Cairo is the capital of Egypt and one of the largest cities in Africa. Cairo has stood for more than 1,000 years on the same site on the banks of the Nile River, primarily on the eastern shore.
Cairo is located in northeastern Egypt. It is primarily on the eastern shore of the Nile River, some 500 miles (800 km) downstream from the Aswan High Dam. Cairo is the gateway to the Nile delta, where the lower Nile separates into the Rosetta and Damietta branches.
