It rises from Lake Victoria as the Victoria Nile, then flows north and westwards through Uganda, Lake Kyoga, and Lake Albert. The stream exiting Lake Albert is known as the Albert Nile; it flows north to Nimule where it enters Sudan and becomes known as the Mountain Nile. It then flows over rapids entering the Sudan plain, through the vast swamps of the Sudd, and via Lake No before meeting with the Blue Nile at Khartoum in Sudan and forming the Nile. From Lake Victoria to Khartoum, the length of the river is approximately 3700 kilometers (2300 miles).
The 19th century search for the source of the Nile was mainly focused on the White Nile.