Five Amazing Rivers of the World Rivers are the lifelines of the human civilization. They have been of great importance in the history of mankind, because ancient civilizations arose and flourished on the banks of mighty rivers in various parts of the world. Great rivers have witnessed the growth of cities, rise and fall of empires and political and cultural movements on their banks. Rivers are the bedrock on which our civilizations are built. 1. Nile River : When you think of the River Nile, the first place that comes to your mind Egypt. Though only about one fourth of the Nile runs through Egypt, the two are concerned in a special way. The River Nile is 6650 km long, and is the longest river in the world. It is formed from the White Nile, which originates at Lake Victoria and the Blue Nile, which originates at Lake Tana in Ethiopia, and Atbara river which originates also in Ethiopia. These rivers meets in Sudan and then go on their long journ