Which river is the longest in the world? The longest river in the world What is the longest river in the world
Plan
1. History of discovery
2. Geographic data
3. Climate
5. Conclusion
1. History of discovery
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 mouths, these are 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 reservoir exceeded 7 thousand kilometers. For comparison, this is the distance from Berlin to New York. The honor of discovering the Amazon River belongs to the Spanish conquistador Francisco de Orellano. He named her after the female warriors from Greek mythology. Interest in the discovery of the Amazon increased again at the end of the 19th century, in connection with the rubber boom. The travel of the German geographer Alexander Humboldt and the French botanist Aimé Bonaplan made a great contribution to the study of the areas of the river basin.
2. Geographic data
The Amazon River is the largest in the world in terms of basin size (7.2 million sq. km.) and water content. It flows in the north of Latin America through the territory of many countries. The Amazon is flat, formed by the confluence of two rivers: the Marañon and the Ucayali. The length of the Amazon from the source of Marañon is 6,400 km, and from the source of Ucayali - more than 7,000 km. It flows into the Atlantic Ocean and forms the largest delta in the world (over 100 thousand sq. km.) with funnel-shaped mouth-sleeves covering the huge island of Marajo. Most of the basin is occupied by swamps and floodplains, as well as dense jungle. In the lower reaches, the width of the Amazon reaches 80 km, and the depth is 135 m. Shipping is developed (navigable for 4,300 km). The lower part of the river is suitable for navigation. There are many commercial ports (Iquitos, Manaus, O6idus, Santarem, Belem). Its energy importance is increasing, as hydroelectric power stations are being built here.
3. Climate
The Amazonian lowland, where the river mainly flows, lies in the region of equatorial and subequatorial climate. The temperature all year round is 24-28°C, precipitation is 2000-3500 mm. in year. But the precipitation regime is different in the west of the Amazon - equatorial, constantly humid climate (precipitation 2.5-3.5 thousand mm per year); in the east of the Amazon and the adjacent gentle slopes of the highlands - subequatorial with a dry period of up to 3-4 months. (precipitation 1500-2000 mm per year) with large temperature amplitudes (especially extreme ones). Winter cold winds from the south of the continent can cause frosts in the southeast all the way to the tropics.
4. Flora and fauna
The Amazon Basin contains the most diverse vegetation on the globe. In the selva, as the moist equatorial forests of the Amazonian lowland are called, over 4 thousand species of trees grow, which is 1/4 of all species existing in the world. The main ones include palm trees (including dwarf ones), begonia, laurel, myrtle, mimosa and mangrove trees. Fruit varieties include fig tree, banana, pineapple, mango, guava, and orange.
The animals, each in their own way, have adapted to living among a dense forest intertwined with vines. Howler monkeys, capuchin monkeys, and marmosets spend their entire lives in trees, holding onto branches with their strong tails. Anteaters, raccoons and marsupial possums have prehensile tails. In the forest, cat-jaguars and ocelots often feel confident.
The world of birds is diverse, for which the spilled waters serve as a place of nesting and food. Amphibians and reptiles (rattlers, boa constrictors, anacondas), and insects are richly represented. There are many species of fish in the waters of the river, the most famous of which are piranhas.
5. Conclusion
Water plays an important role in human life. Therefore, such a pearl of our planet as the Amazon must be protected. Human economic activity leads to a decrease in forest area, which disrupts the cycle of oxygen and carbon in the biosphere. The greatest concern is the state of the Amazon tropical forests, the area of which is catastrophically decreasing, which leads to soil erosion and siltation of the river. The global problem of saving the Amazon must be solved by all countries of the world together and at the same time.
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For a long time it was believed that the longest river in the world was the Nile. However, thanks to modern technologies and numerous studies by scientists, it has become known that this is not entirely true. Using data obtained from satellites, they were able to prove that the representative of the African continent is not much, but still inferior in length to the Amazon. It should be noted that until this time it was in second position on our planet (in terms of duration). The evidence has been officially recognized, therefore, when talking about which is the longest river in the world, we can now safely mention the Amazon, which is also the deepest.
Revolutionary Research
The superiority of the main South American artery in terms of length on the planet was proven by representatives of the country's National Space Center in Brazil. They studied it for a long time using satellite data based on calculations by an expedition of Peruvian and Brazilian scientists. The fact is that during its implementation, a new source of the Amazon was discovered, which is located not in the northern part of Peru, as previously thought, but in the mountains in the south of the state. As a result, determining what kind of planet it is, scientists came to the conclusion that the length of the representative of South America was about 6800 kilometers, while the same figure for the Nile was approximately 6695 kilometers. Finding out the exact length is quite problematic, since it depends on the correct determination of the source. Regardless of what you consider it to be for the Amazon, it will still be longer.
Location
The longest river on Earth originates in the Peruvian Andes, at an altitude of 5 thousand meters above sea level, and ends in the Atlantic Ocean. The waterway flows through the territory of countries such as Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia and Brazil. It should be noted that half of the twenty largest rivers in the world are located in its basin. Quite interesting is the fact that most of the Amazon is located on Brazilian territory, whose population speaks Portuguese.
general description
At its core, the longest river on Earth is a whole system consisting of coastal forests and smaller waterways. The total length of all its waterways is more than 25 thousand kilometers, while the basin area is 7.2 million square kilometers. Together with it, about a fifth of all freshwater reserves of the planet flows into it. The volume of infusion is so enormous that the composition, color and salinity of ocean waters change at a distance of more than 300 kilometers from the coast. The Amazon is born from the merger of Marañon and Ucayali. The area of its internal delta is more than 100 thousand square kilometers.
The place with the greatest depth of the Amazon, which is 135 meters, is located next to the port of Obitus. This value can be compared with the average for the Baltic Sea. During dry periods of the year, the longest river on Earth covers an area of about 110 thousand square kilometers with its waters. This figure more than triples during the rainy season. Moreover, if in the first case the width of the river is up to 11 kilometers, then in the second it can overflow 40 kilometers. Two-thirds of the total length of this water artery is navigable. Moreover, even ocean-going ships can come here, which rise along the mouth to the city of Manaus, located 1690 kilometers from its beginning. It should also be noted that the largest river island on the planet, known as Marajo, is located precisely in the Amazon.
Origin of the name
Speaking about what it is called, one cannot fail to mention the origin of this name. Most historians and researchers are confident that it was given by the Spanish conquistadors. Indeed, when these European conquerors landed on the South American continent, they often had to engage in battle with the local inhabitants. Among the Aborigines, along with men, women also fought fearlessly. With their fury and courage, the Indian women reminded the Spaniards of the legend of the Amazons of antiquity. The imagination of the conquistadors was so amazed that they named the local waterway that way. It should be noted that some historians believe that in fact only men fought, who were mistaken for women because of their long hair. Be that as it may, the name of the longest river on the planet was coined by the Spaniards at that time.
Flora and fauna
The local flora simply amazes the human imagination with its diversity. As of today, scientists have been able to thoroughly study less than one third of its part. At the same time, one cannot help but note the fact that approximately 25% of all medicinal components of plant origin used in world medicine are extracted from local forests. The fauna is also quite diverse. The Amazon is home to approximately 1,500 species of fish. One of the most unusual species is the bull fish, reaching five hundred kilograms in weight and four meters in length. In addition, about 250 species of mammals and 1,800 species of birds are found here (including on the banks). One of the most striking representatives of the local fauna are pink freshwater dolphins, capable of hunting even in a flooded forest. One cannot fail to note the large number of piranhas - predatory fish that have become the real embodiment of horror due to cinema.
Water shafts
One of the main attractions for which the longest river on Earth is famous is the famous giant water shafts that are located at its mouth, not far from the small town of Belene. They reach a height of five meters and roll upstream. This process occurs during ocean tides and is accompanied by a strong roar. The waves are so strong that they can be felt even at a distance of 1,400 kilometers from the mouth of the Amazon.
Visit
The air temperature on its shores ranges from 26 to 28 degrees Celsius all year round. At the same time, autumn is considered the optimal time of year to visit the Amazon. As for the most unfavorable period, it is considered to be spring, when the rainy season falls. Around September, the water recedes and exposes local forests and beaches.
conclusions
To summarize, it should be noted that disputes between experts regarding which is the longest river on the planet are currently ongoing. In this regard, there is no doubt that the claims and evidence made by Brazilian scientists will be challenged. Be that as it may, the length of the Nile has also changed recently. True, unlike the Amazon, the main African waterway has shrunk somewhat. The once longest river in the world was shortened due to the construction of the Aswan Dam and the Nasser Reservoir, which began in 1960.
Believe it or not, there is a lot of debate about the length of the longest rivers in the world! Rivers are important to trade, agriculture, and the survival of the human race, but measuring river lengths is still very rough. In fact, over the years there has even been some disagreement as to whether the Amazon or the Nile is the longest river in the world. In this list we will try to dot all the i's, which most scientists agree with. So, we invite you to get acquainted with the 25 longest rivers in the world.
25. Salween River
The Salween, which translates from Chinese as “angry river,” is about 2,815 kilometers long and flows from the Tibetan plateau into the Andaman Sea in Southeast Asia.
24. Syrdarya River 
Photo: en.wikipedia.org
The Syr Darya is a river in Central Asia that originates in the Tien Shan Mountains in Kyrgyzstan and flows approximately 2,212 kilometers to what remains of the Aral Sea.
23. Sao Francisco River
Photo: flickr.com
The Sao Francisco River is located in Brazil. At 2,914 kilometers long, it is the longest river flowing entirely through Brazil and the fourth longest river in South America.
22. Indus River 
Photo: flickr.com
The Indus River is a major river that flows through Pakistan. It also flows through Western Tibet (in China) and Northern India.
21. Yukon River
Photo: flickr.com
The Yukon River is the main waterway in northwestern North America. The river's source is in British Columbia, Canada. The next part flows through the territory of the Yukon and that is why the river got its name. The lower half of the river flows through the American state of Alaska. The river is 3,190 km long and flows into the Bering Sea in the Yukon-Kuskokwim delta.
20. Purus River
Photo: placerating.com
Purus is a tributary of the Amazon River in South America. Its basin area is 63,166 km2, and its water discharge is 8400 m3/sec.
19. Madeira River 
Photo: flickr.com
The Madeira River is one of the main waterways in South America, its length is about 3250 km, it is also the largest tributary of the Amazon.
18. Shatt al-Arab River
Photo: flickr.com
The Shatt al-Arab is a river in South-West Asia, about 200 km long, formed by the confluence of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers at the city of al-Qurnah in the province of Basra ) in southern Iraq.
17. Volga River
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
The Volga is the longest river in Europe, as well as the largest river in Europe in terms of spillway volume and river basin area. It flows through central Russia and is widely perceived as Russia's national river.
16. Tocantins River
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
The Tocantins River is located in Brazil, and in the Tupi language its name means “toucan beak” (Tuka - toucan and Ti - beak). It flows from south to north over a distance of about 2640 km.
15. Murray River
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
The Murray River is Australia's longest river. It is 2,375 kilometers long, flowing from the Australian Alps, and most of it meanders through Australia's interior plains before reaching the ocean, emptying into Lake Alexandrina.
14. Niger River
Photo: flickr.com
The Niger is the third longest river in Africa, longer than only the Nile and the Congo River (also known as the Zaire River). Its main tributary is the Benue River.
13. Mackenzie River
Photo: flickr.com
The Mackenzie River is the largest river system in Canada. It flows through extensive backcountry and tundra exclusively in the northwest territory of the country, although its numerous tributaries reach four other Canadian provinces and territories.
12. Mekong River
Photo: flickr.com
The Mekong River flows in Southeast Asia. It is the twelfth longest river in the world and the seventh longest river in Asia. Its estimated length is 4,350 km and it covers an area of 795,000 km2 (307,000 sq mi), releasing 475 km3 of water annually.
11. Lena River 
Photo: flickr.com
The Lena is the easternmost of the three great Siberian rivers flowing into the Arctic Ocean (the other two rivers are the Ob and the Yenisei). It is the eleventh longest river in the world and has the ninth largest basin.
10. Amur River
Photo: flickr.com
The Amur River, or Heilong Jiang, is the tenth longest river in the world and forms the border between the Russian Far East and Northeast China (Inner Manchuria).
9. Congo River
Photo: flickr.com
The Congo (formerly also known as the Zaire River) is a river in Africa that is the deepest river in the world, with a measured depth of over 220 m. It is the third largest river in the world by volume of water discharged.
8. Parana River
Photo: flickr.com
The Parana is a river in southern Central South America, flowing through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina for 4,880 kilometers. Among other rivers in South America, it is second in length only to the Amazon.
7. Ob River 
Photo: flickr.com
The Ob River or Ob River is a major river in Western Siberia in Russia and is the seventh longest river in the world. It is the westernmost of the three great Siberian rivers that flow into the Arctic Ocean (the other two rivers are the Yenisei and Lena).
6. Yellow River
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
The Yellow River or Huang He is the second longest river in China after the Yangtze and the sixth longest in the world, with a length of 5464 km.
5. Yenisei River
Photo: flickr.com
The Yenisei is the largest river system flowing into the Arctic Ocean. Beginning in Mongolia, it flows to the Yenisei Gulf at Kara, irrigating much of Central Siberia, it is the longest water stream flowing in the Yenisei-Angara-Selenga-Ider river system.
4. Mississippi River
Photo: flickr.com
The Mississippi River is the main river of the largest river system in North America. Flowing exclusively through the United States (though its watershed reaches Canada), it flows from northern Minnesota and slowly moves south 4,070 km to the Mississippi River delta in the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the river basin supplies water to all or parts of thirty-one U.S. states and two Canadian provinces between the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachians.
3. Yangtze River
Photo: flickr.com
The Yangtze River, or Chang Jiang, is the longest river in Asia and the third longest in the world. It flows 6,418 kilometers from glaciers on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in Qinghai east through southwestern, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea in Shanghai.
2. Amazon River
Photo: flickr.com
The Amazon River in South America is the second longest river in the world. However, it is the world's largest river by volume, with an average volume of water discharged greater than the next seven largest rivers combined. It is also the widest river in the world.
1. River Nile
Photo: flickr.com
The Nile is one of the major rivers in Northeast Africa and is generally considered to be the longest river in the world. The Nile is 6,650 km long and flows through ten countries: Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and, of course, Egypt.
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 leads to the fact that it is strongly influenced by the summer season, in 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. Overall, the Amazon has approximately 30 times more fish species than 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 the main river move into the flooded forest, where they can be found swimming or hunting near the 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, there can be up to 72 different species of ants on one tree. 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 his strengths and earned hero status in a documentary 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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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 for Space Research decided to recalculate the length of the river in 2005 using 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 from the south, 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.