Which river is considered the longest in the world. Which river is the longest in the world

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Rivers are characterized by two parameters: its length and basin area. The area is the area covered by the river and its tributaries. And the length depends on the length of the river from source to mouth. Measuring the length of a water artery is a controversial issue, since it depends on the nature of the water system from which the river originates. So just a few years ago, after the latest measurement results, the Amazon displaced the Nile from the position of the longest river on our planet. The current review is presented to your attention longest rivers in the world , which are a significant environmental heritage, an invaluable generator of renewable energy and simply beautiful samples natural elements.

Niger

A river flowing in western Africa with a length of 4180 km. The bizarre shape of the Niger bed, in the form of an enveloping boomerang legendary desert Sahara, makes it unique. Another feature of the river is the peculiarity of its flow. Formed near the Atlantic Ocean, the Niger flows into the Gulf of Guinea, and its current is directed towards the opposite side contrary to the laws of physics. The reasons for this phenomenon are hidden in the peculiarities of the formation of the Sahara, which influenced the appearance and disappearance of many reservoirs.

Irtysh

Decoration of Siberia with a length of 4248 km. The main tributary of the Ob flows from south to north, bypassing China, Mongolia, the Kazakh steppe and Russian expanses. Having united with the waters of the Ob, it flows into the Northern Arctic Ocean. Throughout the history of its existence, the Irtysh has repeatedly changed its flow vector, making adjustments to the surrounding landscape. Nowadays, the river carries its waters through the West Siberian Lowland, and the source is in the east Altai mountains. The Irtysh plays an important role in the economy of Siberia, as eloquently evidenced by well-functioning shipping and operating dams and dams.

Lena

Another beautiful and deep-flowing Siberian river with a length of 4294 km. The source of the Lena is an unnamed lake near Lake Baikal. The river flows into the Laptev Sea, skirting the Sakha Republic along the way. The Lena riverbed is usually divided into three sections. The lower reaches of the river are distinguished by its impressive latitude, and therefore are ideal for the movement of large vessels. In the middle reaches of the river there are huge rocks hanging directly above the river bed. They are called Lenin Pillars and are considered a landmark.

Congo

The longest river in Africa, second in length only to the Nile. The length of the Congo is a controversial issue among scientists. If we consider the Chambesi River as its source, then the length of the Congo is 4,700 km. And if Lualaba is 4374 km. Passing the equator twice, the river powerful flow flows into the Atlantic. African states located in the center and south of the continent have direct access to water resources Congo.

Parana

It is a natural dividing border for Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. The source of the river is formed high in the mountains, and after 4380 km, it flows into the Atlantic Ocean. The Indians who previously lived on these lands respected the power of the water element and gave Parana the name “Mother of the Seas.” Numerous waterfalls and rapids have earned the river a bad reputation. Nowadays, this problem is being combated by constructing artificial dams and reservoirs. The Paraná is an important waterway for the countries through which it flows.

Mekong

The freshwater resource originates in the mountain ranges of southern Tibet and has a length of 4,500 km. The river is an integral part of agriculture in at least four Asian countries. Emerging into the sea, the Mekong forms a delta with an estuary of mango thickets. Geographically, this is the territory of Vietnam. The Mekong flows into the South China Sea. The Mekong River is the subject of heated dispute between China, Cambodia and Laos over the Chinese desire to fill the river's banks with hydroelectric dams. Neighboring countries fear the changes will lead to lower water levels and negatively impact harvests of rice and other crops.

Yellow River

The cradle of Chinese civilization, located in Eurasia and with a length of 5464 km. The riverbed, with its source located in the Bayar-Khara mountains, is conventionally divided into upper, middle and lower. In the lower reaches there is the Hukou Falls, which is the largest on the river. Although people were able to curb the power water flows The Yellow River, having built numerous dams and dams, still overflows its banks during the rainy season, flooding numerous cotton and millet plantations. And once a century the river shifts its course by several hundred kilometers.

Yangtze

One of the longest rivers in the world originates from mountain streams in Tibet. The Chinese call the river a little differently - Jinshajiang. This is the name you will find on Chinese maps. The river bed flows through flat and mountainous areas. At higher elevations the current is turbulent, with many rapids dangerous for humans, and one section of the river is completely enclosed. sheer cliffs. Tourists often visit this location when going on a boat trip, since the canyon hides the picturesque Tiger Leaping Gorge. Downstream is one of the largest dams in the world with the romantic name “Three Gorges”. 6,300 km from the source, the river flows into the East China Sea.

A record length of 6992 km makes the Amazon the longest river in the world. By its name water artery owes its name to a tribe of female warriors who, according to legend, lived on its shores. And the conquistador conquerors called it that, because it was along it that they reached the territory where fragile but warlike women lived. The majestic waters of the Amazon are originally formed by streams in the Andean mountains, merging with the Ucayali and Marañon rivers. The river flows along the equator, forming a huge delta at the mouth. Amazon with its kilometers tropical forest is a valuable resource for oxygen production and a unique collection of fauna.

Which one is the most long 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 is not the Nile, as was long believed, but the Amazon.

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

• the length of the river may change over time;
• seasonal changes;
• The length of the Nile was affected by the construction of dams. Now the length of the Nile is 6852 km;
• Sometimes it is difficult to determine the correct source of the river among numerous tributaries. The length of the Amazon from the Maraño tributary will be 6992 km, and if from the Ucayali tributary, then over 7000 km.

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

Winner-Amazon

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

• the deepest in the world;
• the largest in the world in terms of basin area, which is more than 7,100 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 various types flora and fauna live on its banks;
• The Amazon is home to more than 2,000 species of fish, an increase of 30 times more types fish living in all water bodies of Europe combined;
• the basin area contains the world's largest tropical rainforests;
• more than 25% of all medicines mined in the Amazon;
• V beginning of XXI centuries under the Amazon at a depth of 4000 m was discovered underground river, named after the Indian scientist, explorer of the Amazon - Hamza.

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

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

The entire 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 lost its natural fertilizer - sludge; on the other hand, the area of ​​irrigated land expanded, and crops began to be harvested 3 times a year. It is possible that the dams shortened the total length of the Nile.

Nile - cradle 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 - Big River, and Herodotus wrote that Egypt is the gift of the Nile. Egypt is essentially a creation 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. Beginning near Cairo, the Nile Delta is stunning in its length - 260 km along Mediterranean Sea. All this makes Egypt a tourist oasis, the main jewel of which is the Nile.

The Great Ob - the pride of Russia

About 2.5 million rivers flow through the territory - large and small, great and nameless. 84% fresh water 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 Altai, gains power at the mouth of the Irtysh and flows into the Arctic Ocean, forming at the mouth Ob Bay– a bay more than 800 km long.

Interesting facts about the Ob:

• In summer and autumn, the river water has a striped structure. This comes from the fact that Katun and Biya different colour water. The Katun carries greenish waters, and the Biya carries grayish or white waters;
• The length of the Ob tributary, 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 river’s width reaches 3 – 7 km, and its 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 others are caught there. valuable species fish;
• The Ob is an important transport artery connecting the lands of 3 states: Russia, Kazakhstan, China.

Great rivers of the world - unique phenomena nature, connecting countries and peoples, giving life, beauty and prosperity.

Russian rivers have different lengths. Experts have difficulty calculating the duration of some of them.

These reservoirs are created by nature; over time they change, merge, and go beyond the territory of the Russian Federation. These factors make the calculation difficult.

The longest river in Russia is called female name- Lena. The Laptev Sea completes its course, which lasts 4269 km.

The next longest river is the Irtysh, 4248 km. The third longest river is the Ob River.

Important! The Irtysh breaks the world record for the duration of river tributaries. It covers the territories of three countries at once: Kazakhstan, China and Russia.

Due to the difficulties of counting, there is still debate about which river is the longest. The Irtysh, with a length of 4248 km, merges with the Ob.

With the calculation of Lena's length, problems also arise. controversial situations. The countdown is carried out from its main tributary, which, in turn, has two different beginnings.

Interesting fact! Experts considered the option of calculating the sum of both tributaries to determine the duration of the rivers.

If the Lena is considered from this point of view, its length will be 4692 km. The difference is quite impressive.

Top 10 longest rivers

Planet Earth is called blue for a reason. This color is given to it by all kinds of bodies of water. Rivers - circulatory system planets. Small ones are veins and vessels, large ones are arteries.

Below is a list of the largest rivers on the planet:

1. Amazon.
2. Yangtze.
3. Mississippi.
4. Yenisei.
5. Yellow River.
6. Parana.
7. Congo.
8. Amur.

The length of the Nile is 6650 km. It affects Uganda, Kenya, Sudan, Ethiopia. Three million square kilometers of water fill its shores.

Such rivers are strategically significant for countries located in close proximity.

Important! Due to its great length, width and location, the Nile was completely covered with ice only twice in its life. This happened in the fourth and sixth centuries.

The Amazon, which ranks second in duration on the planet, has become the absolute world record holder for deep water. These parameters allow us to consider it one of the wonders of the world.

The study of the universe is moving by leaps and bounds. Today scientists can talk about climatic features, which took place hundreds of thousands of years ago from an ordinary piece of ice extracted from the depths of the oceans.

There are many others interesting facts that few people know about:

• The length of the Amazon today exceeds the length of the Nile. The leaders changed positions.
• Caño Cristales received the title the most beautiful river thanks to the colors: it combines red, blue, green and black.
• The most polluted body of water in the world is called the Royal River. It flows in Australia. It became dirty due to discarded chemical waste.
• In Poland, two rivers merge into one at an angle of exactly 90 degrees. Their currents remain autonomous due to the difference in temperatures.
• Finland is the leading country in terms of the number of bodies of water.
• The most uneven and winding river is called the Nizhny Novgorod Piana.
• Near Voronezh there are two reservoirs with the same name: Maiden.
• There are blue rivers in Holland unprecedented beauty. This effect is achieved by the combination blue ice at the bottom with white snow.
• Six bodies of water on earth are called Don.
• In Moscow there is a reservoir with the funny name Los. The tributary of the Elk was named accordingly: Elk.
• The mythical river Styx, flowing through the kingdom of Hades, has an analogue in Russia. The reservoir with the same name Styx is located in Perm.

There are several other natural reservoirs that are worth mentioning. Adventure and exotic lovers will be able to enjoy a boat trip along the Zambezi.

The reservoir is located in Africa, its bed covers six African countries, Victoria Falls is also located there.

Chinese flora and fauna are studied while traveling along the Yangtze. The shores are full of gorges and other natural beauties.

Sights of Europe, including castles and ancient cities, can be explored during a cruise along the Danube. Everyone chooses the duration of the trip themselves.

This could be several hours or several days. Such a vacation will be memorable and educational.

The Hudson originates from an unusual lake located in the USA. It is called "Tear of the Cloud".

The beauty of the Hudson became a muse for extraordinary creative people: musicians, artists and poets came here for inspiration. Today it is the most popular cruise route in the United States.

Important! In a mountain valley in Alaska there is a body of water called Kenai. This is a good place for fishing.

Fishermen from different countries dream of visiting these picturesque places. Trophy salmon and salmon are caught here. Fishing is permitted by local authorities at certain times of the year.

The Spree flows in Germany. Berlin is the most popular point of the reservoir in terms of tourism. Cruises will allow you to enjoy the impressively beautiful landscapes and views of the main city of the country. The Spree covers the territory of two countries: Germany and the Czech Republic.

The beauty of each river is individual and unique. Popular bodies of water around the world are described here. But another, albeit small and inconspicuous body of water will be no less pleasant and fascinating place to relax.

The sight of flowing water calms a person, because we ourselves are made of water. Enjoy the reservoirs near the city, travel to unexplored places and take care of nature to preserve it for future generations.

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Water flows are extremely variable quantities. IN different years, and even seasons, their length and volume of water changes. The debate about which river is the longest in the world continues to this day. However, the TOP 10 remains unchanged, only the places change.

South America is an amazing continent, home to the longest river in the world, the Amazon. It flows through several countries - Brazil, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru. The area of ​​its basin is approximately 7.05 million km², almost the territory of Australia.

The name of the longest river in the world comes from the legendary tribes of Amazons who inhabited its banks, with whom the discoverers of the mainland, the conquistadors, had to fight. Another curious fact: in the past, the Amazon repeatedly changed the direction of its flow until it “settled” on the final version - from west to east, crossing the entire continent.

Nile (6,700 km)

For a long time it was believed that the Nile was the longest river in the world, until a new tributary of the Amazon was discovered. The sources of the Nile are in Rwanda; in total, it passes through 10 African countries. For Egypt, whose territory accounts for a significant part of the river, it is of invaluable importance. It is along its banks that more than 95% of the state’s population lives.

Missouri-Mississippi (6,275 km)

Many Americans still believe that the Mississippi is the longest river in the world. Of course, because it is almost entirely located in the United States. In fact, its length is “only” 3,734 km. And if the Missouri had not turned from a full-fledged river into a tributary of the Mississippi, it would not have seen the top 10, like its ears.

Yangtze (5,800 km)

Translated from Chinese, the name means “long river”. It is the longest in Eurasia and is located in China. The waters of the Yangtze are home to many rare and endangered species, including alligators, sturgeon and river dolphins.

Yellow River (5,464 km)

The name of this river, also located in China, translates as “yellow”. It owes this to clay sediments that wash out from its banks and give the water a yellowish-turbid tint. Moreover, the sea into which the Yellow River flows was also named.

Ob (5,410 km)

The longest river in Russia, located in Western Siberia. It does not have many tributaries and is filled mainly by melting snow. The name most likely came from the translation of the word “snow” in the language of the Komi people.

Lena (5,100 km)

The largest of the rivers located entirely on the territory of the Russian Federation, in Eastern Siberia. For most of the year, the Lena is under a thick layer of ice, so shipping is rather poorly developed, and the banks are practically uninhabited.

Amur (5,052 km)

The next one of the top 10 longest rivers in the world is also located, for the most part, in Russia. It also flows through the territory of China and Mongolia. I wonder what unofficial name in Chinese it sounds like “Heilongjiang” - black dragon river.

Congo (4,700 km)

In terms of flow, this river is second only to the Amazon. In some places its depth exceeds 250 meters. Most of the reservoir is located on the territory of the Republic of Congo. The river crosses the equator twice and flows into the Atlantic Ocean.

Mackenzie (4,240 km)

Canada, it turns out, is not only a country of lakes. The last of the 10 longest rivers in the world is located on its territory. Interestingly, it was originally called “ Disappointment" - a disappointment, but it was later renamed in honor of the discoverer, Alexander Mackenzie.

Every person probably knows what a river is. The fact that the presence of rivers on our planet is important not only for the beauty of the landscape, for animals and flora, but also for nature as a whole, cannot be denied. All historical data indicate that settlement on the banks of rivers has always been convenient for humans in all respects. We can say that rivers connected people.

If you choose the most large rivers on earth, then it is probably necessary to know the basic characteristics that indicate the length of the river and its size. You also need to know about the annual flow of the river, area drainage basin, what is the river’s maximum water flow and many other indicators.

From the source (the place where the river originates) to the mouth (the place where the river flows into another body of water, such as a lake, sea, ocean or flows into another river), following the river bed, the length of the river is measured, otherwise - length. However, the procedure for measuring length is a very difficult task. As you know, the largest water arteries have wide channels, but the length of one bank may not coincide with the length of the opposite bank. Although, this problem was solved in a certain way: when talking about the length of rivers, they take into account the length of the channel along the so-called fairway - this is the line of greatest depths.

The length of rivers may change, and other obstacles may also arise. A more or less simple task is to determine the location of the river mouth. However, there was a “but” here too. From this list simple tasks those rivers that have a wide mouth-estuary come out. In such cases, determining the end of the river and determining the beginning of the bay is considered incredibly difficult.

If we consider the mouth, which is called the delta, questions are possible: which of the branches is the most important? Which is the widest? Which is the longest and deepest? Sometimes these characteristics coincide, but rarely. If you determine the length of a water flow, you need to be extremely accurate, because even a few kilometers can change the location of the place occupied by one or another water artery in general list longest rivers in the world.

Determining the source will not take painstaking work. For example, on the Valdai Hills there is a spring from which a stream originates, which from its upper reaches is called the Volga. A chapel was built at this place. And the location of the source in this example is determined with maximum accuracy. If a river flows out of a lake, then in this case it will also not be special labor determine the source location. By the way, the Neva flows from Lake Ladoga (Shlisselburg area).

However, doubts still sometimes torment. There are times when the tributary is longer than the river itself. For example, the length of the Missouri River is 4710 km, but the section of the Mississippi above the confluence of the Missouri is less than twice as long - 2240 km. The Irtysh River is 4248 km long, and the section of the Ob River above the mouth of the Irtysh is 3176 km long.

We were able to note that historically, a tributary can sometimes be longer than a river. However, when determining the length of a river, the length of its tributary is always taken into account (for example, the Amur with the Argun, the Mississippi and the Missouri and others).

It also happens that rivers form two smaller rivers merging together. The well-known Nile was formed due to the merger Blue Nile and the White Nile. The Amur River is from the confluence of the Arguni and Shilka, the Pyanj is from the confluence of the Vakhandarya and Pamir, and the Amu Darya is from the confluence of the Pyanj and Vakhsh. Along the way from source to mouth, some sections of the river bear different names. In this case, to determine the total length of the river, the longest branch is taken into account. But if this branch was formed from the confluence of two rivers, then, again, the length is calculated based on the longest river.

Three rivers have, for the past 40-50 years, been eligible to claim the "mark" of being the longest river in the world.
Initially, the Mississippi and Missouri were considered the longest rivers. Soon, when geographers' memory returned, they remembered the fact that the Nile River itself does not originate at all from the confluence of the Blue and White Nile, but only receives one name. The White Nile flows from Lake Victoria, at the same time, the river flows into it in the upper reaches of Rukara, a little further - Katera. After doing the math, the river's path was longer than that of the Mississippi and Missouri.

Many years passed, and the Nile remained the longest river. And here again the scientists became wise. They remembered that the confluence of two rivers forms the Amazon. These are the Marañona and Ucayali rivers. For many years, the Marañon branch was considered the deepest and most important. However, geographers have recently been able to recognize that the Ucayali River is, after all, longer than the Marañon. The Ucayali River is formed by the confluence of the Urumaba and Tambo rivers.

In addition, there have always been disputes about which stream is the main artery South America is considered its source.
Sometimes, river tributaries are so long that they can claim to be the longest water flows. The Missouri, in turn, ranks seventh in length in the world, however, it is considered only the main tributary of the Mississippi. This allows the latter to take third place among other rivers around the globe.

Rarely debate about watersheds different rivers. Sometimes the thought arises while studying landforms that certain area should be considered a river basin, although moisture from it does not flow into the river, because there is a desert there.

This ambiguity does not allow us to correctly determine the western boundary of the Nile basin in its currents: lower and middle. But most often, the territory of drainage basins is not difficult to determine.

There is a well-established rule according to which the larger the volume of the river's annual flow, the larger the area of ​​the drainage basin. In such data, the Amazon basin took first place. The second place was taken by the Congo River. It is two times smaller than the Amazon, and according to calculations of water flow per year, it is five times smaller. The reason is understandable, because in the Congo region the amount of precipitation is much less, although they are located in almost the same latitudes with the Amazon. The third place in terms of annual flows is occupied by the Yangtze. This is facilitated by heavy rains. They also favored Orinoco to take fourth place, and in terms of pool area they are in the top ten.

And the number of such examples has no end. But there is only one conclusion: no two are alike. natural conditions, and each river lives its own life with its own indicators. But the most common indicator is the length of the river.