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The longest river in the world. Great rivers of the world. The largest rivers in the world

Measuring the length of great rivers is no easy task. To do this, you need to know exactly where the source is and where the mouth is. Finding the right source among the many branches and tributaries is very difficult, so for starting point rivers take the most distant of the tributaries. In addition, the rivers change with the seasons. These and many other difficulties do not allow us to name the exact length of the river.

Amazon

Most likely, the longest river, from the mouth to the most remote year-round source, is the Amazon. According to the latest data, its length is almost 7 thousand kilometers, to be more precise - 6992 km. It originates at the foot of the Andes and tends to the Atlantic Ocean through Brazil.

However, the title of the longest river depends on how it is measured. Until the middle of the 20th century, geographers could not reach the distant sources of the Amazon, but GPS technology made it possible to conduct a study in 2007 and collect more accurate data.

Until 2007, the Nile was considered the longest river in the world, with a length of 6852 km. The measurements of the two rivers are so close that the results may seem quite contradictory, especially considering the fact that the 2007 study was partly funded by Brazil.

Nile

Greatest and longest African river It flows from the mountains of Burundi and flows through the territory of Sudan and Egypt, forming the famous delta and flowing into the Mediterranean Sea. The ancient Egyptians traveled up the Nile for a distance of 2700 km, deep into modern Sudan. According to the ancient Greek geographer Ptolemy, the Nile originates in the "Mountains of the Moon" in the depths African continent. In the 19th century, the English explorer John Henning Speke first sailed the Nile to its source from Lake Victoria in modern Uganda. For many years after his journey, the great lake was considered the source of the Nile. In a straight line, the Nile occupies about 3850 km, while the Amazon - only 1770 km.

There are many factors due to which the length of the river is calculated, so it is quite difficult to do this. So, there was a lot of controversy about the longest river in the world - the Nile or the Amazon. It is believed that the Nile is longer than the Amazon, but in Lately some researchers have questioned this fact. Recent Brazilian and Peruvian studies have suggested that the Amazon is longer. The length of the Amazon River ranged from 6259 to 6800 km, but now the length of this river is 6992 km after its new source was discovered. After all, it is very difficult to say for sure where the river begins, especially those rivers that are formed by ephemeral streams, swamps or changing lakes, therefore this article presents the rivers along the length of a continuous river channel

10. Amur River - Argun

Amur - the tenth longest river in the world, forms its border between the Russian Far East and Northeast China. The length of the river is 2824 kilometers from the confluence of the Shilka and Argun rivers to the confluence with the Amur Estuary.

9. Congo

The length of the Congo is approximately 4700 km. The river is located in Africa and is the most deep river in the world.

8. La Plata

The river is in South America, in Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. Approximate length is 4,880 kilometers

7. Ob

Ob - the river is located in Western Siberia and is the seventh longest river in the world. The river is 5,410 kilometers (3,360 miles) long, with a basin of 2,990,000 square kilometers.

6. Yellow River

The Yellow River is the second longest river in China after the Yangtze and the sixth longest river in the world. Estimated length is 5,464 kilometers.

5. Yenisei

The Yenisei is the fifth longest river in the world with a length of 5,539 km. The Yenisei is the largest river system flowing into the Arctic Ocean.

4 Mississippi

The Mississippi River is the main river of the largest river system in North America. Current in the United States (although its basin reaches Canada). The Mississippi is the fourth longest river in the world.

3. Yangtze

The Yangtze is the longest river in Asia and the third longest river in the world. Its length is approximately 6,418 kilometers.

2. Amazon

1. Nile

The Nile River is located in northeastern Africa and is considered the longest river in the world. Its length is 6,650 km (4,130 miles). It flows through ten countries through Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, democratic republic Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt. The Nile has two main tributaries, the White Nile and the Blue Nile.

Most of the surface the globe It is water that occupies, which can be clearly observed from space. In addition to oceans and seas, there are other natural water bodies on Earth: lakes and rivers. This article provides a list of the 15 longest rivers in the world.

Most active water element observed in rivers, where water is always in motion. The most powerful water flow originates from a small stream and gradually, gaining strength, transforms into a large river that carries water over long distances.

Since ancient times, people settled near rivers, as fresh water was necessary for domestic needs and transportation of goods water transport. The length of some rivers is quite difficult to measure by different reasons: it is difficult to determine the origins and indicate the confluence of some reservoirs. So, which is the longest river in the world, the Amazon or the Nile?

List of the longest rivers. Top 15

Amazon− the longest river in the world. The Amazon is rightfully recognized as the longest and deepest river in the world, its length is 6992 km. and is located in South America. This huge river has the most extensive catchment area. It originates from the sources of two rivers: Ucayali and Maranion. Some scientists find it difficult to give exact data on the length of the Amazon, even with the help of satellite calculations. The fact is that the sources have a different location and the length can be calculated from each of them. If we take into account the Ucayali River, then the length of the Amazon becomes more than 7000 km. In length, the Amazon is ahead of the Nile.
Nile. The second longest river in length is the Nile, located on the continent of Africa. Its length is 6852 km. This river starts from the East African Plateau and moves northward, crossing several large states from Rwanda to Egypt, then flows into the Mediterranean Sea.
Yangtze. The Yangtze is the third longest river in the world. The powerful water flow that horizontally divides China into two parts is of great importance for the culture and history of the entire Chinese people. The length of the river is 6300 km. The Yangtze begins with glaciers in the mountains of Tibet, located at an altitude of 5600 km, and moves across the country to South China Sea. On its banks are Largest cities countries and powerful hydroelectric stations. The Yangtze basin has an area of 1,800,000 square kilometers, so it is the first on the Eurasian continent.
Huanghe. Or otherwise, the "Yellow River", has a length of 5464 km and is the second largest river in China. It got its name from the water-specific yellow color. The reason for this is loess (mountain calcareous rock), which enters it from the Shaanxi plateau. The river originates in the Tibetan highlands, and then moves eastward, flowing into the Yellow Sea. Historical meaning It is difficult to exaggerate the Huang He, because it accompanies the birth of Chinese civilization. The water of the river is used for domestic needs and drinking.
Mekong- located on the territory of the Indochinese Peninsula and flowing through several major countries from Vietnam to China. It has a length of 4500 km and originates in the Tibetan highlands, after turning in a southwestern direction. River water is used local residents for watering rice fields. The largest delta, located in Vietnam, is often at risk of flooding and landslides.
Lena. The longest river in Russia with a length of 4400 km, including its delta. Its pool belongs entirely to the expanses of our country. The sources of the river are located on the territory of the Baikal Range. South of Yakutsk, it merges with two powerful tributaries (Vilyui, Aldan), which expand the Lena to 10 km. Further south, mountain ranges prevent the river from overflowing and speed up the flow. Near the mouth, the river diverges into numerous branches that form a single large delta. A powerful current ends its journey, flowing into the Laptev Sea.
Parana. The second largest river in South America. It moves from the north of the continent to the south, crossing 3 large states, then flowing into the Gulf of La Plata. The river is navigable and is economically significant natural object as it goes out into the water Atlantic Ocean.
Congo (or Zaire). One of the most powerful and longest rivers of the African continent, 4374 km long. The river has a significant economic importance for countries that it crosses or passes in close proximity to them - from the Central African Republic to Rwanda. The area of the river basin is very extensive - 4,000,000 square meters. km.
Irtysh is largest tributary(4248 km), which feeds the Ob River. It moves across the lands of three states at once: Chinese, Kazakh and Russian. The river provides the water supply system for several regions. Together with the Ob River, its length is 5410 km, which makes it the longest in Russia.
Niger- a river flowing through the territory of West Africa, with an unusual flow trajectory resembling a boomerang. It has a length of 4180 km. The source of the Niger is located 240 km from Atlantic coast and then turns to the other side. Having drawn an unusual route for himself, the Niger flows into the Atlantic.
Mississippi- largest river North America(3770km). Its powerful tributary is the Missouri. The Mississippi basin includes 31 american state, several provinces of Canada, covering an area of 3,270,000 sq. meters. The natives of these places (Indians) gave her such a name, which means “great” or “big” in translation. Active navigation is constantly carried out along its waters.
Missouri- in length it lags behind the Mississippi by only 3 km. The source of the river is hidden in the highlands of Montana. It flows in a southeasterly direction and flows into the Mississippi near the city of St. Louis. Recently, navigation on the river has not been as important as it used to be due to the growing competition of other transport.
Ob – greatest river traversing the entire territory Siberian region. Its sources are in Altai at the confluence of the Katun and Biya. It is of tangible importance for the Russian Federation: regular navigation is carried out along it and several hydroelectric power stations have been built. The length is (3650 km).
Volga. The longest river in Europe (3530 km), starting on the Valdai Upland and moving towards the Caspian Sea. Interesting fact - at its mouth, the river is located 28 meters below the ocean level.
Yenisei. Another powerful and large river of Siberia, originating on the border of Russia with Mongolia. The Yenisei is 3487 km long. It is this river that divides the Siberian lands into two parts: Eastern and Western, then flowing into the Kara Sea. A cascade of hydroelectric power plants has been built on it, which supply electricity to large Siberian industrial enterprises. Yenisei also plays important role in the country's economy, as navigation is carried out on its waters. However, the construction of reservoirs had a negative impact on the ecology of the reservoir.

The longest river in Belarus is the Dnieper, its total length is 2145 kilometers, and on the territory of Belarus the length of the river is 690 kilometers.

For a long time it was believed that the longest river in the world is the Nile. However, thanks to modern technologies and numerous scientific studies have shown that this is not entirely true. Using data obtained from satellites, they managed to prove that the representative of the African continent is not much, but still inferior in length to the Amazon. It should be noted that until that time it was in second position on our planet (in terms of duration). The evidence is officially recognized, therefore, speaking about which is the longest river in the world, now we can safely mention the Amazon, which is also the most full-flowing.

Revolutionary Research

The superiority in length on the planet of the main South American artery was proved by representatives of the "National Center of the Country for Space" in Brazil. They have been studying it for a long time using satellite data based on the calculations of the expedition of Peruvian and Brazilian scientists. The fact is that during its implementation a new source of the Amazon was discovered, which is located not in the northern part of Peru, as previously thought, but in the mountains in the south of the state. As a result, determining which one is on the planet, scientists came to the conclusion that the length of the representative of South America was about 6800 kilometers, while the same indicator for the Nile was about 6695 kilometers. Finding the exact length is quite problematic, since it depends on the correct definition of the source. Regardless of how it is considered for the Amazon, it will still be longer.

Location

The longest river on Earth originates in the Peruvian Andes, at an altitude of 5 thousand meters above sea level, and ends in the Atlantic Ocean. The water artery flows through the territory of countries such as Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia and Brazil. It should be noted that half of the twenty largest rivers in the world are located in its basin. Quite interesting is the fact that most of The Amazon is located in the Brazilian territory, the population of which speaks Portuguese.

general description

At its core, the longest river on Earth is a whole system consisting of coastal forests and smaller water arteries. The total length of all its waterways is more than 25 thousand kilometers, while the basin area is 7.2 million square kilometers. Together with it, about a fifth of all freshwater reserves of the planet flows into it. The infusion volume is so huge that the composition, color and salinity ocean waters change at a distance of more than 300 kilometers from the coast. The Amazon is born by the confluence of Marañon and Ucayali. The area of its inner delta is more than 100 thousand square kilometers.

The place with the greatest depth of the Amazon, which is 135 meters, is located next to the port of Obitus. This value can be compared with the average of the same indicator Baltic Sea. During the dry periods of the year, the longest river on Earth covers an area of about 110 thousand square kilometers with its waters. This figure more than triples during the rainy season. Moreover, if in the first case the width of the river is up to 11 kilometers, then in the second it can spill over 40 kilometers. For two-thirds of the total length, this water artery is navigable. Moreover, even ocean ships can come here, which rise along the mouth to the city of Manaus, located 1690 kilometers from its beginning. It should also be noted that the largest river island on the planet, known as Marajo, is located precisely in the Amazon.

Origin of the name

Speaking about how it is called, it is impossible not to mention the origin of this name. Most historians and researchers are sure that it was given by the Spanish conquistadors. Indeed, when these European conquerors landed on the South American continent, they often had to engage in battle with the locals. Among the natives, along with men, women fought fearlessly. With their fury and courage, the Indians reminded the Spaniards of the legend of the Amazons from antiquity. The imagination of the conquistadors was so amazed that they called the local waterway just that. It should be noted that some historians believe that only men actually fought, who, due to long hair were mistaken for women. Be that as it may, the name of the longest river on the planet was coined by the Spaniards at that time.

Flora and fauna

The local flora simply amazes the human imagination with its diversity. As of today, scientists have managed to thoroughly study less than one-third of it. At the same time, it is impossible not to note the fact that approximately 25% of all medicinal components of plant origin used in world medicine are mined in local forests. The fauna is also quite diverse. There are approximately 1,500 species of fish in the Amazon. One of the most unusual species- This is a bullfish, reaching five hundred kilograms in weight and four meters in length. In addition, here (including on the shores) there are about 250 species of mammals and 1800 species of birds. One of the most prominent representatives pink freshwater dolphins, able to hunt even in a flooded forest, became the local fauna. It should also be noted a large number of piranha - predatory fish, which have become a real embodiment of horror because of the cinema.

water shafts

One of the main attractions that the longest river on Earth is famous for is the famous gigantic water shafts that are located at its mouth, not far from the small town of Belene. They reach a five-meter mark in height and roll upstream. This process occurs during ocean tides and is accompanied by a strong roar. The waves are so strong that they can be felt even at a distance of 1400 kilometers from the mouth of the Amazon.

visit

The air temperature on its shores all year round is in the range from 26 to 28 degrees Celsius. At the same time, autumn is considered the best time of year to visit the Amazon. As for the most unfavorable period, it is considered the spring, in which the rainy season falls. Around September, the water recedes and exposes local forests and beaches.

conclusions

Summing up, it should be noted that disputes between experts as to which is the longest river on the planet are currently ongoing. In this regard, there is no doubt that the claims and evidence made by Brazilian scientists will be challenged. Be that as it may, the length of the Nile has also changed recently. True, unlike the Amazon, the main African waterway has somewhat decreased. The once longest river in the world was shortened due to the construction of the Aswan Dam with the Nasser reservoir, which began in 1960.

The longest river in the world is the Nile

Nile- the longest river in the world, its length is 6,690 km from the source of the Luvironza River in Burundi, in Central Africa, to its mouth at the confluence with the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile flows from south to north and its basin is about 2,850,000 sq. km, which is approximately equal to one tenth of the area of Africa, including the territories of Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, and Congo (Kinshasa). Its waters support virtually everything Agriculture in the most densely populated parts of Egypt, being the source of irrigation for almost all of the Sudanese food crops, and widely used throughout the basin for navigation and hydroelectric power.

The deepest river in the world - the Amazon

River Amazon the second longest river in the world in terms of length. Its length is about 6,296 km, it is formed by the connection in the northern Peruvian Andes of the two main sources - the Ucayali and the shorter Maranon. The Amazon flows through all of northern Brazil and empties into the Atlantic Ocean near the city of Belem. Amazon is the most deep river peace (transfers more water than any other river in the world). The basin with tributaries is huge and is 6,475,000 sq. km, which is approximately 35% of the territory of South America. The Amazon draws water from both hemispheres and flows not only through Brazil, but also through parts of Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela. Average depth the river in its greater length is 50 m. The slope of the river is very small: Manaus, 1,610 km upstream, is only 30 m higher than Belem near the river delta. Sea vessels with a landing of 4 m, they can reach Iquitos in Peru, which is 3,700 km from the Atlantic Ocean. Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia have international ports on the Amazon.

The following table shows the largest rivers in the world, including their name, source, where they flow and their length:

Name rivers	Source	Mainland	Where flows into	Length, km
	Tributaries of Lake Victoria		Mediterranean Sea
Amazon	Glacial lake, Peru	South America	Atlantic Ocean
Mississippi-Missouri	Red Rock River, Montana, USA	North America	Gulf of Mexico
Yangtze	Tibetan Plateau, China		China sea
	Altai, Russia		Gulf of Ob, bay of the Kara Sea
Huanghe	Eastern Kunlun Mountains, China		Bohai Bay of the Yellow Sea
Yenisei	Tannu-Ola mountains, south of Tuva, Russia		Arctic Ocean
Paraná	confluence of the Paranaiba and Rio Grande rivers, Brazil	South America	bay of la plata atlantic ocean
Irtysh	Altai, Russia
Zaire (Congo)	confluence of the Lualaba and Luapula rivers		Atlantic Ocean
Amur	confluence of the Shilka and Argun rivers		Tatar Strait of the Sea of Okhotsk
Lena	Lake Baikal, Russia		Arctic Ocean
Mackenzie	source of the Finlay River, british columbia, Canada	North America	Beaufort Sea (Northern Arctic Ocean)
Niger	Futa Jallon, Guinea		gulf of guinea atlantic ocean
Mekong	Tibetan Plateau		South China Sea
Mississippi	Lake Itasca, Minnesota, USA	North America	Gulf of Mexico
Missouri	Confluence of the Jefferson, Gallatin and Madison Rivers, Montana, USA	North America	Mississippi river
Volga	Valdai Hills, Russia		Caspian Sea
Madeira	The confluence of the Beni and Mamore rivers, the border of Bolivia and Brazil	South America	Amazon river
Purus	Peruvian Andes	South America	Amazon river

Thus, the Nile is the longest river in the world, with a length of approximately 6,690 kilometers, and also the largest river in Africa. The second largest river in the world, the Amazon, is also the longest river in South America. The third largest Mississippi River, together with the Missouri River, is the most big river North America. The fourth largest river, the Yangtze, is the longest river in Asia. And, being only the eighteenth largest in the world, the Volga is the longest river in Europe.

So, we have reviewed the 20 most big rivers world, eight of which flow in Asia, eight in America, three in Africa and only one of the 20 largest rivers in the world - in Europe.