to eat grass, sometimes covering several kilometres before dawn.

The river is the reason Juba, South Sudan's capital, grew up where it did. Boats carrying goods arrive and depart every day, and the city's waterfront is full of activity. Children swim in the river's calmer shallows near the banks.

Along the river's edges, African fish eagles perch in tall trees and watch for movement in the water. When they spot a fish near the surface, they dive with their talons out and grab it in a fraction of a second - one of Africa's most thrilling fishing tricks.

In the classroom

Walk your class through this in 15 minutes.

Talk together

Discussion prompts

  1. 01Why do you think cities and towns often grow up beside rivers?
  2. 02Hippos cool off in the water during the day. What do you do to cool down on a very hot day?
  3. 03The fish eagle catches fish with its feet, not its beak. How is that different from how you might catch a fish?
Try this

Classroom activity

Trace a simple map of the Nile's journey from Lake Victoria through South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea. Mark Juba on the White Nile. Now compare the Nile's length to a distance you know - how many times would it fit between your school and home?