Rivers Of The World

Let us some of the rivers of the world.

1. Nile River - The Nile River, located in Africa, is listed as being 6,853 kilometers (4,258 miles) long and is hence commonly considered to be the longest river in the world. This river and its water resources are shared by eleven countries - Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt.

2. Amazon River - The second longest river in the world is the Amazon River, it reaches around 6400 kilometers in length (4000 miles). The Amazon River is the largest river by discharge volume of water greater than the next seven largest independent rivers combined.

It is also the widest river in the world, while not in flood, the main stretches can reach widths of up to 11 km (7 miles) at its widest points. The Amazon River originates from the Andes in Peru and runs through Bolivia, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, and Brazil.

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3. Yangtze River - The Yangtze River is the third-longest river in the world running 6,300 kilometers (3915 miles). The river is the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. Rising in Tanggula Mountain, it flows eastwards and pours itself into the East China Sea.

4. Mississippi River: It is considered the largest or biggest river system in North America and the US. It has about 2,320 miles (3,730 km) length. The river begins at Lake Itasca and empties under New Orleans (Gulf of Mexico). The popular steamboats opened trade on the Mississippi in the 1820s. Timber, food, and cotton were carried down the river.

After the coming of the railways in the 1880s, steamboats gradually decreased although they remained until the 1920s. A few steamboats, like Delta Queen, have remained as icons.

5. Ganges River: It is regarded as a unique river and one of the most historically significant rivers in the world. It is considered a Holy River, in fact, the holiest, amongst members of the Indian religion Hinduism. The 2,525 kilometers (1,569 mi) river is worshiped as the Goddess Ganga. The river has been declared as the National River of India.

6. Danube River- Europe's most important river is the Danube River. It's also the continent's next longest river after the Volga. The river is considered as one of the long-standing boundaries of the Roman Empire and now makes a part of the borders of ten European nations. It begins in Germany's black forest and runs eastwards for a span of some 2850 km (1771 miles), crossing through 4 centers, before draining into the Black Sea.

After the achievement of the German Rhine-Main-Danube Canal in 1992, the river was included in a trans-European waterway from the black sea up to the Rotterdam in the North Sea.

7. Mackenzie River - The Mackenzie River is the longest river in Canada covering a distance of around 1800 km. It begins at Great Slave Lake in the Northwest Territories and flows north into the Arctic Ocean, discharging 306 cubic kilometers of water per year (including 100 million tons of sediment).

It is the main stem of the second largest river system in North America (after the Mississippi-Missouri river system), and the fourth largest of all river systems discharging into the Arctic Ocean (the three largest are in Russia).

The entire Mackenzie river system extends 4250 km and drains 1.8 million sq. km. It includes three major lakes (Great Slave, Great Bear and Athabasca) and numerous major rivers (such as the Peace, Athabasca, Liard, Hay, Peel, South Nahanni, and Slave rivers).

8. Indus River - The Indus River is the greatest river on the western side of the south Asian subcontinent. It is one of the seven sacred rivers for Hindus. It was the birthplace of the early Indus Valley civilization.

The river is 2,880 km long. It is Pakistan's longest river. The river has a total drainage area exceeding 1,165,000 km2 (450,000 sq mi). Its estimated annual flow stands at around 207 km3 (50 cu mi), making it the twenty-first largest river in the world in terms of annual flow.

9. Saint Lawrence River - The Saint Lawrence River is a large river in the middle latitudes of North America. The Saint Lawrence River flows in a roughly north-easterly direction, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean and forming the primary drainage outflow of the Great Lakes Basin.

It traverses the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario and is part of the international boundary between Ontario, Canada, and the U.S. state of New York. This river provides the basis for the commercial Saint Lawrence Seaway.

10. Huang He River - The Huang He is the world's sixth-longest river at 3,395 miles. Its source is the Kunlun Mountains, in western China. Its mouth is the Gulf of Bohai. The river is called the Yellow River, named for the color of the silts that are carried downstream in its flow. The earliest civilization in China settled on the banks of the Huang He. Ever since the river has been a source of life and death (in the form of new soil and floods).

The river has flooded so often that it is known as the River of Sorrow. The river is also a bringer of commerce. Ships of many sizes still sail up and down the river, just as they have done for centuries.

Read More: What is a River? Characteristics of a River - Class 6 Geography