The largest river in the world is the Nile. Features and characteristics of the longest river in the world - the Amazon. Queen of Rivers and its features
There are many factors by which the length of a river is calculated, so it is quite difficult to do this. So, there was a lot of debate about the longest river in the world - the Nile or the Amazon. The Nile is believed to be longer than the Amazon, but 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 a river begins, especially those rivers that are formed by ephemeral streams, swamps or changing lakes, therefore this article presents rivers along the length of a continuous river channel
10. Amur River - Argun
The 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 its confluence with the Amur Estuary.
9. Congo
The Congo is approximately 4,700 km long. The river is located in Africa and is the deepest 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
The Ob River is located in Western Siberia and is the seventh longest river in the world. The length of the river is 5,410 kilometers (3,360 miles), 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 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
The Amazon River is the second longest river in the world. The river is located in northern South America, starting from the Andes in Peru and ending in the Atlantic Ocean in Brazil. The length of the Amazon River ranges from 6259 to 6800 km. You can read more in our article
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 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. Interestingly, the unofficial name in Chinese 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 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.
Previously, the question: “what longest river in the world? – there was no doubt. We knew from school that it was Neil. But is it really that simple? Recently, there have been serious debates and changes in this topic. And today we will finally figure out which river is longer - the Nile or the Amazon.
Is the Nile the longest river in the world?
The length of the Nile River according to official data is 6695 kilometers. It crosses the territory of Uganda, South. Sudan, Sudan, and Egypt. The Nile originates from Lake Victoria and ends in the Mediterranean Sea. The river crosses half of the continent. Since ancient times, it was on the banks of this river that one of the very first civilizations of mankind was built. And at that time the answer to the question: “what is the longest river in the world?” – it was clear – Neil.
However, specialists from the Brazilian National Center space research decided to recalculate the length of the river in 2005 with the help of satellites, and it turned out that it was rapidly getting shorter and became 57 kilometers shorter. The Nile River system is currently thought to be 6,852 kilometers long, compared to 6,992 kilometers for the Amazon.
We should not forget the events of the 60s of the last century, when the Aswan Dam was created. This also somewhat reduced the size of the Nile reservoir. And in 2013, it was officially announced that the longest river in the world is the Amazon. Thus, the opinion that " Nile is the longest river in the world", erroneous.
The longest river in the world is the Amazon
The length of the Amazon River exceeds the threshold of 7 thousand km. It is located in South America and has many (about 500) tributaries. About 20 of them are approximately 1500 km in length. Together with its tributaries, the length of the Amazon reaches 25,000 km. Brazilian scientists recently discovered a new source for the Amazon. Previously, it was believed that this river begins its flow from the northern part of Peru, but it turned out that it began from the southern part, high in the mountains. After finding a new source of the Amazon, the river became 91 km longer than the Nile. Therefore, today we can confidently say that The longest river in the world is the Amazon.
As is already becoming clear, according to the most recent data, Neil is no longer the longest river. Despite the fact that we are accustomed to this fact, now the Amazon is rightfully not only the deepest, but also longest river in the world. And it will be many more years before people begin to accept this fact as a given. But now it is you who have become one of those who know the truth.
Learning interesting facts is always informative and interesting. One of these facts is geographical records - the most high mountain, the deepest sea or longest river on earth. The Amazon River, which flows through South America, is recognized as the record holder for its length.
Record length of the Amazon
The length of the Amazon was determined not so long ago, when it became possible to study geographical objects using satellites. And as soon as its length was recalculated, it displaced the African Nile from its pedestal, ahead of it by several tens of kilometers. Having calculated the length of the Amazon along with its sources, scientists received a figure of 6992 km (versus 6852 km of the Nile).
Geographical description
The Amazon flows through the South American continent and flows into the Atlantic Ocean. It originates in the Andes, mountains located in southern Peru. Other countries whose territory is crossed by the river:
- Brazil (most of it is located on the territory of this country).
- Ecuador.
- Bolivia.
- Colombia.
The river delta is also one of the largest and has an area of more than 100 thousand km². Here you can observe a unique phenomenon - a huge wave formed by the tides, which reaches up to 4 m in height and moves up the river at high speed. The roar from the water shaft can be heard at a distance of several hundred kilometers.
Amazon records don't stop at length. At its mouth is Marajo Island, which is the largest river island in the world. Its area is more than 19 thousand km². The mouth of the river branches into three parts, each of which flows into the Atlantic Ocean. From here large ocean liners enter the river, which can travel more than 1,600 km deeper into the river, to the port of Manaus. In total, about two-thirds of the Amazon basin is navigable.
During the rainy season, the river can rise 20 m and overflow in some places up to 40 km. This period lasts from March to May. It flows through an area with an equatorial climate, characterized by stability and minimal changes throughout the year. The average air temperature in these parts is 25–28 degrees during the day.
The greatest depth is around 130 m. The river system includes more than 500 tributaries. Among them there are large and long rivers, for example, the Rio Negro, Madeira, Xingu, Isa, Tapajos. Their length exceeds 1500 km.
Flora and fauna of the world's longest waterway
The area around the longest river on the planet is called the Amazon; it is a unique ecosystem that includes a huge number of animal and flora, including rare ones. And again the river is ahead of all similar corners of the planet, because the world’s largest forest tract grows around its banks. The type of forest ecosystem is humid tropics.
More than 4 thousand tree species and an innumerable number of plants, shrubs, and flowers grow in the Amazon tropics.
During high tides, coastal forests are flooded, but the species growing there have long adapted to life in such conditions and calmly endure the difficulties of surviving under water. Notable and interesting trees:
- Hevea;
- chocolate tree;
- cinchona;
- red;
- papaya;
- palm trees, including banana palms.
A variety of ferns, shrubs, and beautiful orchids grow around the longest river. Among the interesting and rare plants, the world's largest water lily called Victoria Regia stands out, the diameter of which can reach two meters. The Amazon forest is full of surprises and unexplored places where there may be plants and representatives of the animal world or insects that are not yet even known to people.
Fauna inhabitants
The areas around this waterway contain a unique gene pool of animals, birds, insects, and reptiles. The Amazon River has one of the world's most diverse wildlife.
Almost a third of all species live in the river basin freshwater fish on the planet. This is about 2.5 thousand. World fame, although not very positive, was brought to these waters by piranhas - small predatory fish with sharp teeth, which have been the subject of more than one horror film.
Among interesting species: bull shark, pink dolphin, electric eel, reaching 2 m in length. One of the oldest existing fish, the arapaima, can grow up to 2 m. This species has a history of 400 million years.
More than 250 species of mammals and snakes live in the Amazon: the Caiman crocodile, the huge anaconda snake up to 12 m long, monkeys, tapir, jaguar, capybara. More than 400 species of birds, including the famous small hummingbirds, a huge number of bright and diverse butterflies and other insects - this is just a known part of the fauna that inhabits the areas around the longest river. Some of the species that live here are found nowhere else on the planet, such as the white dolphin and the Amazon otter.
The Amazon accounts for about half of all known living organisms on Earth, so it is rightfully considered one of the seven natural wonders of the world.
What role does the Amazon play in the Earth's ecosystem?
This long river is of utmost importance for the ecology of the planet. If the unique natural world of the Amazon is destroyed, all life on the planet will be at risk. This river and its adjacent forests are often called the “lungs of the planet.” The crowns of trees and shrubs in the region produce a strategic supply of oxygen and help curb the greenhouse effect by participating in the processing of harmful substances released into the atmosphere. The chemical balance of the planet's air largely depends on the health of the tropical forest around the Amazon.
Around the longest river grow medicinal plant species used to produce pharmaceuticals and natural medicines. A quarter of the world's known flora representatives grow here. healing properties. This directly links the Amazon to the safety of humanity.
Unfortunately, this miracle of nature has long been threatened by uncontrolled destruction of forests for the sake of valuable timber, industrial pollution and poaching. Among most important tasks facing environmentalists and governments around the world today can be called the problem of the ecology of the longest river on the planet.
Until recently, it was written in all school textbooks that the longest river in the world is the Nile. Its length is 6670 kilometers. However, already now many scientists give the palm to another river - the Amazon.
This happened for several reasons. Namely, the Nile became shorter after the Aswan Dam was built on it in 1960. Well, besides this, the Amazon River has several tributaries, these are the Ucayali and Marañon. And more recently, it began to be traced from the source of Ucayali. And from this point the length of the South American river exceeded 7 thousand kilometers. For comparison, this is the distance from Berlin to New York.
Fresh sea
However, the Amazon is not only the longest river in the world. She holds several more records. For example, it is the largest in terms of basin size and the deepest (special thanks to the heavy rainfall for this). Of course, the Amazon is the most water-bearing river in the world. The river throws approximately 200 thousand cubic meters of water into the Atlantic Ocean. By the way, in 30 seconds a reservoir can provide absolutely every inhabitant of the planet with one liter of fresh water. It turns out that a fifth of all fresh water that enters the World Ocean comes from the Amazon. And the force with which fresh water flows into the Atlantic displaces salt water at a distance of about 200 kilometers. Only for this, the famous Italian navigator Vicente Yañez Pinzón gave the Amazon another name - Mor Dulcea, which translates as “Fresh Sea”.
By the way, when you first meet a river, you actually want to call the Amazon a sea. In some places its width is so enormous that it is impossible to see the opposite bank. And the flood makes the longest river even wider. At such moments the width reaches fifty kilometers. Well, the depth is not so impressive; in the largest places it ranges from 50 to 80 meters. In narrow ones it is 130 meters. The Amazon is located parallel to the equator. This causes her to be greatly affected summer season, and both hemispheres. Therefore, the right and left tributaries are replenished with water. And the water level can fall and rise. Experts compare the life of the Amazon to the pulsation of a giant heart. Throughout the year, the water level can fluctuate from 9 to 12 meters. In general, the Amazon is filled with more than five thousand tributaries. The right Madeira and the left Rio Negro deserve special attention. If you add up the length of all the branches of the champion river, then its length will be more than 25 thousand kilometers.
Royal flora and fauna
The Indians have always admired the beauty of the mighty Amazon and called it nothing less than the “queen of rivers.” The waters of this longest river on the planet pass at the foot of the Peruvian Andes, come into contact with the dense tropical forests of Ecuador and Bolivia, and also flow near the “floating islands” of Colombia, plantations of cassava bushes and guarana in Brazil. On the banks of the Amazon in the plant kingdom, among a dense tangle of palm leaves and vines, live anacondas and jaguars looking for their victims. And vice versa, tapirs hide from predators, capybaras graze, monkeys play and frogs croak. Well, in the muddy waters of the river (due to the silt that is carried by the rapid flow of water) more than two thousand species of fish live. In general, in Amazon about 30 times more types fish than in all European rivers. Among them are the famous piranhas, stingrays and river sharks (all these are “underwater wolves”). There are two types of river dolphins here, you can meet a giant otter, as well as an alligator and turtles. By the way, during the rainy season, pink river dolphins from main river move into the flooded forest, where they can be found swimming or hunting near trees. It is noteworthy that on one hectare of the river’s tropical forest you can find more than 200 varieties of trees. And that's not all, according to research, one tree can contain up to 72 various types ants. By the way, the longest river on Earth fully lives up to its name.
This has been happening since the time of the Spanish conquistadors (this is the 15th-16th centuries). Then the conquerors were extremely surprised by the strength of Indian women. They fought alongside men and were inferior to them in little way. Therefore, the mighty river was named after their tribe “de los Amazonas”. The river does not allow you to approach it because of its steep banks. They are not just clayey and steep, but swampy and sometimes flooded. The warlike and violent nature of the Amazon is also indicated by the driftwood floating with the current, the disgusting mud and constant whirlpools.
Taming of the Shrew
Man has been trying to conquer the great Amazon for a long time. Some do it out of sport, and some do it for selfish reasons. In the latter case, we are talking about cutting down the jungle, which is present in abundance on the banks of the river. Man mercilessly destroys nature, thereby depriving the planet of vital energy. Others behave much more harmlessly. The simplest example of conquest of a river is the story of Martin Strela. This young man showed himself strengths and earned hero status in documentary film called "Big River Man". The film was released in 2009. A fearless swimmer from Slovenia covered 5,268 kilometers of water in just 66 days. Thanks to this, the athlete was included in the Guinness Book of Records, thereby showing the strength of the human spirit and mutual understanding of nature and man.
By the way, there is not a single bridge across the Amazon River, about 7 thousand kilometers long. The only one appeared only in 2010. The crossing was made through one of the tributaries of the longest river - the Rio Negro. The bridge connects the major Amazon port of Manaus and the city of Iranduba. The length of this structure is quite impressive - 3 kilometers and 595 meters.
Breathe down your back
The length of the Nile is immediately behind the Amazon. Well, next on the list of the longest rivers are the Mississippi (with Missouri). This river in North America stretches for 6 thousand 420 kilometers. Next comes the Yangtze, its length is 5800 kilometers. Well, Ob closes the top five record holders. The Siberian River, including the Irtysh, stretches for 5,410 kilometers. By the way, this is the longest river in Russia.
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