The largest river in the world. The largest rivers in the world

There are many wonderful things in the world long rivers, but which one is longest river in the world? And this is a complex issue that causes a lot of controversy and controversy. Scientists have been discussing this issue for a long time, arguing about the exact length of the rivers, because for this it is necessary to know exactly where the river begins and where it ends, there are still disputes about whether it is necessary to take into account the tributaries of the rivers. And the most famous dispute between scientists is which river is longer than the Nile or the Amazon, they changed places several times. But today, scientists seem to agree, although not completely ... This is what10 longest rivers in the world.

10. Congo River - 4,700 km

The water system is the Atlantic Ocean. The deepest and second longest (after the Nile) river in Africa. The only river that crosses the equator twice. A major navigable artery and source of fishing. It is famous for the seven-step Stanley Falls and the cascade of Livingston Falls. The novels of J. Conrad "Heart of Darkness" and M. Crichton "Congo" are dedicated to the river.

9. Amur River - 5,052 km

Ranked ninth in the top 10 longest rivers in the world, Amur, which flows through the territories of Russia, China and Mongolia. The water system is the Sea of Okhotsk. The Chinese call it the Black Dragon River, which, according to legend, lives in its waters. It has an unusually rich ichthyofauna. There are up to 139 subspecies of fish here. The richest salmon river in Eurasia.

8. Lena River - 5,100 km

It flows into the Laptev Sea. The name of the river is not associated with a popular female name, but with the Evenki word "Elu-Yene" - "big river". It differs from other Russian rivers in its ice regime and powerful ice jams, which causes global floods. The banks of the Lena are poorly populated.

7. The Ob River with the Irtysh - 5,410 km

It flows into the Kara Sea. The area of the water basin is 2,990 thousand sq. km. The third most water-bearing river in Russia after the Yenisei and Lena. In the southern part of the Ob, the Novosibirsk Reservoir was built - a reservoir of water reserves and a popular recreation area.

6. Yellow River - 5,464 km

"Yellow River". The name is justified by the color of the water, which is caused by the abundance of river sediment. It flows into the Yellow Sea. The average flow of water in the river is 2000 cubic meters per second. In 11 AD The Yellow River made a breakthrough into a new direction, which caused a tremendous environmental and humanitarian catastrophe and led to the fall of the Xin Dynasty. In 1938, the Kuomintang troops organized the largest flood of the Yellow River in order to stop the advance of the Japanese troops. It is the second largest river in China.

5. Yenisei River - 5,539 km

Ranked fifth in the top 10 longest rivers in the world, Yenisei. The name comes from the Evenk "Ionessi" - "big water". Siberians affectionately call her Yenisei-father. It flows into the Kara Sea. The confluence of the Big and Small Yenisei in Kyzyl is the geographical center of Asia. The ill-conceived construction of hydroelectric power plants on the river and a mining and chemical plant in Krasnoyarsk led to climate change and other serious environmental consequences in this area.

4. Mississippi - 6,275 km

It originates in Lake Ithaca in Minnesota and flows into the Gulf of Mexico. It is divided into the Upper and Lower Mississippi. The most full-flowing tributary is the Ohio River. The longest tributary is the Missouri River. It is famous for the grandiose bridges built across it. She was a source of inspiration for many writers and musicians, such as M. Twain, W. Faulkner, J. Cash.

3. Yangtze River - 6,300 km

longest I and the high-water river of Eurasia. The cradle of Chinese civilization and the main waterway of this country. There are two endangered species of animals in the river - the Chinese allegator and the Chinese paddlefish. On July 16, 1966, the Great Mao swam 15 km in 65 minutes on the river, which made an indelible impression on the locals and signaled the start of the Cultural Revolution.

The longest river in the world formed by the confluence of the Maranion and Ucayali rivers. It flows through the territories of Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean. At a depth of 4,000 kilometers, a unidirectional underground river, the Hamza, flows under it. In 2011 recognized as one of the natural wonders of the world. Nourishes the ecosystem of the Amazonian selva. It is also considered the most dangerous river in the world. But still it is the greatest river.

The history of mankind has always been directly connected with water bodies - the point is not only in the origin, but also in the development of civilizations in river basins and off the coast of the seas. In the Middle Ages, powers with a fleet ruled the planet. To this day, the impact of water on human life is enormous. Therefore, the study of rivers can be not just a curious activity, but also a way to better understand the history of mankind and the relationship of different processes. First of all, you should pay attention to the largest, most famous and significant water flows of the Earth.

Nile

Although not the most full-flowing river in the world, it is the longest, and therefore the most important. It is located on the African continent. The Nile is the longest - its length, together with the Kagera tributary, is 6671 kilometers. The river crosses the territory of Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan and Egypt, on the lands of the latter flowing into the Mediterranean Sea. The basin consists of two streams - the White and Blue Nile, and occupies almost three thousand square kilometers. The main tributaries are the Sobat, the Atbara and the Bahr el Ghazal. One of the first civilizations known to mankind was born on the banks of the Nile, and at the same time, this river remained unexplored for a long time. Until the nineteenth century, travelers wandered around the continent, trying to find the source, and this despite the fact that the first attempt was made by Europeans as early as 1613. Lake Victoria is also located in the basin, replenishing the river with water due to frequent rains in this area. A distinctive feature of the Nile is a large number of crocodiles - swimming in the reservoir is highly undesirable.

Amazon

Listing the great rivers of the world, it is impossible to forget about this one. The Amazon is the largest in South America, flows through the territories of Peru and Brazil, flowing into the Atlantic Ocean. Its name is associated with the legend of a warlike tribe of women who once lived on these shores. Their way of life was described by the traveler Carvajal, so vividly that there was no doubt about the authenticity of the stories. Europeans began to explore the largest rivers in the world during the Age of Discovery. In 1539, Pissarro arrived on the shores of the Amazon, trying to find gold. Hopes were not justified, but the Spaniards managed to explore the basin of an unfamiliar river with a strong current. The Amazon is the deepest river in the world. Its basin is almost seven thousand square kilometers. The river has about five hundred tributaries, forming a dense network, the most important being Purus, Zhurua, Madeira. The banks of the river are covered with impenetrable forests, and world-famous animals live in the waters.

Mississippi

For North Americans, this is the greatest river in the world. The Mississippi has many large tributaries - these are the Missouri, Illinois, Red River, Arkansas, Ohio. Many water arteries flow into the river. In Native American, the name of this hydronym means "father of the waters." The source is located in Lake Itasca, located in Like many other major rivers in the world, the Mississippi flows into the ocean - through the Shores almost along the entire length they are protected by ramparts, in places they are strengthened by dams. The mouth looks like a huge delta with six branches. The length of the river is almost four thousand kilometers. The Mississippi is fed by spring floods and floods caused by heavy rain. There used to be dense forest along the coast, but now there are many coastal cities.

Yangtze

Listing the largest rivers in the world, it is worth mentioning the one that flows through Asia. The Yangtze is the longest on the continent and the fourth longest on the planet. The length of the river is 5800 kilometers. The Yangtze flows through China and flows into the South China Sea, which belongs to the Pacific Ocean. The first Europeans who found themselves on the banks called the Blue River, but in fact the water in it is yellowish, with a lot of sand. The source is located in Tibet. The river is navigable for almost half of its length. At times of high water, the water level rises by a dozen meters, at such times the opportunities for sailing along the Yangtze increase. In winter, it becomes smaller, and shipping stops. Several reservoirs and dams have been built along the riverbed to prevent flooding. The Yangtze basin is extremely favorable for agriculture. The shores are fertile soils, so the locals grow rice here. Like other great rivers of the world, flowing into the sea, the Yangtze forms a vast delta of several tens of thousands of kilometers.

Ob

Listing the greatest rivers of the world, it is necessary to mention the Russian one. The Ob flows through the west of Siberia and flows into the Gulf of Ob, which belongs to the Arctic Ocean. The source is located in the place, and the mouth creates a delta with a size of several thousand square kilometers. Like other great rivers of the world, the Ob is very long - its length is almost four thousand kilometers. The tributaries include Vasyugan, Irtysh, Bolshoi Yugan and Northern Sosva, as well as Chumysh, Chulym, Ket, Tom and Vakh. On the banks is located the largest city in this area, Novosibirsk. In addition, the basin is known for several oil fields. The waters of the Irtysh are used to generate electricity, in addition, several large reservoirs have been created near it.

Huanghe

The great rivers of the world flowing through China are not limited to the Yangtze. There is also the Yellow River, which flows into and is part of the Pacific Ocean basin. The waters of the river are distinguished by a yellowish tint caused by a large amount of silt. The length is almost five thousand kilometers, thanks to which the river is in sixth place in the world. However, the Yellow River basin is relatively small. The river takes its beginning and then flows along the Hetao Plain, along the Loess Plateau and the Great Plain of China, and then flows into the Bohaiwan Bay, where it forms a delta. There are several large cities along the coast. However, living here is not too easy - the Yellow River regularly erodes dams, which leads to serious floods.

Mekong

It just so happens that the most famous rivers in the world are most often located in Eurasia. So the Mekong - the most important water artery of Indochina - flows there. It is the fourth longest river in Asia and the eighth on the planet. The basin passes through the lands of China, Laos, Burma, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. The length is about four and a half thousand kilometers. The Mekong begins in the Tibetan Plateau, from where it heads to the Sichuan Alps, then to the east of the peninsula, ends up on the Kampuchean Plain and splits into several branches in the delta. The tributaries are Tonle Sap, Mun, Bassak and Banghiang. Before Phnom Penh, the water area is called the Upper Mekong, and then the Lower Mekong. The pool is ideal for navigation throughout the year. Uninterrupted movement is possible for seven hundred kilometers. The river is fed by monsoon rains that fall from June to October.

Amur

To complete the list, including the most famous rivers in the world, is this one. The Amur serves as the border between China and Russia. From the source, its length is almost four and a half thousand kilometers. It flows into the Tatar Strait, located between the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk. The area of the river covers 1856 square kilometers. The largest tributaries are the Tunguska, Zeya, Bureya, Amgun and Goryun, as well as the Ussuri and Sungari. Amur is used as a transport highway, as well as for fisheries. In the waters, you can get twenty-five valuable species of fish: pink salmon, carp, salmon, sturgeon and others. The name of the river means "black water" in Mongolian. In the Far East, the Amur is considered the main water artery. Half of its basin falls on the territory of China. From July to September, the river is replenished with floods, sometimes they can become catastrophic. Some areas freeze in winter already from the beginning of November and are covered with ice until the very beginning of May.

What is the longest river in the world? In 2007, the world community was confused by the news that, thanks to new technologies for measuring the length of rivers, it was found that the longest river was not the Nile, as was thought for a long time, but the Amazon.

Several factors play a role in the confrontation between the two great rivers:

the length of a river can change over time;
seasonal changes;
the length of the Nile was affected by the building of dams. Now the length of the Nile is 6852 km;
sometimes it is difficult to determine the correct source of the river among the many tributaries. The length of the Amazon from the tributary of the Maraño will be 6992 km, and if from the tributary of the Ucayali, then already over 7000 km.

For a long time, the length of rivers was calculated only approximately, but studies conducted by comparing photographs from space and computer processing of information proved that the longest river in the world is the Amazon.

Amazon Winner

The longest river flows in. The Amazon is the record holder not only in terms of length, but also in other indicators:

the most full-flowing in the world;
the largest in the world in terms of basin area, which is more than 7100 thousand km², which is comparable to the area of Australia. The total length of all tributaries of the Amazon is 25,000 km;
more than 1 million representatives of various species of flora and fauna live on its shores;
more than 2,000 species of fish live in the Amazon, which is 30 times the number of fish species found in all the waters of Europe combined;
the basin area contains the world's largest tropical rainforests;
more than 25% of all medicines are mined in the Amazon;
at the beginning of the 21st century, an underground river was discovered under the Amazon at a depth of 4000 m, named after the Indian scientist, the explorer of the Amazon - Khamza.

Surprisingly, not a single bridge has been built across the Amazon. A single crossing connects the banks of the tributary of the Rio Negro.

In 2011, the Amazon was recognized as one of the wonders of the world.

Great Nile

For a long time, the Nile, the great African water artery, the shrine of the ancient Egyptians, had the status of the longest river in the world. The source of the Nile is the confluence of the Rukarara and Kagera in Rwanda. For a long time, Lake Victoria was considered the source of the Nile. The area of the delta is 24,000 km². The Nile flows into the Mediterranean Sea.

The whole life of the countries through which the longest river flows is determined by the Nile. It can be called the river of life, which crosses the sultry sands of the Sahara desert and never dries up. The water level depends on the abundance of precipitation in the upper reaches. To protect the population from annual floods, 3 dams were built. This has its pros and cons: on the one hand, agriculture has lost its natural fertilizer - silt; on the other hand, the area of irrigated lands has expanded, and the harvest began to be harvested 3 times a year. It is possible that the dams shortened the overall length of the Nile.

The Nile is the cradle of human civilization. On its shores in the 4th millennium BC, one of the first agricultural states arose, with a developed culture and religion - Ancient Egypt. The Egyptians called the Nile Itera - the Great River, and Herodotus wrote that Egypt was the gift of the Nile. Egypt, in fact, the creation of a great river - 22% of the length of the Nile is located on the territory of this state.

Along the banks of the Nile there are great cultural monuments - the pyramids of Giza, the temples of Luxor and Karnak, Abu Simbel, the Valley of the Kings. Starting near Cairo, the Nile Delta is stunning in its length - 260 km along the Mediterranean Sea. All this makes Egypt a tourist oasis, the main treasure of which is the Nile.

The Great Ob is the pride of Russia

About 2.5 million rivers flow on the territory - large and small, great and nameless. 84% of fresh water is concentrated in Siberia. The longest river in Russia, the Ob, also flows there. Its length from the source of the Irtysh, the left tributary of the Ob, is 5410 km. In fact, the longest watercourse in Russia is the Ob-Irtysh water system.

The Great Ob is born at the confluence of the Katun and Biya in the territory of Altai, gains power at the mouth of the Irtysh and flows into the Arctic Ocean, forming at the mouth of the Ob Bay - a bay more than 800 km long.

Interesting Obie Facts:

in summer and autumn, the water of the river has a striped structure. This comes from the fact that Katun and Biya have a different color of water. Katun carries waters of a greenish color, and Biya - grayish or white;
the length of the tributary of the Ob, the Irtysh, is greater than the length of the Ob itself. Together they make up Russia's longest watercourse;
at the mouth of the Irtysh, the width of the river reaches 3 - 7 km, and the depth - up to 20 m;
near Novosibirsk, the Ob is blocked by a dam that forms the Ob Sea;
The Ob is famous for its valuable species of fish: sturgeon, vendace, whitefish, omul, peled, nelma and other valuable species of fish are caught in it;
The Ob is an important transport artery connecting the lands of 3 states: Russia, Kazakhstan, China.

The great rivers of the world are unique natural phenomena that connect countries and peoples, giving life, beauty and prosperity.

If some country is not surrounded by seas and oceans, then there are lakes or rivers in it almost for sure. The largest rivers in the world have been known to people since ancient times - the greatest cities and settlements were created next to them.

Until now, many capitals of the world and the most developed industrial centers are located on the banks of huge rivers, whose names are known to everyone.

10th place - Irtysh

This river flows through Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China. The length is 4248 kilometers. It is the longest tributary river in the world. The approximate area of the Irtysh basin is 1,600,000 square kilometers.

This is a majestic river, which has a truly enormous size and connects as many as four states. There is one interesting feature - the Irtysh is longer than the Ob River, of which it is a tributary. The length of the latter is 3650 kilometers.

9th place - Parana

The Parana flows in Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. The basin area of this navigable and sometimes very deep river is 2.5 million square kilometers.

On the way of this river there are many waterfalls and picturesque places. 30 dams have already been built on the river. The Itaipu hydroelectric power station is the second largest in the world. The river feeds and waters many people of South America, gives them electricity.

8th place - Lena

The source of the Lena is the Baikal Range. The river flows into the Laptev Sea. It practically crosses Russia across, having a length of 4400 kilometers. The river basin is approximately 2 and a half million square kilometers.

This is the largest northern river in the world, whose course belongs entirely to the permafrost region. Lena is the longest river in Russia.

7th place - Mekong

"River of the Nine Dragons" is an alternative name for the Mekong. The mouth of the river is located on the Indochina Peninsula - in the South China Sea. The source is in the mountains of Tibet. The river covers as many as six states - China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

The length of the river is only a hundred kilometers longer than that of the Lena - 4500 kilometers. The basin area is relatively small - only 800,000 square kilometers. Near the Mekong, large settlements were formed already 4000 years ago.

6th place - Itapocu

The river flows in Brazil, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean. Its length is 4680 kilometers. The area of the basin is approaching 3 million square kilometers, which is a fairly large figure.

Of the features, it is worth highlighting the rather dirty water and the surprisingly low level of popularity for queries on the Internet. For the 6th place in the list, this is a strange fact.

5th place - Congo

This is the deepest river in Africa and the second longest. Over the past 5-7 years, its length has officially reached 4700 kilometers, and the basin area is 4 million square kilometers.

The mouth of the Congo is the Atlantic Ocean. The river covers such countries as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Zambia, Angola. There are a huge number of cities on the banks of this navigable river. It is rich in fish and beautiful waterfalls.

4th place - Huanghe

This is the Chinese river, which is also called the "yellow". This is not an accidental name, since the water of the river really gives off a very yellow color. The sea into which the Yellow River flows is also predominantly yellow, which is why it was called that.

The length of the river is 5464 kilometers, and the basin area does not even reach a million square kilometers. This means that the river is very narrow. Its depth rarely exceeds 20 meters.

3rd place - Yangtze

This is the longest and full-flowing river of the entire Eurasia continent. The basin area for such a huge length of 6300 kilometers is very small - less than 2 million square kilometers.

In Chinese, the Yangtze means "long river". Its importance can hardly be overestimated - a huge number of people lived and live on its banks. The river is home to many endangered animal species, including river dolphins.

2nd place - Neil

This is one of the most famous rivers in the world. The length of the great Nile is 6852 kilometers. Scientists have long argued over which river is the longest - the Nile or the Amazon, but the disputes were resolved only relatively recently.

The area of the Nile basin is a gigantic 3,400,000 square kilometers. The river flows into the Mediterranean Sea, and takes its source far inland, in Lake Victoria - the second largest freshwater lake in the world.

1st place - Amazon

15-20 years ago, everyone considered this river the most full-flowing in the world, but now it has also been given the title of the longest. It is only 140 kilometers longer than the Nile, only 8 kilometers short of the 7000 mark.

This is the greatest of all the rivers in the world, with gigantic dimensions and an area of 7 million square kilometers. In 2011, the Amazon was recognized as a natural wonder of the world along with Everest, the Grand Canyon, the Aurora Borealis, Paricutin Volcano, Victoria Falls, Rio de Janeiro Harbor and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

The largest number of rivers in Canada is about 12 million. And in seventeen countries there are no rivers at all - these are deserted places with dried up channels. These include, for example, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Yemen, Kuwait and others. Our world is full of miraculous miracles, and rivers are one of them. Some of them represent the heritage of countries and entire continents.

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