Waterways of the world
- POSTED ON: 8 May, 2024
- TOTAL VIEWS: 472 Views
- POSTED BY: Madhuvanti S. Krishnan
- ARTICLE POINTS: 150 Points
Rivers provide water for a multitude of human uses and also support various other life forms. The first human civilisations grew around river systems. Rivers are present on land and even under the ocean.
The Nile (6,650km) is the world’s longest river flowing across 11 countries in Africa. It is the primary water source of Egypt, Sudan and South Sudan. Then comes the Amazon River (6,575 km) in South America, covering five countries. The Amazon rainforest is the largest in the world. In third place is the Yangtze River (6,300 km) is Asia’s longest river. One-third of China lives in the Yangtze River basin. Next comes the Mississippi River (6,275km), in the U.S., which originates in northern Minnesota, with lake Itasca as its source, and flows into the Gulf of Mexico.
The Yenisei River (5,539km) begins in Mongolia and flows through Lake Baikal and empties itself into the Arctic Ocean. The Yellow River (5,464km), the birthplace of Chinese civilisation, is also known as the Sorrow of China because it frequently changes its course and causes flooding. At seventh place is the combination of the Ob and the Irtysh Rivers (5410km). Together the two flow through countries of Russia, Kazakasthan and China. South America’s Parana River (4,880km) is the second largest in the continent and harbours a rich and varied animal life. The Congo River (4,700km), formerly known as the Zaire River, is the world’s deepest river, with depths reaching 700 feet in some parts. Finally, there is the Amur River (4,480 km), also known as the Heilong, which forms the natural border between the Russian Far East and Northeast China.
Here is a fun game to help you apply what you have read. Arrange the rivers in order of length, beginning with the Nile.