The three largest rivers in the world. What is the largest river in the world? Fauna and flora of the Amazon

If a country is not surrounded by seas and oceans, then there are almost certainly lakes or rivers in it. The largest rivers in the world have been known to people since antiquity - 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, the names of which 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 \u200b\u200bthe 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

Parana flows in Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. The basin area of \u200b\u200bthis navigable and in some places very deep river is 2 and a half million square kilometers.

There are many waterfalls and scenic spots on the way of this river. 30 dams have already been built on the river. HPP Itaipu is the second largest in the world. The river feeds and gives water to many people in South America and gives them electricity.

8th place - Lena

The source of the Lena is the Baikal ridge. The river flows into the Laptev Sea. It practically crosses Russia across, being 4400 kilometers long. The river basin is approximately 2.5 million square kilometers.

It is the largest northern river in the world, and its bed belongs entirely to the permafrost region. Lena is the longest river in Russia.

7th place - Mekong

"River of 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 one hundred kilometers longer than that of the Lena - 4500 kilometers. The basin area is relatively small - only 800,000 square kilometers. Large settlements were formed near the Mekong already 4000 years ago.

6th place - Itapoku

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

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

5th place - Congo

It is the deepest river in Africa and the second longest. Over the past 5-7 years, its length has officially reached 4,700 kilometers, and the basin area is 4 million square kilometers.

The mouth of the Congo is the Atlantic Ocean. The river covers countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 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 - Yellow River

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

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

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

Translated from Chinese 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 species of animals, 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 about which river is the longest - the Nile or the Amazon, but the disputes were resolved only relatively recently.

The Nile Basin covers 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 deepest in the world, but now it was also given the title of the longest. It is only 140 kilometers longer than the Nile, not reaching only 8 kilometers to the 7000 mark.

It is the greatest of all rivers in the world, with a gigantic size and an area of \u200b\u200b7 million square kilometers. In 2011, the Amazon was recognized as a natural wonder of the world along with Everest, Grand Canyon, Aurora Borealis, Paricutin Volcano, Victoria Falls, Rio de Janeiro Harbor and Australia's Great Barrier Reef.

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 dry beds. These include, for example, the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Yemen, Kuwait and others. Our world is full of miracles miracles, and rivers are one of them. Some of them represent the heritage of countries and entire continents.

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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 of the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile flows from south to north, and its basin is about 2 850 000 sq. Km. km, which is approximately equal to one tenth the area of \u200b\u200bAfrica, including the territories of Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, and Congo (Kinshasa). Its waters support virtually all agriculture in the most densely populated parts of Egypt, irrigate nearly all food crops in Sudan, and are widely used throughout the basin for navigation and hydropower.

The richest river in the world - the Amazon

River Amazon the second longest river in the world in length. Its length is about 6,296 km, it is formed by the junction in the northern Peruvian Andes of two main sources - Ucayali and the shorter Maranon. The Amazon flows through all of northern Brazil and empties into the Atlantic Ocean near the city of Belem. The Amazon is the deepest river in the world (carries more water than any other river in the world). The pool with tributaries is huge and is 6,475,000 sq. km, which is approximately 35% of the territory of South America. The Amazon draws in water from both hemispheres and flows not only through Brazil, but also through parts of Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela. The average depth of the river over 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-going vessels with a landing of 4 m 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		Ob Bay, Gulf of the Kara Sea
	Yellow he	Eastern Kunlun Mountains, China		Bohai Bay of the Yellow Sea
	Yenisei	tannu-Ola mountains, south of Tuva, Russia		Arctic Ocean
	Parana	confluence of the Paranaiba and Rio Grande rivers, Brazil	South America	la Plata Bay of the 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 \u200b\u200bOkhotsk
	Lena	lake Baikal, Russia		Arctic Ocean
	Mackenzie	source of the Finlay River, British Columbia, Canada	North America	Beaufort Sea (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 Upland, Russia		Caspian Sea
	Madeira	Confluence of rivers Beni and Mamore, 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 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 river, the Mississippi, together with the Missouri River, is the largest river in North America. The fourth largest Yangtze River 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 looked at the 20 largest rivers in the world, eight of which flow in Asia, eight in America, three in Africa, and only one of the 20 largest rivers in the world is in Europe.

river in the world... For a long time it was indicated in school educational publications that the Nile, which is 6670 kilometers long, occupies the first place in length. But now this primacy belongs to the Amazon. There are several explanations for this:

• The Nile has gotten shorter over the years since a dam was built on it in 1960.
• The Amazon has tributaries: Maranyon and Ucayali, due to which its beginning was transferred to the Ucayali tributary.

The river is located in South America and belongs to one of the seven wonders of the world. Most of it flows through the vicinity of Brazil and flows into the Atlantic. The total length of the Amazon with all its tributaries exceeds 25 thousand kilometers. Moreover, the basin of the majestic river is equal to the whole continent.

Opening

In 1553, the world learned about what is the largest river in the world from the book of the Spanish historian Cieza de Leon. However, even earlier, the Amazon was described by the conquistador from Spain Francisco de Orellana. And in the middle of the 17th century, an expedition of the Portuguese explorer Pedro Teixeira passed along the entire length of the river.

Fresh water

Which river is the largest in the world we figured it out, but this is not all the success of the Amazon. Due to the abundant rains, the river is recognized as the deepest. It is estimated that the Amazon throws more than 200 thousand cubic meters of water into the Atlantic Ocean, and one fifth of the world's fresh water reserves falls on this amazing river. "Fresh Sea" - this name the Amazon received from the Italian navigator Vicente Pinsona. And, in fact, those who first came to the Amazon cannot call it a river, since the width does not allow you to see the opposite coast, which is inherent only in sea and oceanic latitudes.

The depth of the river is not as impressive as the width. In the widest places it is no more than 80 meters, and in narrow places it reaches 130 meters.

The Amazon flows parallel to the equator, therefore it is influenced by the summer season of two hemispheres at once. The water level is constantly changing: now the right, now the left tributaries, which number up to one and a half thousand, are filled.

Flora

Even without knowing what is the largest river in the world, the Indians of ancient tribes idolized the Amazon and called it "royal". Its shores almost merge with the Ecuadorian rainforests, Brazilian bushes and Colombian "floating islands".

Dense vegetation does not even allow the wind to penetrate deep into the forests, not to mention travelers who cannot punch a road even for a couple of meters. The most common among Amazonian plants is the liana. All the banks of the river are entangled in it, so the length of one branch reaches 100 meters. One of the wonders among plants is the Victoria Regia liana. It is a highly resilient aquatic plant. If a person stands on a sheet of regia, he will not submerge in water.

Palm trees are the second most common. There are more than 800 varieties of them on the shores of the Amazon. The fourth part of all pharmacological preparations includes substances extracted from medicinal plants obtained in the Amazonian forests.

Fauna

The fact of which river is the largest in the world gives an idea of \u200b\u200bthe animal world of a huge reservoir. Among the plexus of palms and lianas, predatory jaguars and anacondas await their prey, monkeys jump, loud croaking of frogs is heard closer to the water.

More than 2 thousand species of fish live in muddy water due to silt. There are many piranhas, rays, river sharks and dolphins among them. On the shores of the Amazon there are giant turtles, otters and a thunderstorm of travelers - alligators. During the rainy season, crocodiles move deeper into the forests and swim among the trees in search of food.

The river is surrounded by steep banks, which are swampy in places. Therefore, aquatic animals cannot get out on land just like that.

Population

Despite the wildness of these places, people live in the Amazon. Here you can find not only civilized settlements, but also the most ancient tribes that stopped in their development at a primitive level.

They have been trying to conquer this unusual place since ancient times. Someone does it out of interest in the world around them, and someone for selfish purposes. Civilization is actively cutting down the jungle and destroying rare animals, not thinking that such methods deprive the planet of vital energy. If the deforestation is not stopped, the Amazon will turn into a dead river, and it needs protection now.

The Amazon is known to everyone since school, but not everyone knows what is the largest river in the world. But a tropical river has a unique ecosystem and from all over the globe... However, the climate of the Amazon is very difficult due to high humidity, huge clouds of mosquitoes and dangerous animals, so only professional travelers come here.

If a child asks you a question: "What is the most largest river in the world? "What will you answer? It would seem that the answer is easy, you just need to find the most ... Here comes the catch: after all, rivers are characterized by length, area, depth, maximum water flow, high flow and many other indicators. And at the same time, the longest river may not have the largest drainage basin, and the river with the largest drainage basin may have a low annual flow. Thus, absolutely no rivers exist according to all indicators. The length of the river is measured from the source to the mouth, along its entire channel. Usually measured along the deepest part of the channel line - the fairway.

The estuary is usually determined quite accurately, but there are times when it is unclear where the river ended and the bay into which it flows began. The situation is similar with the definition of the source: if the river flows out of the lake. When determining the most major rivers of the world, the length of the river is measured not by its name, but based on the observation of a continuous flow, perceiving the river as a geographical object. For example, the length of the Mississippi is measured together with the Missouri. So, the longest river in the world is the Nile with Kagera - 6671 km... In second place is Mississippi with Missouri (6420 km), in third - Amazon, with a margin of 20 km (6400). Next is the river of the Asian continent Yantsy (5800), the Ob with the Irtysh (5410), the Yellow River (4845) and the Mekong (4500) - in seventh place. A river basin or its catchment area is the territory of the earth's surface from which all surface and groundwater flows into a given river, including its various tributaries.
There are almost no discrepancies in measuring the catchment area. This is due to the fact that the basin boundaries are clearly defined. Ambiguities arise with the features of the relief, when the watershed is poorly expressed. Most major rivers of the worldby catchment area - two American and one African. The first place belongs to the Amazon (7120 thousand km2), the second - by a large margin - near the Congo (3691 thousand km2), in the third - Mississippi (3268 thousand km2). The fourth place is occupied by the Ob (2990 thousand km2), followed by the Nile (2870 thousand km2), Parana (2663 thousand km2) and Yenisei (2580 thousand km2) - the fifth, sixth and seventh places, respectively. The next indicator directly depends on the previous one: the larger the drainage basin of the river, the greater its annual flow. But geographic conditions also matter. River runoff is the movement of water in the form of a stream along a river channel, which occurs under the influence of gravity. The quantitative value of the runoff per unit of time determines the water consumption. We are interested in the volume of flow, i.e., the volume of water that has passed the river in one year. This volume includes surface runoff (from precipitation and snowmelt) and groundwater runoff from groundwater. Now, the most major rivers of the worldaccording to the annual flow. Amazon is still in the lead (6903 km), in second place is the same Congo (1445 km), but the Yangtze (1080 km) comes in third - thanks to the summer monsoon rains. In fourth place - Orinoco (913 km), in fifth - Yenisei (624 km) and Mississippi (598 km) with Parana (551 km) - in sixth and seventh places.

Rivers bring melt or rainwater back into the ocean. Therefore, these streams can be safely called the main part of the water cycle on the planet. Each river system has a separate character, which depends on the climate, relief of a particular region.

River length

When compiling the characteristics of rivers, the following factors are taken into account: length, water regime, flow, water content, width, as well as the depth of the channel. First, the source is found, then the final place where it flows into the ocean or sea is determined, after which research is carried out throughout. In order to understand which river is the longest, it is necessary to correctly measure its dimensions, which is sometimes not very easy. Determining the length between the mouth and the source is difficult due to the lack of accurate maps. Therefore, measurements will directly depend on the scales used. The most objective option will be to measure the length on a small map, so it will be possible to show not only its size, but also the width of the stream. Despite the difficulties, scientists were still able to compile a list of the 5 longest rivers. However, after new expeditions, the results may change.

Enisey - the fifth position in the list

One of the largest rivers in Russia is the Yenisei. It is approximately 5500 km long and 70 meters deep. She rightfully occupies the fifth position in the world list of "The longest river on the planet." Thanks to her, the development of lands in the north of the country began several centuries ago. It is impossible not to note its importance for the state: on the banks of the Yenisei there are the largest ports, and the river itself is the navigable artery of the country. It flows in almost all geographic and climatic regions, serves as a border for Eastern and Western Siberia. The river is replenished in various ways, but mainly due to the melting of snow. High water is characteristic in the spring season. Also due to the formation of ice "plugs" the size of the river in some areas increases many times. It should be noted that there are about 40 species of fish in the Yenisei: from crucian carp to sturgeon. It is not uncommon to see some birds nest on the river. A serious problem for the Yenisei is the hydroelectric power station, after the construction of which the channels of the water flow have greatly decreased, as a result of which there is a significant threat to the flora and fauna of the river.

Longest river - Mississippi

The fourth place was given to the river, which originates in the United States. Its importance for the world is very difficult to overestimate; it is rightfully the greatest in the world. The Mississippi area is slightly more than 3000 km2, and together with the Missouri (the main tributary), this figure becomes twice as large - 6000 km2. The Mississippi is almost the longest river on the continent, second only to the Amazon. The food is varied: rain, mixed and snow. However, it is impossible to name the exact method of replenishing water for the entire river, since each region has different climatic conditions. It is characterized by high water in spring and summer. Also, often due to melting snow, severe floods are formed, which leads to floods. The Mississippi is a major as well as the most important transport artery of the United States of America, which paves the way from the mainland to the Gulf of Mexico. Small streams flow into the river, which originate in the mountains and rocks. An interesting fact is that the distance from the Great Lakes to the nearest bay is the Mississippi basin. The tributaries on the right side are in a dry climate, because of this, the river cannot be called full-flowing (even at the confluence with the Missouri). It becomes a large river only at the point of connection with Ohio.

Third place on the list - Yangtze

In third place is the longest river in Eurasia, the Yangtze. Its total area is 6300 km2. She, being an abounding river, flows throughout the territory of the Republic of China. Its waters are often used to irrigate fields. It should be noted that the Yangtze is China's main thoroughfare. The water stream is replenished with rainwater. The upper part of the river is fed by melting glaciers and snow. The river is also rich in fish. Its main inhabitants are carp, grass carp (black and white) and silver carp. The Yangtze is practically not covered with ice during the winter season. Only those areas that are the most calm and are only in the upper reaches are subject to freezing. An interesting fact is that in different areas the river is called differently. For example, in the Himalayas - Dangku, and in Tibet - Jichu. The Yangtze originates in the Himalayan ice and flows through their gorges. Surprisingly, in a small section, the river descends sharply from an altitude of 5000 m to 1000 m.This makes it appearance the most attractive. In some areas, the Yangtze is expanding thanks to the many tributaries of lakes and rivers. Also, the world's largest hydroelectric power station "Three Gorges" was built on it.

African Nile River

The second place was taken by the "blue vein" of Africa - the Nile. The longest river on Earth until the beginning of the 20th century. Its total length is 6800 km. The Nile has a sufficient number of tributaries, but the last 4 km before the confluence with the Mediterranean Sea, the river flows without them. It should be noted that the river has no analogues in the world for its functional purpose. The inhabitants of Africa call this river sacred, a temple was erected in her honor and a holiday was arranged. The Nile is the longest river in the country, it is still worshiped by Greeks, Arabs, Egyptians. Until the 19th century, this water flow completely determined the life of peoples. Due to certain factors, the level of the river could rise sharply many times, flooding the valleys. After the decision to build dams, a man-controlled irrigation system emerged. Today the Nile fully meets the needs of the country. It flows through different climatic zones, is divided into several branches and irrigates the massifs (the so-called "black earth", formed several centuries ago). On the banks of the river you can always see tourists, fishermen, peasants and traders.

The longest river on Earth - the Amazon

First place and absolute leadership belongs to the Amazon. It is located in South America, it is the largest not only in length, but also in terms of the size of the pool, as well as in terms of water flow. The river is fed mainly by rain and ground water. There is no snow and glacier food. In 2011, she entered the list of wonders of the world. It is surrounded on all sides by forests of various types: white, black and dry. Since the Amazon is the longest river, you can find many different fish and reptiles in it: piranhas, crocodiles, archer, caimans, mammals, stingrays, etc. Its characteristic feature is that it often rises several meters, flooding large areas. The flora is quite rich, with over 3000 species.

Disputes between hydrologists

Deciding which is the longest river in the world , scientists are in constant controversy. Until the early twentieth century, many were convinced that the Neil was a leader. However, after the discovery of the starting point of the Amazon in the south of Peru (it was previously believed that the source is located in the north of the country), Brazilian scientists found that the total length of the Nile is less than 100-150 m.During the study, special lighthouses were installed, which made it possible to carry out additional calculations ... The final result was announced in 2015 and confirmed the accuracy of the preliminary findings. And if we take into account all the ramifications of the tributaries of the Amazon, then its length will reach about 7000 km. It will rightfully be called the deepest and longest river.