Nile Delta

The Nile Delta (Arabic: دلتا النيل Delta an-Nīl or simply الدلتا ad-Delta) is the delta formed in Lower Egypt, where the Nile River extends and empties into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the largest river deltas in the world: from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in the east, it covers 240 kilometers (150 miles) of the Mediterranean coast and it is a rich agricultural region. From north to south, the delta is approximately 160 kilometers (99 miles) in length. The Delta begins slightly downstream from Cairo.

Geography

From north to south, the delta is approximately 160 kilometers (99 miles) in length. From west to east, it covers about 240 kilometers (150 miles) of coastline. The delta is sometimes divided into sections, with the Nile divided into two main distributors, Damietta and Rosetta, which flow into the Mediterranean at port cities of the same name. In the past, the delta had several distributors, but these were lost due to flood control, sedimentation and relief shifting. One of those deceased distributors is Wadi Tumilat.

The Suez Canal is east of the delta and enters the shore of Lake Manzala in the northeast of the delta. To the northwest are three other coastal lakes or lagoons: Lake Burullus, Lake Idku and Lake Mariout.

The Nile is considered to be an “arched” delta—arch-shaped—as it resembles a triangle or flower when viewed from above. Some scholars such as Aristotle have written that the delta was built for agricultural purposes due to the drying of the region in Egypt. Although such an engineering feat would be considered equivalent to a wonder of the ancient world, there is insufficient evidence to conclusively determine whether the delta is man-made or formed naturally.

Currently, the outer edges of the delta are eroding, and some coastal lagoons have seen salinity levels increase as their connection to the Mediterranean Sea increases. Since the delta no longer receives an annual supply of nutrients and sediment upstream due to the construction of the Aswan Dam, the soils in the floodplains have become poorer, and large quantities of fertilizers are now used. The topsoil in the delta can be up to 21 m (70 ft) deep.

History

People have lived in the Nile Delta region for thousands of years, and have cultivated intensively for at least the last five thousand years. The delta was one of the main components of Lower Egypt, and there are many archaeological sites in and around the delta. Artifacts belonging to ancient sites have been found on the coast of the delta. The Rosetta Stone was found in the delta in 1799 in the port city of Rosetta (an English version of the name Rashid). In July 2019, a small Greek temple, ancient granite columns, ships carrying treasure and bronze coins from the reign of Ptolemy II, dating to the 3rd and 4th centuries BC, were found. In the sunken city of Heracleion, colloquially known as the "Atlantis of Egypt", investigations were carried out by Egyptian and European divers led by underwater archaeologist Franck Goddio. They also discovered a devastated historic temple (the city's main temple) underwater on the northern coast of Egypt.

Ancient branches of the Nile

Ancient records (such as by Pliny the Elder) show that the delta had seven distributors or branches (from east to west):

• the pelusiac
• the Titanic
• the Mendesio
• the Phatnitic (or Phatmetic),
• the sebennitic
• the bolbitine and
• Canopic (also called Herakleotic and Agathodaemon)

There are now only two main branches, due to flood control, sedimentation and changing relief: the Damietta (corresponding to the Phatnitic) to the east, and the Rosetta (corresponding to the Bolbitine) in the western part of the Delta. The Delta used to flood annually, but this ended with the construction of the Aswan Dam.

Population

Around 40 million people live in the Delta region. Outside of major cities, population density in the delta averages 1,000 inhabitants/km² (2,600/sq mi) or more. Alexandria is the largest city in the delta with an estimated population of over 4.5 million. Other large cities in the delta include Shubrā al-Khaymah, Port Said, El-Mahalla El-Kubra, Mansoura, Tanta and Zaqaziq.

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 papyrus sedge (Cyperus papyrus), although it is no longer as abundant as it once was and is becoming quite rare.

Several hundred thousand waterfowl winter in the delta, including the world's largest concentrations of gulls and terns. Other birds that live in the delta include gray herons, Kentish plovers, shovels, cormorants, egrets and ibises.

Other animals found in the delta include frogs, tortoises, tortoises, mongooses and the Nile monitor. The Nile crocodiles and the hippopotamus, two animals that were widespread in the delta during ancient times, are no longer found there. Fish found in the delta include gray mullet and plants.

Climate

The Delta has a hot desert climate (Köppen: BWh) like the rest of Egypt, but its northernmost part, as is the case with the rest of Egypt's northern coast, which is the wettest region of the country, has relatively moderate temperatures, with maximum temperatures generally not exceeding 31°C (88°F) in the summer. Only 100–200 mm (4–8 in) of rain falls in the delta area during an average year, and most of this falls in the winter months. The delta experiences its highest temperatures in July and August, with an average high of 34°C (93°F). Winter temperatures are typically in the range of 9°C (48°F) at night to 19°C (66°F) during the day. With colder temperatures and some rain, the Nile Delta region becomes quite humid during the winter months.

Sea level

Egypt's Mediterranean coast experiences significant land loss to the sea, in some places amounting to 90 m (100 yd) per year. The low-lying Nile Delta area, in particular, is vulnerable to sea level rise associated with global warming. This effect is exacerbated by the lack of sediment deposited since the construction of the Aswan Dam. If the polar caps were to melt, much of the northern delta, including the ancient port city of Alexandria, could disappear beneath the Mediterranean. A 30 cm (12 in) rise in sea level could affect approximately 6.6% of the total land cover area in the Nile Delta region. With a 1 m (3 ft 3 in) sea level rise), it is estimated that 887 thousand people could be at risk of flooding and displacement and around 100 km² (40 square miles) of vegetation, 16 km² (10 square miles) of wetland, 402 km² (160 square miles of farmland, and 47 km² (20 sq mi) of urban land could be destroyed, flooding approximately 450 km² (170 sq mi). Some areas of Nile Delta agricultural land have become saline as a result of rising sea levels. Agriculture has been abandoned in some places, while in others sand has been brought in from elsewhere to reduce the effect. In addition to agriculture, the delta's ecosystems and the tourism industry could be negatively affected by global warming. Food shortages as a result of climate change could lead to seven million “climate refugees” by the end of the 21st century. However, environmental damage to the delta is not currently one of Egypt's priorities.

The delta coast has also experienced significant changes in geomorphology as a result of the reclamation of coastal dunes and lagoons to form new agricultural land and fish farms, as well as the expansion of urban coastal areas.

Governments and large cities

The Nile Delta is part of these 10 provinces:

• Alexandria
• Behera
• Kafr El Sheij
• Gharbia
• Menufia
• Caliubia
• Dacalia
• Damieta
• Sharqia
• Puerto Saíd

Large cities located in the Nile Delta:

• Abusir
• Alexandria
• Avaris
• Bilbeis
• Bubastis
• Canopo
• Damanhur
• Desouk
• Damieta
• El-Mahalla El-Kubra
• The Mansura
• Kafr el Sheij
• Leontópolis
• Mendes
• Mit Abu El Kom
• Naucratis
• Pelusio
• Puerto Saíd
• Rosetta
• Sais
• Tanis
• Tanta
• Zaqaziq