The longest rivers in the world

Choosing the longest rivers in the world is not a trivial task. The beginning of the river is considered to be the tributary farthest from the mouth. However, its name does not always coincide with the name of the river, which makes it difficult to measure the length. Inaccuracies in calculations may also be due to seasonal changes.

There are also difficulties with the mouth - some rivers simply do not have it (for example, Cubango). Or the estuary is a funnel-shaped estuary expanding towards the ocean.

In our list, we will name the ten longest river systems in the world, taking into account the length of their tributaries.

10. Congo - length 4700 km

It is the deepest river in the world (measured depth - over 220 meters) and the second largest river after the Amazon (3,680,000 sq km).

The river originates deep in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It is fed by the Lualaba River, which itself is fed by the Louvois and Luapula rivers. And those, in turn, are associated with Lake Mveru and Lake Bangvelo. The Chambeshi River also flows into Luapula.

The Congo River makes up most of the border between the DRC and its eastern neighbor, the Republic of the Congo.

The Congo River got its name from the Kingdom of the Congo, which was located on the left bank of the river mouth. And the name Zaire, by which the river was known in the 16th and 17th centuries, comes from the Portuguese adaptation of the word nzere ("river") from the Kikongo language.

9. Amur - 5052 km

This majestic Far Eastern river originates in Western Manchuria, where two large rivers - Shilka and Argun merge. The rivers Kerulen and Onon are also considered as the source of the Amur.

The Amur flows eastward along the Russian-Chinese border and slowly turns into a large arc, receiving several tributaries.

The Chinese call the Amur the "River of the Black Dragon". According to legend, the Black Dragon defeated the evil White Dragon, who was the master of the river and in every possible way interfered with the local residents. Cupid enters list of the largest rivers in Russia.

8. Lena - Vitim - 5100 km

The easternmost of the three great rivers of Siberia (including the Ob and Yenisei), which flow into the Arctic Ocean.

The Lena, together with its right tributary Vitim, is the eighth of the largest rivers on Earth. And the only one in the world whose bed is entirely in permafrost regions.

The source of the Lena is a small swamp, which is located ten kilometers west of Lake Baikal.

Spring-summer floods cause the river level to rise by 10-15 meters. Because of this, its shores are poorly populated. All nearby buildings will be demolished during the spill.

7. Yenisei - 5238 km

Starting from the city of Kyzyl, the Yenisei River follows a northern course to the Kara Sea, where it forms the Yenisei Bay. It serves as a natural border between Western and Eastern Siberia.

The largest tributaries of the Yenisei are: the Angara River, the Selenga River and the Ider, the right tributary of the Selenga.

6. Ob - Irtysh - 5410 km

Two huge Siberian rivers, meeting each other, create the longest watercourse in Russia.

The Ob is shorter in length than the Irtysh. But at the same time it is more deep and plays the role of the main river in the Ob-Irtysh link. It is formed by the confluence of two Altai rivers - Katun and Biya.

The beginning of the Irtysh River is located in the mountains on the Mongolian-Chinese border. There she is known under the name Black Irtysh (or, in Chinese, Ertsisikhe). And the first 450 km of its path, the river flows through China. Much longer way - 1735 km it lies on the lands of Kazakhstan. And then she crosses the border with Russia in the Omsk region. And in the Khanty-Mansiysk region it meets the Ob River.

Thus, the Irtysh, although not the longest river in the world, bears the title of the longest tributary river.

5. Yellow River - 5464 km

Translated from Chinese, this river is called "Yellow" because of the color of the silt. It is the third longest river in Asia.

The Yellow River is known as the "cradle of the Celestial Empire's civilization" because of the crucial role it played in the development of Chinese culture. As with the Yangtze, the presence of human settlements near the Yellow River dates back to the Paleolithic era, and fertile basins have fueled the growth of agricultural communities.

Before modern dams were built, the Yellow River was extremely prone to flooding. Because of this, she was given nicknames such as "Sorrow of China" and "Scourge of the Sons of Han." The worst flood in modern human history occurred in China in the spring of 1887 and, according to various sources, claimed from 1.5 to 7 million lives.

4. Yangtze - from 5800 to 6300 km according to various sources

The Yangtze River bears the title of the longest river in Asia. She played a large role in the history, culture and economy of China and continues to do so to this day. Its existence was a key factor for the emergence of human settlements, the growth of agriculture and the development of civilization in East Asia.

Today, the thriving Yangtze River Delta produces up to 20% of China's gross domestic product (GDP), and the Three Gorges Dam, located on the Yangtze River, is the world's first hydroelectric power plant. Due to the impact of human infrastructure, some sections of the river are currently protected reserves.

3. Mississippi - Missouri - Jefferson - from 6275 to 6420 km

This river, as its name implies, is fully connected with the United States of America. Although each river individually would not be in the top five, they are grouped into one, as the Missouri River meets the Mississippi near the city of St. Louis, and the Missouri joins the Jefferson River in Montana.

2. Nile - 6852 km

Most people are answering the question: "What is the name of the longest river on Earth?" the river Nile will be called. Although the African blue vein predominantly runs through Egypt, it also passes through nine other African countries: Sudan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Most of them relate to the poorest countries in the world.

The largest lake in Africa, Lake Victoria, is considered the main source of the Nile.

About 300 million people depend on this river for water supply and irrigation of crops. There is even the Aswan hydroelectric complex that uses the energy of the Nile. Its construction was completed in 1970, and since then this system of structures has been used to provide the population of Egypt with electricity. It currently provides about 20 percent of the country's electricity. The Aswan Dam also controls the summer flooding of the Nile, which threatens large-scale flooding.

1. Amazon - the longest river in the world 6992 km

It is the largest river in the world in terms of catchment (6,915,000 sq. Km). For comparison: the drainage basin of the Nile - 3,349,000 sq. km.

The Amazon contains a staggering 20% ​​of the world's fresh water, and parts of the river can be over 190 kilometers wide when the Amazon swells during the rainy season. Even in dry conditions, the Amazon is so wide along its entire length that, to this day, no bridge has spanned it. Some species live here the most beautiful fish on Earth.

However, the debate about which is the longest river in the world - the Amazon or the Nile - does not stop. It's all about determining the origin of the Amazon. Scientists and researchers have been trying to establish the source of the river since the 1600s. Over the years, five rivers in southwestern Peru have been honored to be called the source of the Amazon.In the end, the headwaters of the Apurimak River began to be considered its source.

According to the results of a study carried out in 2014, it appears that the Amazon originates from the Cordillera Rumi Cruz mountain, located upstream of the Peruvian Mantaro River. This river then converges with the Apurimak River, and further downstream they are joined by other tributaries to form the Ucayali River. Finally, the confluence of the Ucayali and the Marañon River forms the Amazon.

Taking into account the latest data, from 75 to 92 kilometers are added to the length of the Amazon. So the question of which is the longest river on Earth can be confidently answered - the Amazon.

Table of the longest rivers in the world

The complete list contains 171 rivers with a length of more than 1000 km.