The Nile is a major river in Africa, and it is also known as the Pharoahs' River. It is the longest river in the world, stretching over 4, 000 miles from its source in the Great Lakes region of East Africa to its mouth in the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile has been an important source of water and food for the people of Egypt since ancient times, and it was the lifeblood of the ancient Egyptian civilization.