The Nile is the world’s longest river. Its name is derived from a Greek word Neilos, which means valley. It has a length of about 6,650 km and it lies in Africa, and flows through countries such as: Kenya, Eritrea, Congo, Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia. This river has deep rooted links with Ancient Egypt’s history. These links are reflected in the locations of the historical sites of Egypt, which are located along the banks of the Nile river, for example, Luxor and Cairo cities. It provides a fertile green valley across the desert in Egypt. Lake Victoria and Lake Tana are the major lakes associated with it. It drains into the Mediterranean Sea at the Nile Delta in Northern Egypt.
Sea: A sea is a huge water-body with salty water. Geographically, it is defined as a division of an ocean, which is partially surrounded by land. Seas play a key role in defining the Earth’s climate since they are a major part of the water cycle. The temperature of the sea mainly depends on the amount of solar radiation it absorbs. The sea is a natural habitat of several plants and animals. The major seas of the world include Mediterranean Sea, Caribbean Sea and South China Sea.
Sea Level: The place where the sea and air meet is called the sea level. Sea level is used as the base level to measure all the elevation and depth on the Earth. There is a great variation in the sea level at every locality due to the changes in tides, atmospheric pressure and wind conditions. Other than these factors, the Earth’s changing climates and global warming also influence the sea level. Mean sea level can be calculated by averaging the heights of these levels at all stages of the tides (low and high) over a long period of time.
South China Sea: The South China Sea is a segment of the Pacific Ocean. The average depth of this sea is 5,419 feet. It is located between eastern Vietnam, western Philippines (Southeast Asia), northern Indonesia, Singapore, northeastern Malay peninsula (Malaysia), South of mainland China, and the island of Taiwan. The Pearl, Min, Jiulong and the Red are the major rivers which flow into it. The South China Sea is rich in marine life. Large reserves of oil and natural gas have been discovered under the floor of this sea and some of the world’s most important shipping lanes also exist across it.
The Dead Sea, located in Israel and Jordan, is one of the world’s saltiest lakes. The salt in water makes the sea so dense that swimming in it becomes difficult. Although, one can float over the surface of the sea.
Caribbean Sea: The Caribbean Sea is a segment of the Atlantic Ocean. The average depth of this sea is about 8,685ft. It is located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. From the west, it is surrounded by Costa Rica and the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico; from the south, coasts of Venezuela; from the north by the Greater Antilles islands of Cuba and Puerto Rico; and from the east by the Lesser Antilles chain. The Caribbean Sea is one of the world’s largest seas and has the second biggest barrier reef in the world, called the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. The entire area of the Caribbean Sea, the numerous islands of the West Indies, and adjacent coasts, are collectively known as ‘the Caribbean’. The Caribbean is home to about 9% of the world’s coral reefs.
Mediterranean Sea: The Mediterranean is an intercontinental sea, sometimes considered as a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It lies between three continents, Europe, Asia and Africa. The sea is bounded by the Mediterranean region almost completely by land. The Mediterranean Sea connects to the Atlantic Ocean via a narrow and shallow channel of the strait of Gibraltar. The Mediterranean is connected with various other seas, such as the Black Sea through the Dardanelles (with a sill depth of 70m), the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Bosporus (sill depth of about 90m), all at the northeast end. The famous Suez Canal connects it to the Red Sea at the southeast extremity.
