White Nile

White Nile (Arabic, al-Bahr al-Abyad), river, Sudan, about 805 km (500 mi) long, a principal headwater of the River Nile. It begins near Malakāl, at the confluence of the Sobat (a tributary) and Bahr ál-Jábál (the Arabic name for the Nile as it emerges from Uganda), and flows generally north across Sudan, joining with the Blue Nile at Khartoum to form the Nile proper. The White Nile is known for its remarkably steady flow, and it is navigable throughout the year. The river is spanned by the Jabal Awliya irrigation dam near Khartoum. The name White Nile sometimes refers to the entire branch of the Nile that extends to the tributaries of Lake Victoria.